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1. Embed this notice
   Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud ) (blenderdumbass@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:33:50 JST Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )

   • Wary Jerry

   @jerry Can I ask you a few questions. I'm the author of that article that talked about the $5K figure you spend on the infrastructure.

   I would like to write a second part of it, clarifying the situation and stuff. I would like to ask you a few question to clarify some aspects of running an instance.

   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:33:47 JST 翠星石

     in reply to

     • Wary Jerry
     @blenderdumbass @jerry All good cryptocurrencies have free software wallets and nodes, thus using them doesn't require running proprietary software.
     
     Using cryptocurrencies via proprietary software + SaaSS platform to speculate and then withdraw to fiat is using them wrong.
     
     The localbitcoin and localmonero sites used to offer a JS-free exchange, but governments shut such freedom down.
     
     There is also the free software Bisq2 bitcoin exchange, which is also generally free of "KYC", but most sellers charge high fees to cover the rare scamming buyer, who likes to transfer the amount, receive the bitcoin and then file a transaction dispute and claim that their account was hijacked (bitcoin transactions cannot be reversed, but bank and credit card transfers can be reversed if a dispute is filed and accepted) - there are also scamming sellers, but any seller that scams loses their reputation.
     
     The original Bisq mitigated such problem by requiring that both parties put up some bitcoin prior to transacting and therefore scammers end up losing money - the issue is that scheme is that you need to already have bitcoin to get any bitcoin.
     
     >Like cash, deposit checks, wire transfers, western union
     All of those use computers - just not your computer.
   • Embed this notice
     Wary Jerry (jerry@infosec.exchange)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:33:48 JST Wary Jerry

     in reply to

     @blenderdumbass In 8 years, I think I had one person ask if I would accept crypto currency for donations. I really should set that up, but it's actually not been an issue for me.

   • Embed this notice
     Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud ) (blenderdumbass@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:33:48 JST Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )

     in reply to

     • Wary Jerry

     @jerry Followup to that. I'm so sorry. I need to clarify. It seems like crypto just adds a layer on top of the existing problem. Yes you can send crypto with libre software only, but buying / withdrawing it requires the same non-libre js as with direct credit card use.

     But there are ways to send money without the use of computers at all. Like cash, deposit checks, wire transfers, western union and its competitors. And other options that I may not be able to remember from the top of my head.

   • Embed this notice
     Wary Jerry (jerry@infosec.exchange)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:33:49 JST Wary Jerry

     in reply to

     @blenderdumbass that works for me.

   • Embed this notice
     Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud ) (blenderdumbass@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:33:49 JST Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )

     in reply to

     • Wary Jerry

     @jerry Question three: I've noticed you list a few options to support your instance with money. But it seems like some people will be rather unwilling to do that kind of thing, for various reasons. For example a lot of people that are very libre-software focused check that even the javascript code in their browser is libre. Mastodon is fine for them. But something like the blob stripe uses for Librepay transactions is not. How could those people, if they wanted to, send you money?

   • Embed this notice
     Wary Jerry (jerry@infosec.exchange)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:33:50 JST Wary Jerry

     in reply to

     @blenderdumbass sure. it seems like I've caused some chaos and misunderstandings. I am about to step out for the night but can reply tomorrow, if that works for you

   • Embed this notice
     Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud ) (blenderdumbass@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:33:50 JST Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )

     in reply to

     • Wary Jerry

     @jerry First, whatever chaos you caused is probably positive for Libre Projects in general ( like the fediverse ). Because a lot of people started brainstorming ways to solve the money problem.

     Is it okay I will ask you questions in this thread, so I could link your answers directly in the followup article?

   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:34:50 JST 翠星石

     in reply to

     • Wary Jerry
     @jerry @blenderdumbass All 3 of those donation methods require running proprietary software.
   • Embed this notice
     Wary Jerry (jerry@infosec.exchange)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:34:51 JST Wary Jerry

     in reply to

     @blenderdumbass no worries - I misunderstood. I have never had anyone ask for a way to donate like that.

   • Embed this notice
     Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud ) (blenderdumbass@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:34:51 JST Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )

     in reply to

     • Wary Jerry

     @jerry It seems like a lot of people not seeing an option to do any of that just automatically assume that they don't want to donate and move on.

     I wonder how many more will donate if such option will be obviously available.

     The Free Software Foundation lists a lot of alternative options for such people and they also make sure the JS for transactions is libre: https://www.fsf.org/about/ways-to-donate/

   • Embed this notice
     Wary Jerry (jerry@infosec.exchange)'s status on Saturday, 14-Jun-2025 23:34:51 JST Wary Jerry

     in reply to

     @blenderdumbass I'll run a poll to see if there is interest in that - the community here doesn't seem to be shy about asking for alternatives, which is how I ended up with patreon, liberapay, and ko-fi