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1. Embed this notice
   Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 21:37:07 JST Aral Balkan

   Well that’s a first.

   A little tip for conference organisers: maybe don’t book someone to speak at your event and then call them a “racist” for opposing Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.

   A little tip for me too: maybe don’t accept speaking engagements from conferences where the decisions are apparently made in Florida.

   Oh, well, live and learn.

   *smdh*

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 21:48:37 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • thethuthinnang

     @photovotary And people wonder how the Holocaust was allowed to happen.

   • Embed this notice
     thethuthinnang (photovotary@beige.party)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 21:48:39 JST thethuthinnang

     in reply to

     @aral Damn. What on earth?

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:06:58 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Reay

     @reay Welcome to the new reality, I guess.

   • Embed this notice
     Reay (reay@beige.party)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:06:59 JST Reay

     in reply to

     @aral Wow.

     Sorry to hear you had to deal with that.

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:08:43 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Noortje Van Leeuwen

     @Noortjevee Some folks decided it was more important to not offend actual Nazis – literally a thing that was said during our call – than to have me speak at their event.

     No worries, Small Technology Foundation got paid either way so they ended up doing some good even if they didn’t want to.

     First time in 25 years of professional speaking, however. Which says something.

   • Embed this notice
     Noortje Van Leeuwen (noortjevee@mstdn.social)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:08:44 JST Noortje Van Leeuwen

     in reply to

     @aral what happend exactly?

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:10:08 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • wakingrufus

     @wakingrufus Oh, I’d never speak at a conference *in* Florida (or in the US in general) anyway. They are just apparently pulling the strings of this “European event” being organised by Europeans.

   • Embed this notice
     wakingrufus (wakingrufus@bigshoulders.city)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:10:09 JST wakingrufus

     in reply to

     @aral
     So many tech conferences are in Florida recently. I don't understand it, but I do take it as a red flag.

   • Embed this notice
     Layan🍉ayoub🇵🇸 (layan2002@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:14:43 JST Layan🍉ayoub🇵🇸

     in reply to

     @aral When denouncing genocide becomes 'racism' in their eyes, know that their moral compass has been completely shattered. A harsh lesson for them, and a source of pride for you🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 https://chuffed.org/project/177144

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:17:00 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • cobalt

     @cobalt123 (No, I was disinvited.)

   • Embed this notice
     cobalt (cobalt123@beige.party)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:17:01 JST cobalt

     in reply to

     @aral What was your topic? I can’t figure out how you would have been booked if someone had looked at all your other previous speaking events or credentials. I sure hope the presentation happened without someone flagging it and making a public scene.

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:22:19 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Layan🍉ayoub🇵🇸

     @Layan2002 It should be the absolute lowest bar for humanity.

     💕

   • Embed this notice
     Layan🍉ayoub🇵🇸 (layan2002@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:22:20 JST Layan🍉ayoub🇵🇸

     in reply to

     @aral To stand with humanity and bravely reject genocide in a time when many applaud injustice and evil is something to be proud of 🇵🇸🇵🇸🤍🤍🤍🕊️

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:22:21 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • Layan🍉ayoub🇵🇸

     @Layan2002 Thanks, Layan, but I’m not sure there’s pride to be felt in any of this.

     I just wish none of it was happening.

   • Embed this notice
     David Culley (davidculley@infosec.exchange)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:28:10 JST David Culley

     in reply to

     • thethuthinnang

     @aral @photovotary When the Holocaust was allowed to happen, there was no Holocaust before it—genocides, yes, though.

     People in our time though had every chance to learn how the Holocaust was allowed to happen, and we still allow this extermination of an entire people on a grand industrial scale to happen. That makes it worse to me.

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:28:52 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • cobalt

     @cobalt123 Folks in Europe booked me. Folks in Florida balked.

     The End.

     🥜

   • Embed this notice
     cobalt (cobalt123@beige.party)'s status on Monday, 04-May-2026 22:28:59 JST cobalt

     in reply to

     @aral Ah! Makes more sense now. I’m so sorry you had any hassle at all. For the attendees, their loss. Don’t people from the US know these conferences are run by people who must comply with Florida propaganda?

   • Embed this notice
     Aral Balkan (aral@mastodon.ar.al)'s status on Tuesday, 05-May-2026 07:43:29 JST Aral Balkan

     in reply to

     • David Culley

     @davidculley Yeah.

   • Embed this notice
     David Culley (davidculley@infosec.exchange)'s status on Tuesday, 05-May-2026 07:43:30 JST David Culley

     in reply to

     @aral I'm sorry. 😞

     Is it the conference in June for which you recently took new photographs/headshots?