Notices by Jen (jetlagjen@geekdom.social)

@cstross @irina @davidtheeviloverlord we use LibreOffice for working on clients' Word files when we help them publish. We rarely have any issues with it. 60k words, a few chapter headings, 200 tracked changes? Easy.

But occasionally, we do have issues, and it's always really big, complicated files, with lots of additions like many tracked changes or tables or hundreds of footnotes. So we have to have Word available.

@ryanc yes.

Boys over the age of 8 are *far* too cool (read: indoctrinated into toxic masculinity) to do anything fun, or be seen in the presence of a parent.

#LongCovid energy crash day.

Today I have:

- collapsed and was unable to move for over an hour

- had physical help to go to the toilet (including holding me up while I adjusted clothes)

- slept for a total of several hours

- eaten only when I was helped to sit up and the plate was put in my hand

- had a ten minute conversstion, by the end of which my words were slurred

- typed a couple of toots

- nothing else

I "don't seem #disabled" because you don't see days like this.

1/3

@venite @inthehands I've been eyeing up e-trikes. If it can give me the independent, no-car range I used to have walking before I got covid, that would be incredible. I could go to the local shops!

I had decided I couldn't justify the cost. But then I found out I'm due some inheritance money from Granny, which is roughly the price tag of the one I like. I think she'd be thrilled at the idea of me riding around on something so utterly ridiculous yet completely practical.

@nathans BUTTONS!

Buttons and dials that I can work purely with my fingers while my eyes continue to do the important job of *watching the road*.

@ryanc I'd quite like to see one where the only evidence supplied is a "before" picture of them looking thoroughly uncomfortable and an "after" picture of them living their best life. That should be plenty proof that they've made the right choice.

@geonz @inthehands yeah, very similar.

I'd say the key difference is intention. Giving someone the runaround implies a deliberate intention on the part of the actors. In an accountability sink, all the individuals involved may have good intentions and be doing their best, but the result is the same because of systemic problems / intentions.

@inthehands I recently came across the phrase "accountability sink" which I think applies here.

It's a process, person, body, etc that accepts feedback but has limited to no power to act on it or pass it on in meaningful ways. A Customer Service Desk is the classic example.

@inthehands ewww.

I wonder if they'd "accept feedback without becoming angry or defensive"?

@inthehands

My first couple of weeks of uni was utter confusion. I was given a stack of paper several inches thick and left to it. I had to figure out how and where to register for my course, how to pick and register for a subsidiary, how to find my way around a whole new city... I mentioned to someone how bewildering it all was and got brushed off with "it's all in the docs," "others manage" and "you're not at school now, we're not spoon-feeding you."

I coped only because I knew a 2nd year.

@emily oooh! You've just reminded me that WikiHow exists!

The taxi section seems to be focused on hailing a cab rather than pre-booking, but it could be a good start on a lot of things.

Next week my #autistic teen will need to get a taxi. He's not done this before and we won't be there to help. He'll need to navigate everything from finding the right (pre-booked) car to paying.

This strikes me as the sort of thing that there should be #LifeSkills resources for. Searching just brings up vague information about what life skills are, US-specific stuff, or expensive resources of unknowable quality.

Any #ActuallyAutistic people know of good UK resources?

@eleanorrees I was hoping to avoid the "more homework for Mum" option given I'm already running beyond sustainable capacity. But it always comes back to that, doesn't it?

@inthehands "seeing students and meeting them where they are."

This really speaks to me. I visit schools with STEM activities. I'm not a teacher, so I've had to learn on the fly how to teach. The key thing I've learned is that I have to meet them where they are.

You can't do that by ignoring, banning, or demonising key parts of who they are.

I'm now wondering what pin badges I should add to my lanyard to go alongside my bi and she/her ones.

@ryanc congratulations on the points won so far, and good luck for the ongoing fight.

"It's too hard to fix it all" is a rubbish excuse for not fixing anything.

@inthehands you are very right about the social costs. When I think about times I haven't called out bigotry, I've either been rabbit-in-headlights stunned or afraid of repercussions. Either way, the social vulnerability has been strong enough to make me miss the chance. When I *have* called it out, I've either been in a socially powerful position or have carefully calculated my exit strategy. I'd like to be braver, but it's not easy. I have, at least, avoided active encouragement.

Let's have a cheer for non-smart technology!

✅️ It uses less energy

✅️ It uses less minerals with ethically suspect sourcing

✅️ It doesn't stop working when the company fails or cancels the service

✅️ It can't spy on you

✅️ It can't be hacked

✅️ It's less confusing to learn

✅️ It's easier (and cheaper) to repair

✅️ It's easier to lend to a friend

✅️ It might still work in a power cut

✅️ It's not locked in to one supplier

#Enshittification #ClimateAction #Privacy #ConsumerRights

Remember when we found out that tobacco companies knew the damage their products did, but went on pretending they were safe? And soon after, there were class actions and advertising restrictions and massively hiked taxes?

Fossil fuel companies have known for decades the damage their products do, but they've been pretending they were safe. Can we get on that ASAP, please?