Notices by Marcia MacDonald (marcia@spore.social)

@gemlog Thanks!
For the folks asking for this, I think it might be too technically involved to get Vosk and the necessary models working, but good to know this worked for your needs.

@maxheadroom
A lot of the ones I listed say they can run locally, but I'd like to know how easy that is without testing them all.

I'm not sure of all the requirements, but it's probably fine to transcribe a recording, and speaker separation may not be strictly required.

Have you heard anything about any of these ones? https://spore.social/@marcia/116257128925403191

@uviclabourlaw is hosting @industrialworkersoftheworld for Organizer Training (OT 101) April 11-12 in #Victoria

https://forms.gle/tEndhRFekJ74NR9A9

#labour

What's everyone's favourite meeting transcription software that's not Otter.ai?

I'd love to hear your recommendations for specific open-source data-secure transcription software for video-conference (and in-person) meeting notes! It needs to be suitable for grassroots orgs, particularly folks who prefer not to self-host.

#opensource #transcription #privacy #DigitalSecurity #DataSovereignty #AI

@gemlog
These data may now be more easily accessed and extended through @littlesisgram

https://littlesis.org/tags/11/relationships

@gemlog
Yes, it happens every Sat at 2pm.

Join @raven_trust this weekend for another round of Solastalgia: Addressing Climate Anxiety through Community Building and Art-Making.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/solastalgia-lino-block-printing-tickets-1978304333516

#VictoriaBC #YYJ

@gemlog Montreal got rid of transit fares for seniors, which was a good step!

RE: https://kind.social/@VTRU/116194659683729313

I hear that @emilylowan will be at this free event for transit riders and workers today!

The community-building social event is a celebration of Transit Workers Appreciation Day (March 18th) and a joyful protest against woefully inadequate government investment in public transit, high bus fares – which increased to $3 for a single trip in Victoria last spring – and BC Transit’s increased fare enforcement.

Bring T-shirts, tote bags, or other items to silkscreen

#VictoriaBC #YYJ

@gemlog
At least that posts seemed better to boost that this one, which has trackers in the URL!
https://mastodon.quebec/@radiocanada/116175766564696909

@gemlog
That's just a bot account that posts RSS feed, so no one from Radio-Canada will see your comment, but I totally agree CBC/Radio-Canada shouldn't have ads in any medium!

Kanehsatake 35 years later: Remembering the day Canada sent in the military to violently clear Mohawk land for a golf course

The 1990 siege marked a nationwide turning point in Indigenous resistance — now there’s a new threat to the sacred Pines

By Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel

https://ricochet.media/indigenous/landback/kanehsatake-35-years-later-remembering-the-day-canada-sent-in-the-military-to-violently-clear-mohawk-land-for-a-golf-course/

#Indigenous #LandBack #Kanienkehaka #Mohawk #CdnPoli

350 Canada is running an interesting federal election campaign called Don't Get Played, which folks here might want to check out.
https://dontgetplayed.ca/

They have lots of resources for organizing, but the one I'm most intrigued by is the conversation guide for talking about misinformation, using 4 handy Ps:
1. Paraphrase
2. Praise
3. Pivot
4. Perspective

Has anyone found that this approach works?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v993_E05XPJq7RHrevr57Jw13bg8d8tt/viewto

#CdnPoli #elxn45

I'm still waiting to see a movement to make it legal to jailbreak US tech in response to US tariffs, as @pluralistic has been recommending.
Are there signs our gov is listening?

Ursula Franklin Lecture:
With Great Power Came No Responsibility, 2025-Feb-24
https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/26/ursula-franklin/#
https://vimeo.com/1059798497

#tariffs #IP #CdnPoli

"Abolish the Canadian laws that protect US Big Tech companies from Canadian competition. Make it legal to reverse-engineer, jailbreak and modify American technology products and services. Don't ask Facebook to pay a link tax to Canadian newspapers, make it legal to jailbreak all of Meta's apps and block all the ads in them, so Mark Zuckerberg doesn't make a dime off of us."

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/26/ursula-franklin/#

#tariffs #IP #CdnPoli

Advice wanted: I'm looking for tips on a good instance for a grassroots org to join to help us grow our community outside of Meta. (We've stopped using X but still have a profile there.)

The ideal instance would have the following:
- a good proportion of folks who live in Canada
- a good proportion of frontline folks involved in climate and environmental justice
...

#FediTips

@IP_policy
@richardgold.bsky.social
Do you have any suggestions of how to stimulate more public discussion on the policy proposed in Cory Doctorow's blog post from yesterday? Would you or another IP expert from academia possibly be willing to write something similar, maybe expanding with some ideas on IP in biotech/pharma?

Canada shouldn't retaliate with US tariffs
https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/15/beauty-eh/#its-the-only-war-the-yankees-lost-except-for-vietnam-and-also-the-alamo-and-the-bay-of-ham

@534n
And we've done it on land stolen from Indigenous peoples.

@pluralistic

@sn0wbl1nd @pluralistic

Would definitely be a bold move, but maybe we could convince someone to announce their candidacy for Liberal leader and get media attention highlighting this policy. They'd have a week to push it before the first (refundable) $50K is due, but then a non-refundable $50K is due Jan.30.

Any strategic ideas about who might be readily influenced or who might fund this?

Other ideas for a rapid campaign?

I find these suggestions from @pluralistic to be super intriguing and would like to see others run with them, including possibly expanding to IP in the biotech/pharma industry. So many science and tech workers could potentially benefit, along with all the other folks facing tech enshittification, who can't get people's vaccines, etc.

Is there already a movement behind this? Anyone want to organize one with me?

Canada shouldn't retaliate with US tariffs
https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/15/beauty-eh/#its-the-only-war-the-yankees-lost-except-for-vietnam-and-also-the-alamo-and-the-bay-of-ham

#tariffs #IP