Notices by Mx. Riley (robin@social.riley.pub)

idk feels like today might be the time to call it, official time of death for the Google search engine

either the incentive structure there is just irretrievably fucked or there's a product manager who decided jumping the shark was the best way to try to put an end to this "put LLMs everywhere" craze

RE: https://scicomm.xyz/@JohnBarentine/116558373277343748

OK I still mostly don't want to hear about the Pope but I think it's worth recognizing such a major figurehead calling out light pollution.

That's dope.

29 years ago today, Tasmania became the last state in Australia to decriminalize homosexuality.

This hits close to home. History isn't all that distant.

All my love to the queer and trans elders who fought for our rights in Tasmania, and all the people who grew up and suffered under these policies. I love you.

https://tasmanian.com.au/stories/rodney-croome/

I had hoped to avoid this — but my job search is taking longer than expected, and Chris lost his job unexpectedly. I'm now fundraising so that I can afford my gender affirming care and my surgery which is scheduled for October 8th!

Donate at: https://riley.pub/fundraiser

Every bit helps, and I welcome and encourage you to share this :boost_please:

I'm seeing openness to age verification laws within some left of center organizing spaces 😱

Folks, we gotta talk to our people to kill this harmful policy. Regulate dangerous big tech practices, not people!

LGBTQ+ kids in hostile environments suffer when they can't access community online.

Age verification also facilitates excluding representation of marginalized folks. Also, it is at odds with the right to repair — shouldn't we own our devices, and not the other way around?

It is appalling to see people conflate "pay me for my work because I must survive" with "selling out."

That attitude is too common on fedi, one of the more problematic inheritances from the early days of FOSS.

There is no virtue in suffering. And relying solely on volunteer labor is a demand that people suffer, or that contributors only be people of privilege.

Relatedly, @thisismissem is one of the most valuable contributors to fedi and she deserves our support: https://support.thisismissem.social/

I'm looking for full-time work!

I work at the intersection of social and technical systems, and specialize in building up people, programs, partnerships, and organizations around open source.

I have a deep track record in complex community relations, am fluent in the nuts and bolts of many technologies, and have spanned governance, org development, nonprofit and people management, comms, marketing, events, and beyond.

Let's fly! :boost_please:

#FediHired #GetFediHired #OpenSource #FOSS

A bipartisan coalition in Congress is, well, as the Intercept rightly says, "is considering abolishing your right to be anonymous online."

Age verification is an authoritarian trap, and it's already taken root in the UK, Australia, and California (ugh), among others. We have to fight back!

https://theintercept.com/2026/03/05/kosa-online-age-verification-free-speech-privacy/

#USPol #AgeVerification #Surveillance #Tech #KOSA #Censorship

Not even a full week on antidepressants and it feels like being reunited with an old friend.

All my love and compassion to the Robin that trudged through these last few years, found herself, and had the wisdom to finally seek more help. It gets better.

I am welling up with tears of joy as I reflect on the day and take in the reports from around the country — around the globe even.

Of course, mass mobilization, like voting, is necessary but not sufficient. After a day on the streets filling our cups and building community, let us rest our bodies and savor the hope 💖

Tomorrow: What's the follow through? And how are we helping others who've been activated to follow through too?

#NoKings #Protest #USPol

Grateful for the ever growing North Bay Rapid Response Network's work to document immigration action and support our neighbors. Finally got my training as a legal observer today!

There's probably a network like it where you live. Check them out and get plugged in!

#SonomaCounty #SFBA #Petaluma

State Senator Scott Weiner really delivered this session, not just #SB79 but also #SB497 👏🏻

"California lawmakers passed legislation this week to prevent health providers from releasing transgender patients’ confidential medical records in investigations of gender-affirming care in states that ban treatment for minors." https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/5501349-california-transgender-medical-records-bill/

#CAPol #California #TransRights #LGBTQ

Despairing at the lack of care and urgency with which local courts are handling name and gender marker changes. I have intl travel soon, and the window for trans-affirming passports in the US could close any day.

I call every week. Only *after* 6 week waiting period did they tell me there was an issue, which I resolved within hours.

Now they say it may be another 2-6 weeks until the judge reviews it, at which point either they'll issue a judgment (good) or spot another issue (...).

Fuck.

Come tomorrow, I'll have the finalized court order recognizing my gender and chosen name 🥰

People are starting to accidentally put my chosen (not yet legal) name on docs that really need my legal name.

So, uh, I've finally got the paperwork ready. Tomorrow I submit my petition to make it real :sparkles_transgender:

Just learned about this development through Safe Streets Petaluma. California needs to follow suit!

The Washington state legislation "gives cities the legal authority to create Shared Streets, defined by two key principles:

- A speed limit of 10 mph, and
- Pedestrians have the legal right to occupy the entire street."

https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/05/19/governor-signs-washingtons-first-in-the-nation-shared-streets-law/

#WAPol #CAPol #Urbanism #SFBA #Petaluma

Oooh, a sneak peak at the Petaluma Regional Library's renovations! First major reno since opening in 1976, should be a better fit for how people use libraries these days _and_ be a better shelter during extreme heat and smoke days: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/petaluma-library-renovations-reopening/?utm_source=article_gift&utm_medium=copy-link&ac=YXJ0aWNsZS1zaGFyZQ==&ah=gz1A5xD2av8y

#Petaluma #SonomaCounty #SFBA #Libraries #GiftLink

Seeing the latest news that Meta is now asking users for permission to mine their unpublished photos, I'm re-upping on this: are you still on Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp?

I've had friends say that me leaving FB made their feeds noticeably less interesting, and they were spending less time there.

The network effect does work in reverse!

If you're still on Meta services, ask yourself: what would it take to leave? It can be incremental! https://blog.riley.pub/walking-away-from-facebook/

Thinking about the CASA ruling, it seems like being aware of the federal judicial district one lives in or is traveling through is about to become a lot more important: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_judicial_district

#SCOTUS #USPol #CivilRights

All eyes on LA. Bless those organizers and protestors.