Notices by Jürgen Hubert (juergen_hubert@mementomori.social)

It is unwise to speak out of turn when summoning the Devil.

It is even less wise to ask the wrong question at the wrong time.

#Germany #folktale #folklore #Devil
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/The_Boy_with_the_Red_Jacket

Again and again, I see the notion that humanity is committing "collective suicide" because we are not acting on #ClimateChange and other forms environmental destruction.

I do not accept this thesis. This is not suicide, it is murder - perpetrated by the oligarchs of this world and others who want the #FossilFuel economy going for their own profit.

And they have invested _massive_ amounts of money into propaganda to keep this system running. Not just by funding climate change denial - but also by promoting the concept of the individual "carbon footprint". Essentially, they have socialized the risks and privatized the profits, tricking us into believing that _we_ are to blame for not doing enough as individual persons, rather than _them_ for creating and perpetrating the system.

This is part of the "personal responsibility" ideology pushed by those who already own most of the world, but still want more. If _we_ as individuals share in the blame for _their_ decisions, even though _they_ gain all the benefits from them and we do not, then that means we would have to fight _ourselves_ to save the world - rather than the true villains of this story.

So let's put the accountability where it belongs, okay?

Just like humans, giants can suffer from the frailties of old age.

Perhaps they even suffer more than most.

#MythologyMonday
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/The_Spectacles_near_Lehe

The plague spirit known as the "Kuhtod" sometimes manifests in the form of a giant.

#MythologyMonday
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/The_Kuhtod

Giants are good at throwing rocks, but bad at aiming. Which is why their rocks litter the landscape of Northern Germany.

#MythologyMonday
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Giants_on_Alsen,_Bars%C3%B6,_and_in_the_Sachsenwald_Forest

The dead tend to frown upon petty thieves.

#Germany #folktale #folklore #ghost #ghoststory
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Don%27t_Steal_from_the_Dead

The Noon Woman is a terrible danger to those who don't rest at noon during field work.

#WyrdWednesday
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/The_Noon_Woman,_P%C5%99ipolniza

Remember, folks: If you have a nasty cold, wear a mask on public transportation even if all your COVID tests have turned up negative. You don't need to spread the viruses of the common cold around either, and wearing a mask helps with that.

It's what people in civilized countries would do.

When a postman discovered the identity of the spirit that had tormented him every night, he was in for quite a surprise.

#Germany #folktale #folklore #horse
https://www.patreon.com/posts/animal-night-121872590

@farah

I am German. I will happily take over the "baking bread" task, as this can obviously not be entrusted to anyone from the Anglosphere.

A mysterious stranger arrived on Hiddensee during a storm and asked for hospitality.

#MythologyMonday
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Hiddensee_Island

@FantasticalEconomics

Alas, the Nazis were also very incompetent, and this did not stop them.

I fortunately haven't been in this position, but I imagine that proofreading #LLM -generated texts must be a miserable experience.

With texts written by human authors, you can usually contact them and ask them: "What were your thought processes when using this sentence?" Since LLM do not "think", you cannot interrogate them on this, and thus it falls you to give meaning to their words.

Furthermore, with human-written texts, both the original author and the proofreader share responsibility for the quality of the text - with the author having the bulk of the responsibility, while the proofreader is responsible for polishing it.

But since LLM are intended as a tool for evading responsibility in its entirety, all the responsibility for the quality of the text lies with the proofreader! And who would want that for LLM-generated slop?

Magical tomes should be kept away from amateurs.

#Germany #folktale #folklore
https://www.patreon.com/posts/summoning-119364512

Remember: If you have #Acrobat Reader installed on your work computer, periodically check it to ensure that its #AI features are switched _off_, because the software will switch it on even after you have previously switched it off.

Unless your bosses are okay with sensitive business documents ending up in the Acrobat Cloud for analysis, of course.

@fragdenstaat @zdfmagazin

Danke!

Das ist mir eine Anekdote in einem zukünftigen Buch wert, wo es auch um eine Sage über den Sachsenwald geht.

@StillIRise1963

Yeah, no way I am going to reveal my social media history to people who can put me into a concentration camp upon arrival.

@kaia

Lucky you. _I_ only ever got:

"Are you interested in becoming a Pet Ambassador?"

Many ghosts are bound to treasures, and can only be freed once the entire treasure is lifted.

However, this task usually comes with its own hazards.

#Germany #folktale #folklore #ghost #ghoststory
https://www.patreon.com/posts/fiery-men-36126048

A lot of people are resistant to any kind of business uses for the #Fediverse , but consider this:

- While most of us here are rightfully scornful of #Capitalism , the notion of a "market economy" is not going to go away. There are innumerable small to midsized businesses in the world who _aren't_ like the Capitalists we know and loathe - they haven't established any monopolies, they haven't managed regulatory capture, and they are oppressed by Big Tech just as much as ordinary people are.

- For many such businesses, maybe even the majority, a #Facebook Business Page is more important than a website, and thus many such small businesses _only_ have a Facebook Business Page, since it is far easier to set up than hosting your own website on your own domain, it is easier for your customers to find you there (because #GoogleSucks ), and it is easier for you to interact with your customers as well.

I think it would be very worthwhile if the Fediverse would develop an alternative to Facebook Business Pages for such businesses.

A good example for an industry that could benefit from such "Fediverse Business Pages" would be the #TTRPG industry. While some gamers might whine that "RPG books cost too much these days!", the reality is that this is an industry that has razor-thin margins, and only the very biggest TTRPG companies have employees that number more than in the single digits. Every business decision they have to make must involve the question:

"Is this worth the effort?"

Well, if there _was_ a Fediverse Business Page system that was either easy to self-host, or easy to join on larger instances, and which had a similar design to Facebook Business Pages, then there wouldn't be much effort involved in adding the same material to the former if they already maintained the latter. And as #Meta declines, the Fediverse could gradually take its place.

What would such a Fediverse Business Page require? It would need an ActivityPub-enabled feed, of course. It would need a configurable link list that would point towards their product pages or sales platforms, as well as space for all the usual business information. And it would require a robust scheduling system with a calendar view (I used the one provided by Meta for a time, and I think it is possible to do better).

Did I miss any important features?

Oh, and the same system would work well for non-business organizations as well - whether clubs, NGOs, or even political parties!