Notices by swanye@fosstodon.org

In lieu of #Tumblr being talked about again, just wanted to let everyone know I'm still around.

Have had to slow my development as the family caught COVID back in August and I was let go from my job shortly after that so I've been focusing on finding new employment.

But I have no expectations of stopping work on Swanye, esp. once I find a job again.

Just wanted an update so it isn't just silence; this account continues to periodically get followers and I'm always glad people are interested!

@MediaActivist

If it's helpful – any –, I'd argue Swanye (as it's intended to be a #Tumblr alternative); still in the process of being built but, in case you were looking for anything, just making mention.

Original image source: https://blackexcellence.tumblr.com/post/720570536431878144/happy-juneteenth-tumblr

Happy #Juneteenth, Fediverse.

Trying to go through and cleanup any loose threads I had from before I took a break on this or things I was like, "I can just get to that later…;" now is, in fact, later.

While the change is small, it's super helpful; I, actually, hadn't implemented notifications for when when someone mentions you, yet.

The screenshot demonstrates what it'll look like in your notifications, including one you've already viewed.

A small change but one that definitely helps the user experience; the last month has still been hectic but there are a few easy, low-level changes I can make to keep things going so that's what I'm aiming for.

I try to reduce JavaScript use as much as is (reasonably) feasible but there are just some experiences to social media you're going to expect – like not reloading a page every time you like a post.

Currently, this just updates the icon on the post

As previously alluded to, posting without reloading the entire page.

Something I hadn't realized was that loading a new page aborts all existing HTTP calls (including async. ones) which…could be a problem for the user, assuming that zir post went through fine and now wants to view it: ze clicks the Home button just to find that…nothing shows up at the top of zir dash.

I checked how Tumblr handled this and it succeeds by disabling the Close button and the modal

I got a new phone yesterday; my old one, a perfectly functioning OnePlus 6, was forewarned by my carrier that it would no longer be supported so I needed a new one.

This creates a dilemma (though not the one I'd like to primarily highlight).

I could buy one specific to a carrier; this forces me to get a new one or trade it in, if I ever switch: this either wastes money outright or inadvertently by depriving me keeping the device I paid for to begin with.

Alternatively, I could buy an unlocked device but still run afoul of a carrier simply saying, "No; we don't want to allow you to do that." In both scenarios, retaining my freedom from these companies requires quite a bit of money at my disposal.

And this is a problem but one that's much harder to solve, at least at an individual level.

I got, for my replacement phone, a OnePlus Nord N20 because I enjoyed the OxygenOS; I had not done as much research as I

had supposed as I had missed that OxygenOS was being replaced with ColorOS.

There was one feature I really loved with OOS which was just rendering the battery as a circle; displaying the percentage takes up too much space for my liking and I found the circle easier to read as an indication than the default battery icon.

And now I can't even use that; and I can't pitch it as an idea to ColorOS (easily) because it's propriety.

It's such a small thing; and

yet…

As a child, tech. was liberatory for me; I didn't have control over much but give me my computer and I had an environment /I/ could define.

When I discovered GNU/Linux, I didn't know it, at the time, but the software was built with me in mind; there were so many settings because the creators, building for their users, designed them that way.

Using a smartphone reminds me how much that isn't the norm, how much what you get to use and how you use it

is out of your control. The things we could do – lower the degree of effort, increase accessibility for the elderly and the disabled, create new experiences – and how little of all that is explored because someone can make more money more easily by doing nothing.

I started writing this because, after finding the Fediverse, it was practically painful to go back to using propriety social media like Tumblr.

Software that feels more like you're fighting it

or you have to use it because it's the only thing that does what you need but just /barely/ – I can understand why some people say they literally hate technology.

And it doesn't have to be that way. There's no reason we should have to settle for it.

Agreed, @fullstackthaumaturge, but I always figured I'd use Swanye, once it was in a state enough for use.

That way, I can also dog-food it, in the process.