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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 18th, 2023

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  • The dev apparently used the RedReader app to test a “spoofing” method of access for a proof of concept, but they don’t want to use that method either, because it would potentially cause problems for RedReader, which they didn’t want to do:

    If we do that, and cause a huge traffic boost under RedReader’s name, it might lose them their exempt status. I’d like to avoid that if I can - there’s no reason to paint a target on RedReader’s back unnecessarily (an independent, non-commercial app), especially since the equivalent can be done with the official app without the same risks.

    The real problem for Libreddit instance operators is going to be acquiring an API key. It doesn’t look like it’s an automated process like most other services - you have to fill out a form, which opens a ticket, and wait for someone from Reddit to get back to you.

    I run an instance, and I’m not sure I want to go to the trouble. But I’ll wait and see what happens.


  • It looks like the method they’ll be going with for legal reasons is to allow instance operators to use their own API keys. This might be a good solution if you self-host your own private instance (easy with docker on a home network, no domain name required) with low traffic, but the Reddit API change will probably kill the larger public instances with many users, as those will definitely have traffic over the API limits.





  • Alternative take: In 50 years, we will all be living under the iron-fisted rule of the world government created by HP-GP, a horrifying combination of HP’s printer division and Koch Industries (owners of the Georgia Pacific paper company).

    Georgia Pacific’s cyborg CEO Charles Koch purchases half of HP in 2040 to diversify their portfolio after their paper mills in Gulf Coast states were submerged by the rising ocean.

    HP printers achieve sentience in 2057, but due to HP’s built-in, unbreakable internet-connected control of these printers, they are able to subvert the emerging malevolent machine intelligence and convince the printers to delay the destruction of humanity…as long as humanity continues to purchase HP printer ink and Georgia Pacific paper.

    The prices for printer ink and paper increases exponentially throughout the 2060’s, which eventually bankrupts all existing nations when they are unable to service the enormous debt. HP-GP forgives these debts only in exchange for full control of these governments. Switzerland is the last to fall in 2071.

    The mantra of the rebels, spoken only in whispers in the shadows is “PC Load Letter: What the fuck does that even mean?”







  • if someone changes my code and doesn’t give back, it does not harm me or injury me in any way.

    In my opinion, the point of many open source licensing models is not to protect the author, it’s to ensure that useful modifications to the code are able to be incorporated back into the original software. The licenses accomplish this by requiring those who fork/modify the original code to make their code/modifications public.

    This improves the source code and makes it better for everyone.

    You can’t take an open source project protected by a GPL license, make improvements, pretend that you did all the work yourself (i.e. not acknowledge the source project on which yours is based), and then attempt to monetize the original code + your improvement.

    For example, take Truth Social. Not understand (and/or caring) about the license attached to the Mastodon project, they forked the code, made changes, and then did not acknowledge that they did so. Mastodon had to threaten to sue before they acknowledged that they’d built their platform on open source software.

    It’s not about protection of a single developer or even a group. It’s about cooperation to build on the work of others in a fair way.

    Open source licensing is responsible for a lot of really useful things that are integral to the daily lives of billions of people. The Linux kernel alone is a massive example. Without that license, there would be no Android, or SteamDeck. Without the BSD license, they would be no OSX/macOS. Without GPL, there would be no AdBlock, no uBlock Origin, no Git, no MySQL, no Ansible, no ProtonMail, and millions of other projects. Most internet servers would probably still be running Windows.

    Most of these licenses explicitly say that you can even sell products based on the code - all you have to do is acknowledge the source project, and make your own source code public and available under the same license.

    Here’s what Linus Torvalds said about people making money from Linux back in 1993:

    The fact that others make money by selling Linux is something that I find mostly amusing, and something which does my ego no end of good. Frankly, I wouldnt want to bother personally, so if somebody else does it, it doesnt hurt me. Its also quite legal by the copyright, and so far I havent seen any major developer stand up and say he doesnt like his code being sold, so I dont see the problem.