Dave Lane @lightweight@mastodon.nzoss.nz

One thing that I really dislike is when gov't (i.e. the taxpayer) funds developers to write software for the Common Good (e.g. contact tracing apps) but they keep it proprietary, giving them a proprietorial advantage, allowing them to exploit the very same people who paid for its development. That's classic "privatise profit, socialise cost"... Not on.

One thing that makes NZ much different from the US, in my experience at least, is that most NZers have not only travelled internationally, they've *lived* overseas. I think it creates a much different (and more healthy, mature, and perhaps humble) perspective within a society if most have had that experience.

#uspol I'm pleased Biden was elected... but he's just a tourniquet on gaping reputational leg wound. Biden's just as corrupt as Trump, but beholden to different masters. He's just a bit more dignified & predictable about it. The US need to get over its blind spot (i.e. idiocy) about democratic socialism & progressive policy. And it needs to get over the myth of "American Exceptionalism". Stuff like equity & climate disaster mitigation are too urgent - there's no time to convince everyone.

Phew. That's all my Drupal 7 & 8 sites upgraded... now to install a new one...

Oops - here's a better pic that's in focus (couldn't tell on my phone).

Our Lizardarium seems to be proving fit for purpose! We're providing sanctuary to quite a few skinks now... And possibly quite a few more if you look at this female we found this morning...

Holy crap - PHP's composer dependency management is slower than a wet week.

This is *especially* true if that company is selling software or SaaS. I'm amazed at how many companies doing this outsource all development and expertise. Their outsourcing partner holds *all* the cards.

Wow, just went for a walk with the dog along a stream in our neighbourhood... and saw a bunch (maybe 8?) massive eels - as big around as my arm probably... Must be seriously venerable.

I encourage companies who have a fundamental dependence on custom software (their own SaaS or a crucial info management system or even their day-to-day productivity software) to ensure that they control that software and have in-house development expertise to customise it. If you outsource that, you're no longer an independent company. You're an effective non-voting subsidiary of whoever controls that software. More info: https://davelane.nz/mshostage

This is the kind of shit that TechSoup shovels daily onto poor hapless NGOs around the world: https://email.connectingup.org/t/ViewEmail/i/EBF908530A7B38842540EF23F30FEDED/21386AD034D32EE474AF8F7A76570606 They make all their money by pushing Microsoft proprietary software so that NGOs don't do something "silly" like use open source software, that's far more sustainable.

Microsoft is trying to buy up all the 'cool' stuff in the market in an attempt to make itself cooler by association... Minecraft, Github, now Guido (Benevolent Dictator For Life aka BDFL) von Rossum, creator of Python (which has been eating C#'s lunch as a programming language). Sad that interesting businesses and people sell out.