Cassidy James :roost: :gnome:

Building open communities and useful, usable tools for good.

:roost: @roost OSS Community Manager
:gnome: @gnome Foundation Director

Previously: partners & community @EndlessAccess, co-founder & CXO at @elementary; UX & web at @system76.

Still an emo kid at heart 🖤

#fedi22 #GNOME #OpenSource #TrustAndSafety #Flathub #3Dprinting #StarWars #HomeAssistant #SmartHome #FOSS

Public Key

npub1z4w84aycya9qgkaxddduquldzypc9lkhgqdprc3nfn3mwjwusc5sc95pye

NIP-05 Address

cassidy@mastodon-blaede-family.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsp2hr67jvzwjsytwnxkk7qw0k3zquzlmt5qxs3uge5ecahf8wgv2gpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43qz9thwden5te0wfjkccte9ekk7um5wgh8qatz7pna7v

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Author Public Key

npub1z4w84aycya9qgkaxddduquldzypc9lkhgqdprc3nfn3mwjwusc5sc95pye

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Last Notes

2026-10-27 22:13:15 UTC

I accidentally tested GNOME OS Preview on my work laptop (I made an install flash drive for another computer and then left it in when rebooting…), and holy smokes this is smooooooth.
Idk if it’s just GNOME 51 updates, or something GNOME OS itself is doing, but it feels really, really snappy. And GNOME 50 on Fedora Silverblue was no slouch, either!
I’m telling myself to not use it for work, but everything I do is backed up… 👀
https://os.gnome.org/
#GNOME #GNOMEOS #Linux #OpenSource

2026-10-26 01:09:40 UTC

Glow-in-the-dark filament is so much fun. Time for spooky earrings!
#3Dprinting #halloween
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/504/532/817/793/694/original/427ead083c756143.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/504/532/972/012/920/original/9ddf497cf3e4fcd6.jpg

2026-10-25 20:04:39 UTC

I’m seeing so many newer apps with entire sentences or even paragraphs in the UI to describe simple settings toggles. Idk if this is a direct result of vibe coding or just asking an LLM to describe the feature, but wow it clutters the UI while increasing the cognitive load. More words does NOT make something easier to understand.
#UX #UserExperience #UXdesign

2026-10-24 17:37:17 UTC

After much deliberation, I brought my PlayStation Portal on an international trip. It did not work on the in-flight Wi-Fi (which I *mostly* expected to be the case), but it was clutch for airports and a couple of restful evenings.
Sony 1000% should allow you to download PS1 games to play locally when offline. Even just that would make it the perfect travel console for me; as it stands, it’s still a brick without a reliable high-speed Internet connection.
#PlayStation #PlayStationPortal

2026-10-22 21:44:27 UTC

Impromptu sabacc game at the Matrix Conference! I didn’t bring shift tokens, so we ended up using @nprofile…vckx swag. 🤣
#MatrixConf #ROOST
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/486/741/390/422/580/original/1c7a7f76bcba7dd4.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/486/741/498/376/996/original/5fae630e3d48b07b.jpg

2026-10-22 15:48:13 UTC

Clooooosing tiiiiime
#MatrixConf
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/485/341/735/770/914/original/ad5f227b0460d525.jpg

2026-10-21 21:56:41 UTC

https://youtu.be/0la5DBtOVNI

2026-10-21 10:03:10 UTC

Jim is sharing an update about T&S for Matrix. @nprofile…43a0 and I will cameo later in the talk to share a bit about @roost.tools projects being used to keep people safe on Matrix.
#MatrixConf
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/478/325/477/325/761/original/49306dfceaf4a38a.jpg

2026-10-21 07:06:02 UTC

What if websites were—hear me out—static documents‽
Your personal site, blog, company landing page, or project documentation shouldn’t have to be running a server-side application framework to be served.
Web apps that are actually applications: sure, of course. But more websites should be static.

2026-10-21 06:52:54 UTC

https://xkcd.com/221/
#xkcd #xkcd221 #4
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/477/569/916/899/882/original/cbc0f0eae0b19367.png

2026-10-20 07:03:16 UTC

Good morning, Malmö! I’m excited to hang out with and learn from people building messaging and social experiences on the open, decentralized Matrix protocol. 😊
And if you have any questions about @nprofile…vckx, our open source trust & safety tools Coop & Osprey, or T&S in general, I’d love to chat!
#MatrixConf #MatrixConf26 #Matrix #TrustAndSafety #OpenSource #ROOST
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/471/932/775/675/729/original/91bc2d5aa47dfde3.jpg

2026-10-19 13:43:11 UTC

Legitimately my first experience at Matrix Conference: a group of people from Matrix walking in with two giant IKEA bags full of blåhaj. 🌈🦈
#MatrixConference #MatrixConf #MatrixConf26 #MatrixConf2026 #MatrixConference2026

2026-10-16 17:36:39 UTC

I've updated my 3D-printable sabacc credit chips with recessed designs that are much nicer to stack!
https://www.printables.com/model/1747479-star-wars-sabacc-credit-chips
#3Dprinting #StarWars #sabacc

2026-10-16 15:10:37 UTC

My Ender 3v2 clogged up again and the filament is allllll over inside the hot end. This is not the first time, and there were a few other issues with the hot end, so I'm wondering if I should just get a new one since they're just like $20. Or is it worth spending a little more to get a direct drive kit? 🤔
#3Dprinting #3Dprinter

2026-10-15 15:03:15 UTC

How I know I’m raising my kids right. 😝
#HomeAssistant

2026-10-10 01:32:36 UTC

Me: I think what will solve this is me writing a few words down!
Also me: a 2,000 word blog post that isn’t even halfway done. 🫣

2026-10-09 21:17:11 UTC

If you participate in an open source project or community, when is the last time you actually read the code of conduct? 👀
If it’s been a while, I encourage you to go find and read it! It applies to everyone in the community, was written with care, and exists for a reason.
Community management and especially code of conduct enforcement is a tireless, oft-uncredited job. Help those folks out by reading, internalizing, and reiterating what they have written. 🙏
#OpenSource #community

2026-10-08 01:12:21 UTC

A little over a year ago I bought a pair of Pixel Buds Pro 2 because there was a sale, I liked the smaller size compared to the first gen, and my first gen batteries were starting to wear down. A few months ago the mics suddenly stopped working and I got a brand new set as a warranty replacement. Now this case has just… stopped charging, but Google is refusing to replace it because the warranty on the *defective earbuds I no longer* have is up. 😒
#MadeByGoogle

2026-10-07 21:57:53 UTC

If nothing else, skip to the 44 minute mark for a mention of a cool guy 👀
jk you should listen to the whole thing! It’s a great interview and story of the work we’re doing at @nprofile…vckx

2026-10-07 21:33:07 UTC

With the imminent minor release, Osprey got the nice docs site treatment like Coop and the @nprofile…vckx community docs. :)
https://docs.roost.tools/osprey/latest/
#OpenSource #ROOST #TrustAndSafety
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2026-10-07 14:58:09 UTC

I’m typically a light mode during the day kinda person, but today is a headache-y dark mode kind of day. 😵
(App and website designers, I beg you: please respect platform color scheme preferences! It’s an accessibility thing! In both directions; some people have a hard time with light text on a dark background as well!)

2026-10-07 02:33:26 UTC

Really cool to see everyone from my phone maker to a novelty underwear maker sending me Harry Potter shit as if its creator isn’t actively using her Harry Potter wealth to spread hate and strip people of their rights around the world.
https://www.helenwebberley.com/insights/jk-rowling-anti-trans-funding-legal-campaigns

2026-10-05 17:28:22 UTC

I had decided
it was a Monday problem
and now it’s Monday

2026-10-05 17:24:15 UTC

I loathe tailwind.
Sorry:
<section class="relative overflow-hidden !py-0 mt-10">
<div class="container pt-t10 text-left prose bg-light fg-dark mt-5">
<p class="p prose visible fg-dark m-auto w-fit max-w-32 p-10 font-medium">I loathe tailwind.</p>
</div>
</section>
#css #webDev #tailwind

2026-10-01 17:01:32 UTC

I am hosting a sabacc night this weekend, and have decided that it shall also be the official fall/spooky season kick-off party.
The revnog will be served alongside hot mulled fruit cider. We’ll set up the fire pit. The holoscreen will feature the spookiest episodes from The Clone Wars. There will be s'mores cookies.
I have spoken.
#StarWars #sabacc
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/366/722/904/335/347/original/d535b5ca22fe3617.jpg

2026-10-01 15:14:01 UTC

“This is getting out of hand; now there are TWO of them!”
Trying out Era. It feels very nice and GNOME-y with some improvements over the core Calendar app. I have some concerns about dividing development effort, but I also get that sometimes it’s easier to start your own project from scratch without any of the legacy, conventions, or promises of a large, long-developed codebase.
If you’re on Linux, give it a try and report some bugs! :)
https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.gnome.gitlab.TitouanReal.Era
#GNOME #Flatpak #Flathub #Linux
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/366/282/622/434/334/original/0cf3a29c53bce50f.png

2026-09-30 15:13:40 UTC

New Cartel album is a banger, and it’s out on Bandcamp(!).
https://cartel.bandcamp.com/album/learning-how-to-cope
#music #altRock #popPunk #alternative #rock

2026-09-25 04:06:43 UTC

This is an absolutely bonkers thread that reveals how much duct tape and bailing wire is holding together a trillion dollar company’s “artificial intelligence” system. It’s a Linux VM with a bunch of vibe code and Markdown files, and can be trivially persuaded into just… pwning the whole system, apparently.

2026-09-25 03:22:50 UTC

okay now stop telling me to organize my wardrobe every time I open my dang photos app

2026-09-25 03:10:53 UTC

More @nprofile…vckx docs site updates! We’re now serving project docs from the shiny new docs.roost.tools domain. Idk what to do with the bare domain yet, so it currently redirects to roost.tools, but projects get a nice URL like:
https://docs.roost.tools/coop/latest
More to come soon. 👀

2026-09-25 02:30:30 UTC

My first thought was that this was fake, my second was that it was going to be some kind of AI slop.
https://people.com/wendy-s-goes-emo-with-songs-to-listen-to-in-a-wendy-s-parking-lot-album-12138550
I’m happy to report it is neither! It’s real and not bad. 🤘
#emo #PopPunk #Wendys #music #AltRock #Alternative

2026-09-25 02:00:27 UTC

Bit of a long shot, but do I know anyone from Atlassian, especially doing anything related to trust & safety?

2026-09-24 16:30:16 UTC

Aha, this has been filed as a blocker, already: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2537341

2026-09-24 16:27:46 UTC

I decided to test GNOME 51 via Fedora Silverblue 45, and it’s mostly excellent!
One problem I’m hitting seems to be due to the switch from GNOME Keyring to oo7; secret management is broken for me at the moment. It’s possible it’s just a me thing, but nothing can reach the secrets portal so things like SSH keys are not remembered, and I can’t log in to Fractal. 😬️
This error is funny, it sounds like it’s a secret error that I’m not supposed to know about 🤫️
#Fedora #Silverblue #GNOME #GNOME51
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/326/938/676/412/970/original/94426cc6cd770ad3.png

2026-09-22 14:47:07 UTC

I don’t even use KDE, but I am tempted by this plushie… it could be friends with Plushtodon and Turnip Boy. 🤔
This reminds me, we need an adorable ROOST mascot.

2026-09-22 14:26:50 UTC

The @nprofile…vckx community site now shows contributors from the GitHub API! It doesn’t reflect every contribution to the community (e.g. folks who are active in working groups or chat but not on GitHub), but it’s a start to try to visualize who the ROOST community actually is.
https://community.roost.tools
#OpenSource #TrustAndSafety #ROOST
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/315/151/978/070/432/original/0b659f801d1089b9.png

2026-09-22 01:45:22 UTC

The @nprofile…vckx Coop docs are looking preeeeeetty nice now, huh? 👀
https://roostorg.github.io/coop/latest/
#OpenSource #TrustAndSafety #documentation #ROOST
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2026-09-03 14:38:52 UTC

See, I could have used generative AI to make this, but then where would be the fun in struggling and knowing everything bad about it is because of my own personal deficiencies rather than a machine’s??

2026-08-28 17:04:20 UTC

I remember hardcore Apple fanboys telling me they prefer iPhone because it’s designed to give you a good experience, as opposed to Android which is developed by an advertising company.
It turns out Apple is a multi-billion-dollar advertising company.

2026-08-28 04:07:24 UTC

MCR still got it
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/171/160/195/480/315/original/f72062d6f1f394d7.jpg

2026-08-26 16:04:44 UTC

I recently (re?)discovered The Open Source Way guidebook, and it is SO GOOD.
If you want to understand healthy, successful open source projects and community, I implore you to give it a read. Even a skim over interesting chapters is worthwhile! The whole thing completely reflects my own experiences in the best open source projects and communities.
Thanks to @nprofile…677v, @nprofile…hskk, @nprofile…5rmd, and more for putting it together.
https://guidebook.theopensourceway.org/
#OpenSourceWay #OpenSource #FOSS #community

2026-08-24 15:44:15 UTC

Idk man these new Android emoji feel like TEMU iOS. They’re so… shiny and unsettling. I’m sure I’ll get used to them (especially as they’ll likely trickle down into Linux distros), but I’m kind of bummed by it.
#Android #MadeByGoogle #Pixel11 #NotoEmoji
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/151/251/403/766/755/original/5fb0d6932ede06bb.png
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/151/251/492/156/808/original/c9edfa0e9ef4f1a3.png

2026-08-22 16:13:28 UTC

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@nprofile…g9ft yum!

2026-08-22 03:21:27 UTC

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@nprofile…cc5z Stamp looks promising to me! I believe the other is vibe coded, if that matters to you.

2026-08-22 03:05:14 UTC

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@nprofile…s69d tbf I think everyone forgot Apple Vision Pro existed

2026-08-18 18:06:01 UTC

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@nprofile…42ek they are “official” from the AI companies themselves, but they’re not being distributed in the distro app stores; they’re distributed as downloadable packages that then add their own repos.
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/07/claude-desktop-linux-beta
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/08/chatgpt-desktop-app-linux-preview

2026-08-18 17:53:56 UTC

I’m not sure about the taskbar-style compose dialog (I also find it strange in Gmail), but generally I really like where Mastodon is going design-wise.
For accent colors/custom themes I will once again bang the drum: modern CSS is so freaking powerful! You can do a ton of color science stuff when given even a single accent color; the Mastodon web client should 100% be built around that assumption to enable arbitrary accent colors while guaranteeing minimum levels of contrast.
#Mastodon

2026-08-18 16:45:26 UTC

As I continue to see official Linux releases of AI companies’ desktop apps, remember:
Installing something from a .deb file gives the creator of the app ROOT ACCESS TO YOUR ENTIRE COMPUTER. These .debs also add a persistent repo to your computer, meaning they have PERSISTENT root access.
I’m not sure that’s something you really want to give these companies. Maybe it’s why they’re not releasing Flatpaks?
#Linux #Flatpak #OpenSource #AI #LLM #Claude #ChatGPT #OpenAI #Anthropic #Ubuntu

2026-08-18 04:37:06 UTC

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@nprofile…p6sd @nprofile…vckx thank you!

2026-08-18 03:07:23 UTC

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(I also snuck in a share to Mastodon button alongside the LinkedIn and Bluesky buttons…)

2026-08-18 02:20:24 UTC

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Aaaand it’s live on the @nprofile…vckx blog!
https://roost.tools/blog/trust-safety-across-the-fediverse-roost-fossy-fedicon-2026/
#FOSSY #FediCon

2026-08-18 00:56:47 UTC

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@nprofile…wr3d I was very excited to visit there in Outlaws!

2026-08-18 00:54:17 UTC

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@nprofile…7xj9 it's a critical part of my Blu-ray to NAS pipeline!

2026-08-17 21:33:44 UTC

Guilty lol. How’d I do?

2026-08-16 19:09:18 UTC

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@nprofile…ugyy the debate is not whether Bluesky is federated; it’s whether the Atmosphere is decentralized. Bluesky is like Mastodon.social; the Atmosphere is like the fediverse. Both the Atmosphere and fediverse are trying to solve the same problems but starting from opposite directions.
Nobody (who knows what they’re talking about) would argue that Bluesky is federated. Indie atproto devs feel very similarly about Bluesky as fediverse folks do. Try to remember that; atproto folks are our friends.

2026-08-15 14:35:47 UTC

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@nprofile…llyq counter-point: the fediverse isn’t a product

2026-08-15 02:18:59 UTC

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@nprofile…v6n6 oh, oh my lmao

2026-08-15 01:25:46 UTC

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@nprofile…fd6f I mean… it’s possible restaurants have been using that term since before 2008?

2026-08-15 01:15:19 UTC

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@nprofile…ptau welcome to the fediverse! 🙌

2026-08-15 01:14:51 UTC

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@nprofile…ku3s welcome!

2026-08-15 01:12:48 UTC

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@nprofile…kgpq
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/096/863/690/823/084/original/2241fb300244860a.mp4

2026-08-15 01:08:47 UTC

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@nprofile…h2p8 okay I do categorically refuse to engage with anything described as a webinar, but will happily watch a live stream. 😅

2026-08-15 00:50:47 UTC

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Also, this is about the name “Flathub” as well. 😝

2026-08-15 00:49:32 UTC

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@nprofile…le0y 💯
I would go further and say that if you have to try to describe the concept instead of focusing on the people and experience, you’ve already probably failed.
But if you must: it’s a social network. You can find your friends and make new ones from thousands of smaller sites because they all work together. 🤷

2026-08-15 00:38:28 UTC

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@nprofile…7xj9 nerds 😆

2026-08-15 00:36:24 UTC

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@nprofile…twh5 yeah, I definitely favor “social network” over “social media.” And I appreciate the sentiment behind “social web!”

2026-08-15 00:30:05 UTC

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Of course “doesn’t matter” is over generalizing (500 character limit here!). My point is that it matters a whole lot less than we want to admit. “Microsoft” is a hysterically terrible name. “Google” is such a nerdy in-joke. “Apple” is meaningless. “Facebook” is a bit on the nose.
What will matter more for the fediverse is not what it is called—it’s who people can connect with across what apps and sites that they enjoy using.

2026-08-14 23:39:10 UTC

Hot take: naming doesn’t matter. The term “fediverse” is goofy and nerdy *and fine, actually.*
You use the “Internet” every day. “Email” is ubiquitous. We install “apps” on “phones.” You ask for the “Wi-Fi password.” These are all goofy names, yet nobody bats an eye.
What we call something doesn’t factor into its adoption as much as nerds would have you think. But arguing about naming is easier than doing all of the *other* work required for adoption.
#FediCon #fediverse #OpenSource

2026-08-14 21:35:05 UTC

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@nprofile…2gus @nprofile…xgry @nprofile…jcvd @nprofile…zpqp @nprofile…v4er @nprofile…z3ft @nprofile…5tkd @nprofile…fcdr ooooh I like that, too!

2026-08-14 21:29:35 UTC

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@nprofile…xgry @nprofile…jcvd @nprofile…zpqp @nprofile…v4er @nprofile…2gus @nprofile…z3ft @nprofile…5tkd @nprofile…fcdr definitely more a conversation than a flowchart, though. :) But if someone says they used to like Instagram, you could onboard them onto a Pixelfed instance. If they miss Twitter, you could show them Mastodon. If they miss blogging, you could set them up with Ghost, etc.

2026-08-14 21:28:08 UTC

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@nprofile…xgry @nprofile…jcvd @nprofile…zpqp I’d love to hear about how you set it up and ran it! We (@nprofile…v4er, @nprofile…2gus, @nprofile…z3ft, @nprofile…5tkd, and @nprofile…fcdr I think?) were chatting about having a FediCon booth at the next FOSSY where we could have someone helping with onboarding. I liked the idea of having a handful of representative instances and then asking folks, “What social network experience do you miss?” to separate the question from people missing photo sharing from disliking modern Instagram.

2026-08-14 05:49:54 UTC

I guess I really should write up a blog post about my experience at #FediCon for @nprofile…vckx, huh. I have so many thoughts!

2026-08-13 23:23:20 UTC

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@nprofile…85a5 source: trust us bro
Again, not that I think specs are the end-all, be-all! But I want someone to get up on stage and nerd out about how the new ISP enables the photographic styles directly in the capturing pipeline; show a nice animated representation of how it changes the number of frames captured; tell us how you tuned the different presets. Tell us what about the new ISP enabled the new features.

2026-08-13 18:54:02 UTC

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@nprofile…e7yu yeah it feels like it could come to earlier phones, but I could also see them saying, “The real-time processing and modified image pipeline is only possible on the new chip,” which, okay, fine—maybe it would have been a little more work to make it work differently on the older hardware. 🤷
This is where actually making the case on stage would have worked to their advantage if it’s *not* just software. Otherwise, it’s going to seem like they are arbitrarily withholding software features.

2026-08-13 16:59:36 UTC

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@nprofile…p9v9 that’s the thing that frustrates me: they did a TON of work on the camera side of things with new, physically larger sensors that capture more light, a faster and more efficient processor with an entirely new image processing pipeline, significantly faster capture, and yeah, some gimmicky features that take advantage of all of that.
But all they did was demo the features without diving into how they work or what makes them possible—which I’d have loved to hear someone nerd out about.

2026-08-13 16:43:55 UTC

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@nprofile…08um the 11 series has all new sens and a new processor with a new image processing pipeline. But THEY DIDN’T REALLY TALK ABOUT IT in the presentation!! So it’s not clear what’s hardware vs. software at this point. They credit the 4× faster Night Sight to the new Tensor chip, at least, and I imagine it is also what enables more real-time processing for things like the “Magic Capture” and “Camera Looks” features. It’s not clear to me if those could be done on previous-gen hardware though.

2026-08-13 16:19:21 UTC

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I hate that I have to wait for embargoed reviews after the release to actually get people’s reactions to the phone, and especially the new cameras—but again, my point is that Google *could* have taken advantage of that to actually nerd out about these cameras, dive into why and *how* they changed things, and set the narrative.
Instead, it was basically, “They’re our best cameras yet! The new Tensor chip makes them great! Here are some marketing demos!” NERD OUT ABOUT WHY
#MadeByGoogle #Pixel11

2026-08-13 16:17:28 UTC

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@nprofile…08um I’m happy with my 10 Pro, but the new camera stuff really caught my eye. But they didn’t even dive into it at all!!

2026-08-13 16:09:28 UTC

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If you’ve not read @nprofile…7vxf’s excellent piece about the Pixel 11 cameras, I highly recommend it btw! But WHY WASN’T IT PART OF THE PRESENTATION AT ALL?? Even if it’s not the same event, I would love a presentation from the people building the honestly impressive gadgets we carry around to shine a light on all of the engineering that goes into them.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/978084/google-camera-looks-interview-computational-photography
This is the compelling part of the story to me.
cc @nprofile…p6zj
#MadeByGoogle #Pixel11

2026-08-13 16:02:43 UTC

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I understand that tech should be about the experience—what it enables, what problems it solves—rather than being about specs; I have a background in user experience design, after all! But these events *used* present a problem, then show us the nerdy tech and engineering that went into solving that problem.
Get Isaac Reynolds up on stage to talk about why people are tired of smartphone cameras, then nerd out about how the new camera pipeline solves that. Show me graphics!
#MadeByGoogle #Pixel11

2026-08-13 15:56:32 UTC

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Combined with my growing disdain of Google as a company/brand and absolute disinterest in AI-for-AI’s-sake, I almost didn’t even watch the Made By Google event yesterday. I did pull it up while working out of sheer curiosity, but I could have skipped it. It wasn’t for me.
The format is just… cringe. I understand why it exists but it’s not at all filling the same void as previous events that were actually about the technology.
#MadeByGoogle #Pixel11

2026-08-13 15:52:53 UTC

I used to be super excited by tech presentations for new devices because they seemed to be targeting the enthusiast/nerd/technologist audience with the understanding that they would then go forth and tell their friends about why the gadgets were so cool.
They’ve *always* been marketing events, but at least the audience was nerdy and thus the content would get into the nerdy details a bit. Now it feels like they’re just mainstream marketing events.
#MadeByGoogle #Pixel11

2026-08-12 22:23:47 UTC

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@nprofile…s5ra I feel like the way the audience was miced did feel like that, but it got better as it went? I don’t love this format in general but I am enjoying Trevor Noah a whole lot more this year. Idk if he’s actually going off script or the writing is just better—or he’s just funnier.

2026-08-12 18:45:19 UTC

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@nprofile…n6ra *sigh* everything sucks

2026-08-12 18:36:01 UTC

I heard “dad gamer” and thought maybe this would be something that would interest me as someone who has young children and thus limited time to devote to video games. Maybe it’s something I can easily pick up for short bursts in that limited free time, or even maybe play with my kids?
> Competitive massive online military shooter with a deep skill tree system and “only” 37 different guns and 21 different vehicles at launch
Oh, so not for this kind of dad, then. 🙄
#gaming #WarDogs

2026-08-12 15:45:01 UTC

My four-year-old, trying to open my Fullmetal Alchemist pocket watch:
“Dad, can you help me open this pocket watch?”
You gotta use alchemy.
“WHAT”
It’s like magic.
“Magic isn’t real!”
Are you aware of the law of equivalent exchange?
“WHAT”
I’ll help you, but it’s gonna cost you an arm and a leg…

2026-08-11 17:23:58 UTC

Can confirm, GNOME Shell development setup is shockingly easy these days. I was blown away by how simple it was to get the main branch running in its own little container and start hacking on JavaScript and CSS.
#GNOME

2026-08-11 07:14:27 UTC

Is iPhone auto brightness just terrible? I swear it’s always an iPhone that flash-bangs the entire dark airplane at 10,000% screen brightness.

2026-08-11 07:05:56 UTC

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@nprofile…fcdr so far so good! It's a little different than Gboard which I've used for forever, but I really like it so far. Hopefully my data is helpful. 🙏

2026-08-11 02:57:32 UTC

I've switched to Heliboard. Let’s go!
#Heliboard

2026-08-11 02:55:16 UTC

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@nprofile…tef3 this is the built in search in my phone, not a browser. I use DuckDuckGo everywhere I can!

2026-08-11 00:06:27 UTC

Yay!! I hope to see all you nerds somewhere in less than a year, but if all else fails, see you back here next year!
#FOSSY #FediCon

2026-08-10 23:56:46 UTC

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@nprofile…vfg2 I do 99% of the time! Unfortunately my phone defaults to Google and it's too easy to accidentally use the wrong search engine. 😞

2026-08-10 17:47:01 UTC

Sometimes I accidentally use the world’s largest search engine from one of the most profitable companies in all of human history for a simple query. And then I get slop like this.
It continues to amaze me that this:
• shipped to users
• is the technology burning out almost everyone I know
• would ever be intentionally used by anyone
Google has become a horrible search engine that is being replaced by a horrible bullshit machine.
#Google #AI #LLM #slop
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonblaedefamily/media_attachments/files/117/072/445/223/326/296/original/40e12b2f651c0446.png

2026-08-10 16:10:47 UTC

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@nprofile…v4er did you clock my Howl earrings yesterday?? I didn’t know you were a fan!

2026-08-09 18:36:46 UTC

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@nprofile…6r5d iirc it was @nprofile…2gus who mentioned it in a talk at FediCon yesterday. My understanding is that ✨ it’s happening ✨ probably first in software like Emissary and then Mastodon has announced they’re scheduling the work for 2027.
https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2026/04/sovereign-tech-agency-funding/#end-to-end-encryption-for-private-messages

2026-08-09 18:14:27 UTC

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I look forward to the afternoon session about the SFC’s recommendations¹ because—as Jynn Nelson wrote in the excellent Rust LLM policy blog post²:
> Our choices are not “no policy” or “policy”. Our choice is whether to have the policy be an unofficial list of moderation notes or something we stand by publicly. …writing our rules down is better than not writing them down.
¹https://2026.fossy.ca/schedule/presentation/435/
²https://blog.rust-lang.org/inside-rust/2026/08/05/rust-langrust-is-adopting-an-llm-policy/#so-why-a-policy
#FOSSY

2026-08-09 18:09:03 UTC

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I think the “Community Discussion about Generative AI” at FOSSY was largely positive/productive, but like it was only the tip of the iceberg of the discussion; so many folks in the seats were emphatically nodding or shaking their heads at various points, but we didn’t have nearly the space to dig in.
Everyone has thoughts/feelings, everyone seems to be tired of talking about it, but also… we’re still all over the place.
#FOSSY

2026-08-09 16:48:27 UTC

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Coffee secured, time to dash to the Earth Sciences Building! #FOSSY

2026-08-09 16:45:36 UTC

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@nprofile…e4j4 in that case, what does the menu here do for you? Is it a nice shortcut to open the app again, a reminder that it’s still running in the background, or a way to quickly quit it to stop it from running/playing? Just trying to understand how this is helpful compared to the MPRIS controls.