From d81622c194f00941520258c984c2317d954294a3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Harald Eilertsen Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2020 15:28:15 +0200 Subject: Done importing old posts! --- .../index.md | 49 ++++++++++++ .../2015-01-02-popcorn-time/Popcorn_Time_logo.png | Bin 0 -> 81183 bytes content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/index.md | 86 +++++++++++++++++++++ .../hammer-Swastika.png | Bin 0 -> 16223 bytes .../2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/index.md | 27 +++++++ 5 files changed, 162 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/blog/2015-01-01-social-networking-done-right/index.md create mode 100644 content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/Popcorn_Time_logo.png create mode 100644 content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/index.md create mode 100644 content/blog/2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/hammer-Swastika.png create mode 100644 content/blog/2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/index.md (limited to 'content') diff --git a/content/blog/2015-01-01-social-networking-done-right/index.md b/content/blog/2015-01-01-social-networking-done-right/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..aaf6814 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/2015-01-01-social-networking-done-right/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,49 @@ ++++ +title = "Social Networking Done Right" +lang = "en" + +[taxonomies] +tags = ["social networks", "diaspora", "federation"] + +[extra] +author = "harald" ++++ + +For the past year and a half or so I've moved most of my social networking +presence to [Diaspora*]. It's been quite a nice ride, I think. The +change of pace from Facebooks aggressive and immersive ad-driven style to a +smaller community has been both refreshing and enlightening. + + + +This could be just another social media platform, however. In which case it +wouldn't be very interesting. A matter of preferences and taste, combined with +where the people that you know hang out would determine which platform you +prefered. It could essentially be just another facebook clone. There's enough +of them already, and they're all uninteresting. + +What sets Diaspora* apart is that it's a platform for sharing and communicating +with anybody. It's distributed nature is well known. There are a number of +_pods[^pods]_ located around the +internet. [Choose one] that you like and has terms you agree with. +You can even [run your own]. You can share and communicate with +others _regardless of which pod they are signed up to_. + +While that's great by itself, it really shines when you realize that you can +share and communicate with people on completely different platforms too! As +long as the other platforms implement the same protocol for sharing messages +and posts that Diaspora* does, it doesn't really matter on which platform your +friends are signed up to. For now this means that anybody on [Diaspora*], +[Friendica] and the [Red Matrix] can communicate with each other. + +If you ask me, that's just how social networking should be. Not locked up silos +like Facebook and it's clones, but open platforms for communicating and sharing +ideas regardless of the underlying platform. + +[^pods]: Servers running the Diaspora* software. + +[Diaspora*]: https://diasporafoundation.org/ +[Choose one]: https://wiki.diasporafoundation.org/Choosing_a_pod +[run your own]: https://wiki.diasporafoundation.org/Installation +[Friendica]: http://friendica.com/ +[Red Matrix]: https://redmatrix.me/ diff --git a/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/Popcorn_Time_logo.png b/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/Popcorn_Time_logo.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3ea5010 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/Popcorn_Time_logo.png differ diff --git a/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/index.md b/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f3fe1af --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,86 @@ ++++ +title = "Popcorn Time" +lang = "en" + +[taxonomies] +tags = ["film", "popcorn time"] + +[extra] +author = "harald" ++++ + +{% figure(img="Popcorn_Time_logo.png") %} +The Popcorn Time mascot +{% end %} + +Lately I've been trying out [Popcorn Time]. I know it's hardly news anymore, +but I'm one of those who like to pay for the movies I watch, so I've been +looking a bit around for what alternatives I have. So far, given my prefered +platforms and a requirement that the solution needs to be playable using [Free +and Open Source] software, I've really only had one choice: [Vimeo]. + + + +I like Vimeo, there's a lot of really great independent film makers out there +who make films that are both interesting and well made. Through Vimeo's +video-on-demand service they have a chance to screen their films for a price +they set themselves – and you know that at least part of the money reach the +film makers. The service is quite good, and I will definitely keep using it. + +Pretty much everything else requires proprietary software that isn't even +available for my systems (read _Microsoft Silverlight_.) That's a no go. I'm _not_ +going to install a closed source proprietary software from a vendor that is +known to [cooperate] with the authorities of hostile nations +just to watch movies. I'm not _that_ stupid. + +So I've read about Popcorn Time, but shrugged it off, as I would rather like a +solution where I can give back to the film makers. Until one day, I decided to +try... + +It does have it's problems. The search is not very good. I would like to search +on films by country, by director, by actors etc, but it seems it only provides +search by title. Also given their own claim that they have everything, I think +the selection of movies is rather thin. They have the most mainstream stuff, +but there's quite a few of my favourite movies I have not been able to find +there yet. Third, for less popular movies the download rate may be wildly +varying, which gives a frustrating viewer experience when the move halts +altogether for extended periods of time. + +That said, when it works, damn how it works! Compared to the commercial +offerings that have jerky playback with occationally severe coding artifacts, +Popcorn Time provides really smooth playback, much better image quality and +crisper sound. If you love movies, I really see no other alternatives coming +even close to this.[^1] + +My question is: _Why hasn't the movie industry looked into this?_ + +The code is licensed under [GPLv3], which means the movie studio who first +decides to try this model has a good and working codebase to start off with +when they decides to make their own offering. The catch? Any software derived +from Popcorn Time must also be free and open source. + +But this is actually an advantage! You'll get a community of people that would +help you develop the software, you just need to provide the movies and a way to +pay for them. Given that Popcorn Time is based on the [BitTorrent] +protocol, it even means that everyone watching films is also helping you +distribute it. So you'll even save on bandwith costs compared to the +traditional video-on-demand solutions of today. Popular movies will practically +host themselves, less popular ones may have to be served more directly. + +Give us a way to pay for the movies, provide enough server bandwith that we can +watch even the less popular movies without trouble, and fix the crappy search +and we should have a winner. + +Please! + +[^1]: I've sometimes paid for movies on other services, just to end up watching + them on Popcorn Time because the experience is so much better! + + +[cooperate]: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-prism-costs-tech-companies-paid +[Popcorn Time]: http://popcorn-time.se/ +[Free and Open Source]: http://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software +[Vimeo]: https://vimeo.com +[GPLv3]: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.html +[BitTorrent]: http://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0003.html + diff --git a/content/blog/2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/hammer-Swastika.png b/content/blog/2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/hammer-Swastika.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..35fc967 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/blog/2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/hammer-Swastika.png differ diff --git a/content/blog/2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/index.md b/content/blog/2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4a11633 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/2015-01-12-fascists-marching-in-oslo/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ ++++ +title = "190 fascists marching in Oslo" +lang = "en" + +[taxonomies] +tags = ["fascism", "racism"] + +[extra] +author = "harald" ++++ + +{% figure(img="hammer-Swastika.png") %} +Fascism is rearing it's ugly head again. We need to crush it! +([Illustration from here](http://www.permanentrevolution.net/category/21).) +{% end %} + +A group trying to bring the PEGIDA crap to Oslo held it's first march tonight. +They managed to drum up [190 +supporters](http://www.vepsen.no/2015/01/190-i-hatmarsj-i-oslo/), among them +well-known figures from the 80's and 90's neo-nazi scene, as well as more +recently active figures from the more recent anti-islam movement. + +Far from overwhelming numbers, but by Norwegian standards it's more than any of +the other movements has been able to gather for a very long time. Let's hope it +is the last time we'll have to endure such scum in our streets! + +On the other hand, the counter demo counted some 500 people. -- cgit v1.2.3