"I have no idea what I'm talking about" level question:
So last week I found out how polls work in ActivityPub
github.com/mastodon/mastodon/i…
And… this is interesting. What does this say about the level of anonymity of votes in Mastodon polls? I always assumed at least some of the instance admins would be able to deanonymize votes, but if votes are somehow analagous to statuses does that imply random users could snoop who voted how…?
Multiple-choice polls should allow no-votes · Issue #34041 · mastodon/mastodon
Pitch Mastodon allows multiple-choice polls; e.g., selecting more than one choice is allowed. However, these polls reject an attempt to vote for 0 of the options. In many types of poll, that may be...GitHub
No. Evan's comment describes the inter-server protocol. Other users have no way of accessing these individual votes, on the voting server nor the poll server. Admins with database access can plainly read individual votes on either of the two servers.
PieFed came up with an interesting system last year that scrambles user IDs for votes to anonymize them, so the voting user's server would still know their specific votes, but the poll server would not. This has not yet been added to Mastodon.
mcc reshared this.
So this is almost like Matrix where any room participant can read individual poll answers, even historical ones after a user changes their mind (except here it’s gatekept to only admins, but a random user can just run a single-user instance and become admin)
I feel like somewhere should be a disclaimer that poll answers aren’t really as private as they would seem. Similarly for blocks (Moshidon does say the blocked user sees that they’re blocked but most servers actually hide this)
This is correct. @kimapr If you run a Mastodon server, you have access to (1) all votes for all polls started on your server, and (2) votes by people from your server on polls hosted elsewhere.
I didn't have room for it in my original reply, but it's worth clarifying that there's nothing except a social contract stopping an ActivityPub server from publishing all votes it knows. The whole "private voting" idea in PieFed started because mBin was publishing votes: piefed.social/post/205362
in 2020
the WHO declared
that the pandemic had begun,
which means, my friend,
that as of today
you have now survived
five years of this pandemic,
but remember, my friend,
oh please, my friend, remember,
you have not yet survived
this pandemic.
Watch FREE on MLB.TV, 2 p.m. CT: Ortiz on mound for 4th Cactus League start
EPROM-based Enigma Machine
hackaday.com/2025/03/12/eprom-…
EPROM-based Enigma Machine
The Enigma machine is perhaps one of the most legendary devices to come out of World War II. The Germans used the ingenious cryptographic device to hide their communications from the Allies, who in…Hackaday
- Sensitive content
- Filtered word: nsfw
laughingsquid.com/inflating-ob…
A medieval Bishop's ring from more than 800 years ago goes to auction
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/12/nx-s1-5326044/bishop-ring-metal-detector-auction-rare?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Arts & Life @arts-life-npr
I'm thinking about getting a flag of Canada.
It would confuse some of my neighbors and irritate the rest.
RFK Jr.: It Would Be Better if ‘Everybody Got Measles’
“It used to be, when I were a kid, that everybody got measles. And the measles gave you lifetime protection against measles infection,” he said, then taking a swipe at the vaccine. “The vaccine doesn’t do that. The vaccine is effective for some people for life, but for many people it wanes.” 🤦♂️
Source: archive.md/IWQFv
Can we please NOT give nazis megaphones? I mean, ~probably~ most of your followers know those are lies, but rather than quoting him directly in a way that might get amplified to people who don't know better, even just sticking in someone's head subconsciously, report on what they lied about:
"RFK called for everyone to get measles, citing a lie that getting it provides lifetime immunity and that the vaccine does not. In reality, getting measles destroy's the immune system's memory of past infections, rendering one susceptible to other deadly diseases."
NIH cuts funding for vaccine hesitancy research and and may target mRNA research too
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/12/nx-s1-5325863/nih-trump-vaccine-hesitancy-mrna-research?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into All Things Considered @all-things-considered-npr
[23:48] Almost €2m worth of cocaine and cannabis seized
Drugs worth €1.94 million have been seized and two men have been arrested after a vehicle stop and several Garda searches.
Russia today controls less of Ukraine than they did three years ago. Russia today controls less of Russia than they did three years ago.
Russia is not winning this war.
Ooooooh! Cory Doctorow is planning a trip to NZ, with a Wellington event on May 3 or 4! I really enjoy all of his writing, so it will be great to hear him again!
From: @pluralistic
mamot.fr/@pluralistic/11395782…
Cory Doctorow (@pluralistic@mamot.fr)
Attached: 1 image Today's threads (a thread) Inside: Announcing the Picks and Shovels book tour; and more! Archived at: https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/06/picks-and-shovels-tour/ #Pluralistic 1/Mamot - Le Mastodon de La Quadrature du Net
Sensitive content
The act of encrypting things *always* makes them (seem) more interesting.
You can use encryption to keep secrets, but, in using encryption, may let others know that you even have a secret at all.
So, the very best kind of encryption is both un-openable without a very large securely transported key AND not obviously (or even unobviously) encrypted at all.
Oh geez I should have put a little something, that would have been very amusing.
"Prominent Nuclear power supporters Mark Lynas and George Monbiot have said that the Hinkley C nuclear plant under construction in Britain should be scrapped so we have Andy Dawson from England to speak with us about it.
Andy Dawson is a retired nuclear engineer. He worked in the design and built of the Heysham 2 and the Torness Nuclear Power Stations, with excursions into Fast Reactors and the Sizewell PWR. He has also worked in Management Consultancy on energy."
youtube.com/watch?v=B3Klf5GfTw…
Hinkley Point, Boon or Boondoggle?
Prominent Nuclear power supporters Mark Lynas and George Monbeit have said that the Hinkley C nuclear plant under construction in Britain should be scrapped ...YouTube
* ketchup tastes sweeter
* traffic cones are evil now
Finding My Hiking Legs Again: Beating Back Negativity In Yosemite
➡️ seasonsofjason.com/finding-my-…
Finding My Hiking Legs Again: Beating Back Negativity In Yosemite
Trying to escape winter hibernation mode, getting a welcome attitude adjustment, and hitting the trail again. Come along for another hiking photo journal!Jason Evangelho (Seasons of Jason)
As reported in the Guardian US edition:
theguardian.com/us-news/live/2…
Chuck Schumer says Democrats will not support ‘partisan’ Republican funding bill to avoid shutdown – live
Republicans only have 52 yes votes and senator says Democrats won’t help get to the 60 votes needed for the bill to passAmy Sedghi (The Guardian)
PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 Architecture
An in-depth analysis that explains how this console works internallyRodrigo Copetti
I do find this interesting, thank you!
the waveform visualization video thing alone makes that link awesome
Take me where I cannot stand
I don't care, I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me
– Taylor Swift
Dear Canadians,
I have learned that you can make the federal government mail you tax forms for free.
canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/se…
I have asked for English AND French. I wonder if this counts as malicious compliance.
Get a T1 income tax package - Canada.ca
Each package includes the tax information, the return, related schedules such as schedule 1, provincial and territorial information and related forms.2024 income tax package,www.canada.ca
“Produisez” me surprend.
On the covers, “produire votre déclaration” is equivalent to “filling out” a return, not filing it.
(Is it possible someone missed the second L?!)
I’m beginning to suspect I have to order separate documents from the province, to be mailed to a different address.
This is inefficient.
The notorious crime organization known as Habitat for Humanity is going DOWN
newrepublic.com/post/192660/tr…
Trump’s FBI Moves to Criminally Charge Major Climate Groups
The Trump administration is targeting climate organizations that received a Biden-era grant.The New Republic
I empathize with this neighbor aversion. The place where I lived as a child had an unwritten rule. You keep your head down and mouth shut. We moved when I was a teen. For a while, we had some nice neighbors. Some questionable business practices caused the apartment complex to go downhill. Police became a common sight. We moved again in my college years. A few neighbors became more than sharing pleasantries. Sadly, they left. A few retired, one passed, and one left because of severe racism. They were a great family. It hurt to lose them, but we wish them the best. I'm still afraid to get to know my neighbors, but I try to be kind.
We asked our neighbor of 11 years for a favor. Now, he's like family.
We didn't really know our neighbor of 11 years until my husband asked for a favor. Now, he's like a grandfather to my kids.Kris Ann Valdez (Business Insider)
エメラダさんもAppleには注目しているみたいです
Metallica Immersive Concert Experience Coming to Apple Vision Pro macrumors.com/2025/03/11/metal…
Metallica Immersive Concert Experience Coming to Apple Vision Pro
On Friday, March 14, Apple plans to release a new Apple Immersive Video featuring Metallica, with Apple retail stores offering a preview for...Juli Clover (MacRumors.com)
Mike
in reply to Antoinne Sterk • • •Cromley
in reply to Mike • • •Secret Policeman's Ball: Peter Cook and Dudley Moore 'Frog and Peach'
YouTube