Character.AI bans users under 18 after being sued over child’s suicide
From the maybe-we-should-have-done-that-to-start dept:
The chatbot company Character.AI will ban users 18 and under from conversing with its virtual companions beginning in late November after months of legal scrutiny.The announced change comes after the company, which enables its users to create characters with which they can have open-ended conversations, faced tough questions over how these AI companions can affect teen and general mental health, including a lawsuit over a child’s suicide and a proposed bill that would ban minors from conversing with AI companions.
“We’re making these changes to our under-18 platform in light of the evolving landscape around AI and teens,” the company wrote in its announcement. “We have seen recent news reports raising questions, and have received questions from regulators, about the content teens may encounter when chatting with AI and about how open-ended AI chat in general might affect teens, even when content controls work perfectly.”
Character.AI bans users under 18 after being sued over child’s suicide
Move comes as lawmakers move to bar minors from using AI companions and require companies to verify users’ ageJohana Bhuiyan (The Guardian)
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The Real Bill de Blasio Says Mamdani’s “Vision Is Both Necessary and Achievable”
The Real Bill de Blasio Says Mamdani’s “Vision Is Both Necessary and Achievable”
The former New York City mayor spoke out after an impersonator fooled a UK journalist at The Times of London.Jon Queally (Truthout)
Revealed: Israel demanded Google and Amazon use secret ‘wink’ to sidestep legal orders
Welp, first reminder of the day that we're all just meaningless pawns getting in the way of absolute power by shouting things like "Laws! Ethics!"
When Google and Amazon negotiated a major $1.2bn cloud-computing deal in 2021, their customer – the Israeli government – had an unusual demand: agree to use a secret code as part of an arrangement that would become known as the “winking mechanism”.The demand, which would require Google and Amazon to effectively sidestep legal obligations in countries around the world, was born out of Israel’s concerns that data it moves into the global corporations’ cloud platforms could end up in the hands of foreign law enforcement authorities.
Like other big tech companies, Google and Amazon’s cloud businesses routinely comply with requests from police, prosecutors and security services to hand over customer data to assist investigations.
This process is often cloaked in secrecy. The companies are frequently gagged from alerting the affected customer their information has been turned over. This is either because the law enforcement agency has the power to demand this or a court has ordered them to stay silent.
Revealed: Israel demanded Google and Amazon use secret ‘wink’ to sidestep legal orders
The tech giants agreed to extraordinary terms to clinch a lucrative contract with the Israeli government, documents showHarry Davies (The Guardian)
Apple is reportedly getting ready to introduce ads to its Maps app
Apple is reportedly getting ready to introduce ads to its Maps app
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that we could see ads in Apple's Maps app as soon as next year.Jackson Chen (Engadget)
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Microsoft's cloud admin portals appear to be down worldwide
other sysadmin communities and downdetector are reporting outages worldwide to the admin portals such as admin.microsoft.com and portal.azure.com.
No impact to user-facing services, yet.
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OpenAI offers free ChatGPT Go for one year to all users in India | TechCrunch
OpenAI offers free ChatGPT Go for one year to all users in India | TechCrunch
ChatGPT Go is now free for Indian users under a limited-time promotional offer.Jagmeet Singh (TechCrunch)
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Steep influx of new Ukrainian refugees triggers backlash in Berlin and Warsaw
Steep influx of new Ukrainian refugees triggers backlash in Berlin and Warsaw
Politicians in Berlin fear that the sharp increase in Ukrainian men coming to Germany could reduce support for military aid to Kyiv.Nette Nöstlinger (POLITICO)
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HTTPS by default
One year from now, with the release of Chrome 154 in October 2026, we will change the default settings of Chrome to enable “Always Use Secure Connections”. This means Chrome will ask for the user's permission before the first access to any public site without HTTPS.
HTTPS by default
One year from now, with the release of Chrome 154 in October 2026, we will change the default settings of Chrome to enable “Always Use Secu...Google Online Security Blog
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Microsoft now owns a $135 billion 27% stake in OpenAI
The next chapter of the Microsoft–OpenAI partnership - The Official Microsoft Blog
Since 2019, Microsoft and OpenAI have shared a vision to advance artificial intelligence responsibly and make its benefits broadly accessible.Microsoft Corporate Blogs (The Official Microsoft Blog)
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon - Atto 4
Un nuovo giorno si apre per tutti, nel nuovo capitolo... apparentemente normale, se non per una cosa, che pare far impazzire tutti...
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon - Atto 6
Come si sa da un po', anche Tuxedo Kamen è alla ricerca del leggendario cristallo d'argento, anche se il motivo è mezzo incerto...
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon - Atto 5
Col favore del sonno e della sbadataggine, il nuovo giorno che con questo capitolo si apre è uno che sembra già pieno di incidenti per Usagi, che...
AMD RX 9070 XT GPU Factory | How Yeston "Waifu" Graphics Cards are Made [Gamer's Nexus, 28:03]
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
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What We Talk About When We Talk About Sideloading
What We Talk About When We Talk About Sideloading | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository
We recently published a blog post with our reaction to the new Google Developer Program and how it impacts your freedom to use the devices that you own in th...f-droid.org
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Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/38225224
Microsoft is facing mounting criticism over its controversial complicity in "Israel’s" genocide in Gaza, with charges that its technologies have enabled surveillance, targeted assassinations, and repression of Palestinians. Critics say the company has played a central role in what some are calling the world’s first AI-driven genocide.
Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
Microsoft is facing mounting criticism over its controversial complicity in "Israel’s" genocide in Gaza, with charges that its technologies have enabled surveillance, targeted assassinations, and repression of Palestinians. Critics say the company has played a central role in what some are calling the world’s first AI-driven genocide.Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
Microsoft’s collaboration with Israeli occupation forces raises concerns over the use of cloud technology in surveillance and warfare amid the genocide in Gaza.Al Mayadeen English (Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed)
Grammarly rebrands to 'Superhuman,' launches a new AI assistant
Grammarly is renaming itself as Superhuman, after acquiring Superhuman email client in July
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Free AI Grammar Checker - LanguageTool
Instantly check grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors with LanguageTool's AI-powered grammar checker. Enhance your writing in over 30 languages with ease.LanguageTool
Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/38225224
Microsoft is facing mounting criticism over its controversial complicity in "Israel’s" genocide in Gaza, with charges that its technologies have enabled surveillance, targeted assassinations, and repression of Palestinians. Critics say the company has played a central role in what some are calling the world’s first AI-driven genocide.
Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
Microsoft is facing mounting criticism over its controversial complicity in "Israel’s" genocide in Gaza, with charges that its technologies have enabled surveillance, targeted assassinations, and repression of Palestinians. Critics say the company has played a central role in what some are calling the world’s first AI-driven genocide.Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
Microsoft’s collaboration with Israeli occupation forces raises concerns over the use of cloud technology in surveillance and warfare amid the genocide in Gaza.Al Mayadeen English (Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed)
States sue US Department of Agriculture over SNAP funding suspension
Twenty-six states sued the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts for the department’s suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown.
Case file: s3.documentcloud.org/documents…
States sue US Department of Agriculture over SNAP funding suspension
Twenty-six states sued the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts for the department’s suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assis...Paul Leech | Georgetown U. Law Center, US (- JURIST - News)
Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/38225224
Microsoft is facing mounting criticism over its controversial complicity in "Israel’s" genocide in Gaza, with charges that its technologies have enabled surveillance, targeted assassinations, and repression of Palestinians. Critics say the company has played a central role in what some are calling the world’s first AI-driven genocide.
Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
Microsoft is facing mounting criticism over its controversial complicity in "Israel’s" genocide in Gaza, with charges that its technologies have enabled surveillance, targeted assassinations, and repression of Palestinians. Critics say the company has played a central role in what some are calling the world’s first AI-driven genocide.Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed
Microsoft’s collaboration with Israeli occupation forces raises concerns over the use of cloud technology in surveillance and warfare amid the genocide in Gaza.Al Mayadeen English (Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed)
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Trump who said he is not a king and denounced the No Kings protests is gifted a gold crown while in Korea
The U.S. president was gifted a crown just weeks after posting an AI-generated videos showing himself wearing a crown to mock nationwide ‘No Kings’ protests
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Revealed: Israel demanded Google and Amazon use secret ‘wink’ to sidestep legal orders
The tech giants agreed to extraordinary terms to clinch a lucrative contract with the Israeli government, documents show
Archived version: archive.is/20251029132619/theg…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Meta's Ray-Ban Glasses Users Film and Harass Massage Parlor Workers
One of my favorite details was near the end of the article, where Meta plays dumb when asked about this issue, and feigning an inability to find the abusers of the glasses that 404 Media had identified:
"After reaching out to Meta for comment, the company asked me for examples of the videos, indicating that it wasn’t able to find them itself. Meta then removed the account I flagged, as well as other accounts by the same creator, who apparently set up multiple accounts in preparation for moderation."
Just top-notch scumbaggery here, from meta and from these individuals going around in public wearing them.
Meta's Ray-Ban Glasses Users Film and Harass Massage Parlor Workers
“The shameless use of covert recording technology at massage parlours to gain likes, attention, and online notoriety is both disgusting and dangerous.”Emanuel Maiberg (404 Media)
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Polls open in Netherlands in close-run election seen as litmus test for far-right
The outcome of Wednesday's vote in the Netherlands could determine the strength of the far-right in a knife-edge race.
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RRF Music a cura di Giuseppe Landolfi. James Senese . Nero a metà. L'eredità immortal
RRF Music a cura di Giuseppe Landolfi. Jamese Senese . Nero a metà. L'eredità immortale
Opinion | Friends or enemies? Newsom and Harris could face off for president in 2028
Opinion | Frenemies Newsom, Harris could face off for president
Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris both dropped hints about running for president, complicating their relationship.Dan Walters (CalMatters)
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In Utah, Trump’s Vision for Homelessness Begins to Take Shape
State officials promise large-scale involuntary addiction and mental health treatment at Salt Lake City’s edge. Critics see “a prison, or a warehouse.”
Needless to say, people don't go by choice, can't leave when they want. Might be a concentration camp instead of a jail, since there's no legal reason to force somebody into it:
As Mr. Shumway describes it, nearly two-thirds of the 1,300 homeless people potentially sent to the site could be there for involuntary treatment. About 400 beds would be set aside for psychiatric treatment. Another 400 beds would provide substance abuse treatment “as an alternative to jail,” he said, with entry and exit “not voluntary.”
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We checked DHS’s videos of chaos and protests. Here’s what they leave out.
Trump administration videos purporting to show the triumph of recent immigration operations used footage that was months old or recorded thousands of miles away, an analysis found.
Access options:
* gift link — registration required
* archive.today — still loading when I posted, and likely to omit videos
The world has moved on but climate change fueled-storms triggered a humanitarian disaster in Alaska
* archive.today
* ghostarchive.org
The world has moved on but climate change fueled-storms triggered a humanitarian disaster in Alaska (Opinion)
Powerful back-to-back storms have ravaged dozens of mostly Alaska Native communities in western Alaska: Approximately 2,000 people were displaced, and at least one village was entirely torn apart.Megan Schrader (The Denver Post)
‘Millions of Avoidable Deaths’: Climate Change Health Harms Reach Unprecedented Levels
‘Millions of Avoidable Deaths’: Climate Change Health Harms Reach Unprecedented Levels - Inside Climate News
Heat waves, extreme drought and deadly wildfire smoke are just some of the climate-related health hazards that have reached record levels of harm, according to the latest report from a global collaboration of leading scientists and public health prof…Inside Climate News
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Because of the climate change?
edit: Because of the climate change.
Climate Central revives a crucial disaster database that Trump killed
Trump killed a crucial disaster database. This nonprofit just saved it.
Climate Central revived the federal list of billion-dollar disasters, another example of nonprofits providing data the government deletes.Sophie Hurwitz (Grist)
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U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters | Climate Central
Explore U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters since 1980, including total costs, trends, and impacts.www.climatecentral.org
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Keep Android Open
cross-posted from: discuss.tchncs.de/post/4784069…
Keep Android OpenIn August 2025, Google announced that starting next year, it will no longer be possible to develop apps for the Android platform without first registering centrally with Google.
This registration will involve:
- Paying a fee to Google
- Agreeing to Google’s Terms and Conditions
- Providing government identification
- Uploading evidence of an app’s private signing key
- Listing all current and future application identifiers
Sign the open letter. And get active to help oppose the enactment of the policy in other ways listed on the website. Are there any more ways to oppose this?
Keep Android Open
Advocating for Android as a free, open platform for everyone to build apps on.Keep Android Open
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Tip #763
Copy web page titles from the Tab Bar.
Whether for sharing, document naming, issue reporting or something else. Sometimes it’s good to get the full web page title, especially if it’s not displayed on the page itself.
To copy the web page title in Vivaldi:
- Double-click on the tab or right-click on the tab and select “Rename” from the menu.
- While the title is selected, press
CTRL / ⌘ + Con your keyboard.
#Vivaldi #VivaldiBrowser #webPages
vivaldi.com/blog/tips/tip-763/
Tip #763 - Web pages | Vivaldi Browser
How can I copy the web page title in the Vivaldi browser? Here’s how!Vivaldi Tips (Vivaldi Technologies)
This is the way.
I have a similar setup in my home office, where I have a floor standing desk lamp with a reflector to direct the light that I have pointed straight at the wall for indirect lighting.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia launches with AI-cloned pages from Wikipedia
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia contains copied Wikipedia pages
xAI’s Grokipedia, which Elon Musk has promised will be a “massive improvement” over Wikipedia, is now live, though some of the pages adapt content from Wikipedia.Jay Peters (The Verge)
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What trackers/torrent sites for Chinese torrents with English/German subtitles (for learning the language)
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Copper Hits a Record as Supply Snarls Set the Stage for Deficits
One would be forgiven for wondering how the hell this is a political story.
(Bloomberg) -- Copper hit a record high in London, with the prospect of an imminent easing in US-China tensions providing a fresh catalyst to a scorching rally built on mine-supply setbacks and tariff-driven trade dislocations.
So, it's tariffs exacerbating physical fundamentals. Good thing we haven't had much use for copper since the Late Bronze Age.
Also, it's hilarious to me that Bloomberg's site is paywalled, but Yahoo reposts in nearly real time. Perhaps this is the first useful thing Yahoo has done since ... um ... damn, I thought I had something.
Warren Haynes feat. Railroad Earth - Ashes & Dust (2015)
Che Warren Waynes volesse registrare un disco da cantautore non è una novità per chi segue con attenzione il musicista di Asheville. In fondo il suo esordio solista, Live At Bonnaroo del 2004, era un disco acustico che andava in questa direzione, per cui molti pensavano che Man In Motion sarebbe stato il tanto atteso album in studio da songwriter… Leggi e ascolta...
Warren Haynes feat. Railroad Earth - Ashes & Dust (2015)
Che Warren Waynes volesse registrare un disco da cantautore non è una novità per chi segue con attenzione il musicista di Asheville. In fondo il suo esordio solista, Live At Bonnaroo del 2004, era un disco acustico che andava in questa direzione, per cui molti pensavano che Man In Motion sarebbe stato il tanto atteso album in studio da songwriter…ma sappiamo che le cose sono andate diversamente. Warren ha spiegato che canzoni di questo genere, non adatte agli Allman Brothers o ai Gov't Mule, si sono accumulate nel corso degli anni... artesuono.blogspot.com/2015/09…
Ascolta il disco: album.link/s/2Ept5AOP3rZorKVAD…
Home – Identità DigitaleSono su: Mastodon.uno - Pixelfed - Feddit
Warren Haynes feat. Railroad Earth - Ashes & Dust (2015)
di Paolo Baiotti Che Warren Waynes volesse registrare un disco da cantautore non è una novità per chi segue con attenzione il musicista...Silvano Bottaro (Blogger)
Europe’s Elite Emit More Carbon in a Week than Someone from the Bottom Half Does in a Year | Oxfam International
- A person from Europe’s richest 0.1% emits 53x more carbon than a person from the bottom 50%.
- Since 1990, Europe’s richest 0.1% have increased their share of total emissions by 14%, while the bottom half have cut their share by 27%.
- To stay within the 1.5°C limit, the richest 0.1% of Europeans would need to cut their per capita emissions by 99% by 2030.
Europe’s wealthiest are driving the bloc’s emissions while ordinary Europeans make the steepest cuts, according to new Oxfam research published ahead of COP30. This research also comes amidst the EU watering down its own climate ambition.
The report: Climate Plunder: How a powerful few Europeans are locking the world into a climate disaster
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The last time I checked (which was a while ago) the richest 10% emit more than the poorest 90%. There is little to no chance things have become more equitable in the meantime.
Fossil fuels power capitalism. The actual individual doesn't matter: billionaires, millionaires, the richest 10%, and the poorest 90%, are a function of the economic system.
There is no way to mitigate climate change under capitalism.
The poorest 90% contains the world's armies. But even if you could eliminate them you wouldn't reduce emissions enough to stop catastrophic climate change.
How Site CRM Helps Small Businesses in Surat Increase Conversions
Managing customers, enquiries and sales teams can be challenging for growing companies, which is why many local entrepreneurs prefer using Site CRM for small business Surat. Small organisations often struggle because leads come from multiple sources like calls, WhatsApp, social media, walk-ins and online ads and without proper tracking, many enquiries get lost. Site CRM addresses the problem and keep all the leads in one dashboard, so no customer is ever overlooked and each follow-up occurs on time. Rather than relying on notebooks, Excel spreadsheets or random chats, Surat business owners can track their entire sales pipeline via a single streamlined platform.
A major advantage of Site CRM is its mobile-first design, ideal for on-field sales teams. Executives can update lead status, log calls, add notes, or schedule meetings directly from the mobile app. Business owners have real-time insights into customer dialogue and performance of the team without having to keep asking for frequent updates. Live tracking of locations aids in keeping tabs on sales representatives who meet clients in various areas of Surat, be it textile markets, industrial areas, corporate offices or retail stores.Every activity like calls, visits, follow-ups and gets recorded automatically, making reporting simple and accurate.
Automation is another strong benefit. Repetitive processes such as reminders, status updates, lead assignment and SMS follow-ups can be automated using Site CRM. This is time-saving and ensures that no customer is left out because of workload. The CRM also allows custom workflows and dashboards, so every business—traders, manufacturers, service providers, agents, retailers or distributors—can work according to their own process. Detailed reports show which marketing channels bring quality leads and which ones waste money, helping businesses plan smarter promotional strategies.
Because Surat is a highly competitive business city, companies need speed, organisation and clear communication to convert customers quickly. Site CRM helps owners check daily sales reports on their phone, track payments, view upcoming meetings, and see which executive is performing well. Even while the owner is away, they remain fully connected to their business activities. It results in quick responses, improved customer experience and increased conversion rates.
In plain language, selecting Site CRM for small business Surat introduces order, transparency and professionalism into day-to-day sales. With the likes of mobile tracking, auto reminders, calls logging and real-time reports, Site CRM enables small businesses to grow faster with less effort and no confusion.
SiteCRM: Power Up Your Sales - Apps on Google Play
SiteCRM is a mobile and web-based application.play.google.com
Why is New Delhi making it rain artificially?
Why is New Delhi making it rain artificially?
Delhi is using ‘cloud seeding’ in a bid to dispel pollution – but can it work?Yashraj Sharma (Al Jazeera)
The most important and accurate part of this whole article is the very last paragraph:
“Cloud seeding is just another gimmick in a series of similar unscientific ideas, like smog towers, suggesting that flashy interventions can substitute for serious, structural solutions,” Gani and AchutaRao wrote.
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Mike Johnson Complains He’s Tired (the House Isn’t Even Working)
House Speaker Mike Johnson is apparently tired, despite doing little this month during the government shutdown.Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday that people have been telling him, “You look so tired on TV.”
“I am so tired, because we’re not sleeping a lot. We’re working overtime,” Johnson said, adding that House committees are still conferencing to put together legislation to be ready to go as soon as the House is back in session.
Thought and prayer, Mike. One of each.
Mike Johnson Complains He’s Tired (the House Isn’t Even Working)
The House of Representatives hasn’t been in session for over a month, but that isn’t stopping Speaker Mike Johnson from whining about all his hard work.The New Republic
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AI boom is making your utility bills more expensive, says BofA, and they're likely to keep going up
AI boom is making your utility bills more expensive, says BofA, and they’re likely to keep going up
BofA has bad news for consumers: "There is likely further upside ahead."Eleanor Pringle (Fortune)
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BombOmOm
in reply to Brkdncr • • •adhocfungus likes this.
Brkdncr
in reply to BombOmOm • • •No, but their uptime is a lot better than most. A lot of companies would have monthly outages just for patching before they moved to massively scaled hosted services.
Remember when BlackBerry would have an outage maybe once a year and everyone complained?
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krimson
in reply to Brkdncr • • •adhocfungus likes this.
KoboldCoterie
in reply to krimson • • •adhocfungus likes this.
Damage
in reply to KoboldCoterie • • •adhocfungus likes this.