Social networking sites are becoming an increasingly important channel for the transnational transmission of information. However, their role as intermediaries of autocratically controlled information environments reaching audiences outside the autocratic country's borders has not been extensively studied. This study investigates the consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Russia’s Russian-language news ecosystem on Facebook, which, as of June 2025, mostly includes state propaganda that targets predominantly an audience outside of Russia. Analysing data from Meta's Crowdtangle API, encompassing 646,230 unique posts from 2,791 public Facebook spaces, it focuses on the distribution of Russia’s top 72 Russian-language news domains (critical/uncritical towards the ongoing war) six months before and after the invasion (from 24 August 2021 to 24 August 2022). The results indicate a significant decline in posts containing uncritical news domains post-invasion. Nevertheless, uncritical news domains continue to be disseminated more widely than critical ones, indicating a persistence of Russian state propaganda visibility on Facebook. The study highlights the complexities of platform governance, specifically with regards to the implementation of EU policies on non-EU social networking sites, Facebook's limited efforts to demote Russian state-aligned news and calls for greater attention of regional language contexts in content moderation.

Facebook, the EU and Russia’s war: Challenges of moderating authoritarian news

Despite several measures to curb their visibility, this study shows how Facebook mediates predominantly Russian state-aligned news during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine

^{policyreview.info}

The professional patterns of people in this technological era, 2025, are changing a lot. In olden days, most people worked for daily wages, some people did business, and some others went for a traditional 9-to-5 job. In the past few years, most people chose 9-to-5 jobs, and some others chose to do business and daily work. But in today’s digitalized world, a major income source for most people has become a small business.

Not everyone starts a business with the motive of developing a business empire. But everyone aims at developing their business and remaining competitive in the business market. Starting a small business has become a mandatory factor for most people. It is a good point to hear. Being a small business owner has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. Let’s explore it in this blog.

What is a Small Business?

A small business is a work process that is owned by a single person and operates with fewer employees. The income generated here will be low when compared with that of the large-scale businesses. Small businesses usually focus on selling their products and services in local areas rather than doing so internationally.

In a small business, separate employees will not be allocated to do each activity. For example, the small business owner themselves may do the marketing work, invoicing process, accounting process, employee management, and sometimes even the production process.

Key Advantages of Small Business

1. Small Business Offers Customized Solutions

Consider an example. You are going to a large clothing shop to purchase a kurta set. You choose a dress, but you like to make small alterations in its design. But the customization facility is not offered at that shop. At the same time, you approach a small boutique and ask for the same alteration to the kurta set. Immediate alterations are made there as per the request. So, customized solutions can be offered by small businesses.

2. Appreciations for the Work Completed

The number of clients approaching the small business may be fewer, but the feedback shared by each of them gives more strength and energy to continue the business. But large businesses have a huge number of clients, and the appreciations given to them may not have as much effect.

3. Flexibility in Invoicing

Some large businesses' invoicing process will be like travelling through a rocky mountain. They can’t customize their invoices and steadily follow a single rule for the invoicing process. But small businesses can customize their invoices, set their own terms and conditions, etc., using the online invoicing software for small businesses.

4. Focused Precisions

Large businesses usually deal with multiple income streams. So, their focus would be on every field because their aim would be to expand the business even further. But small businesses will have one- or two-income streams, majorly one. So, their focus will be on a single path. So that excellent outcomes can be generated from them.

5. Client Relationship

The factor that takes place mostly in small businesses and rarely in large businesses is the relationship between the clients and the business. As the client’s expectations are clearly communicated and they are fulfilled by the small business, and engaging communication is maintained, a strong relationship will be maintained between the business and the clients.

6. Solo Decision-Making

If you’re running a small business, you’re the boss here, and you can make all the decisions regarding your business. Unlike large businesses, you don’t need to get approval from higher-level authorities for any changes, you don’t need to conduct multiple meetings to decide, etc. You, as a solo person, can make all the decisions.

Running a small business has numerous advantages, but if it does not operate well, it creates a chance to face failure also. Proper management is crucial here to succeed. If you wish to generate revenue, start a small business and become an independent person.

I set up ActivityPub.Space because I wanted to have one central place to catch-up, consume, and distribute content about ActivityPub. Forums are intensely topical, and the ability to federate with the open social web allows one to skip the hardest part of starting a forum: building the community.

At the same time, existing fediverse software (the most popular being Mastodon, a microblogging UI) tends to act more like a window to a digital public square of sorts, where anything and everything can be discussed. This is wonderful in many ways, but contrary to how forums themselves are run.

We're at a point where we don't really know what the scale of the ActivityPub developer community is. we're fractured between multiple channels: mailing lists, W3C groups, Matrix channels, forums, blog posts, etc., but the one thing that unites all ActivityPub developers is that we are all on the fediverse. It simply doesn't make sense to conduct our conversations elsewhere!

Additionally, I wanted to combat the ephemeral nature of microblogging. A decade or more of corporatized social media has taught us to just shout our hot takes out into the universe, and optimize for engagement. A forum does the opposite — you submit your content for considerate discussion and a simpler, more honest form of engagement. Your contributions stay here accessible to history and generations (hopefully) to come, and aren't scattered to the winds the moment it falls off the front page feed.

You are posting to something, not just broadcasting.

The professional patterns of people in this technological era, 2025, are changing a lot. In olden days, most people worked for daily wages, some people did business, and some others went for a traditional 9-to-5 job. In the past few years, most people chose 9-to-5 jobs, and some others chose to do business and daily work. But in today’s digitalized world, a major income source for most people has become a small business.

Not everyone starts a business with the motive of developing a business empire. But everyone aims at developing their business and remaining competitive in the business market. Starting a small business has become a mandatory factor for most people. It is a good point to hear. Being a small business owner has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. Let’s explore it in this blog.

What is a Small Business?

A small business is a work process that is owned by a single person and operates with fewer employees. The income generated here will be low when compared with that of the large-scale businesses. Small businesses usually focus on selling their products and services in local areas rather than doing so internationally.

In a small business, separate employees will not be allocated to do each activity. For example, the small business owner themselves may do the marketing work, invoicing process, accounting process, employee management, and sometimes even the production process.

Key Advantages of Small Business

1. Small Business Offers Customized Solutions

Consider an example. You are going to a large clothing shop to purchase a kurta set. You choose a dress, but you like to make small alterations in its design. But the customization facility is not offered at that shop. At the same time, you approach a small boutique and ask for the same alteration to the kurta set. Immediate alterations are made there as per the request. So, customized solutions can be offered by small businesses.

2. Appreciations for the Work Completed

The number of clients approaching the small business may be fewer, but the feedback shared by each of them gives more strength and energy to continue the business. But large businesses have a huge number of clients, and the appreciations given to them may not have as much effect.

3. Flexibility in Invoicing

Some large businesses' invoicing process will be like travelling through a rocky mountain. They can’t customize their invoices and steadily follow a single rule for the invoicing process. But small businesses can customize their invoices, set their own terms and conditions, etc., using the online invoicing software for small businesses.

4. Focused Precisions

Large businesses usually deal with multiple income streams. So, their focus would be on every field because their aim would be to expand the business even further. But small businesses will have one- or two-income streams, majorly one. So, their focus will be on a single path. So that excellent outcomes can be generated from them.

5. Client Relationship

The factor that takes place mostly in small businesses and rarely in large businesses is the relationship between the clients and the business. As the client’s expectations are clearly communicated and they are fulfilled by the small business, and engaging communication is maintained, a strong relationship will be maintained between the business and the clients.

6. Solo Decision-Making

If you’re running a small business, you’re the boss here, and you can make all the decisions regarding your business. Unlike large businesses, you don’t need to get approval from higher-level authorities for any changes, you don’t need to conduct multiple meetings to decide, etc. You, as a solo person, can make all the decisions.

Running a small business has numerous advantages, but if it does not operate well, it creates a chance to face failure also. Proper management is crucial here to succeed. If you wish to generate revenue, start a small business and become an independent person.

Running a small business offers certain advantages that are not gained in large businesses or established corporations.

The professional patterns of people in this technological era, 2025, are changing a lot. In olden days, most people worked for daily wages, some people did business, and some others went for a traditional 9-to-5 job. In the past few years, most people chose 9-to-5 jobs, and some others chose to do business and daily work. But in today’s digitalized world, a major income source for most people has become a small business.

Not everyone starts a business with the motive of developing a business empire. But everyone aims at developing their business and remaining competitive in the business market. Starting a small business has become a mandatory factor for most people. It is a good point to hear. Being a small business owner has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. Let’s explore it in this blog.

What is a Small Business?

A small business is a work process that is owned by a single person and operates with fewer employees. The income generated here will be low when compared with that of the large-scale businesses. Small businesses usually focus on selling their products and services in local areas rather than doing so internationally.

In a small business, separate employees will not be allocated to do each activity. For example, the small business owner themselves may do the marketing work, invoicing process, accounting process, employee management, and sometimes even the production process.

Key Advantages of Small Business

1. Small Business Offers Customized Solutions

Consider an example. You are going to a large clothing shop to purchase a kurta set. You choose a dress, but you like to make small alterations in its design. But the customization facility is not offered at that shop. At the same time, you approach a small boutique and ask for the same alteration to the kurta set. Immediate alterations are made there as per the request. So, customized solutions can be offered by small businesses.

2. Appreciations for the Work Completed

The number of clients approaching the small business may be fewer, but the feedback shared by each of them gives more strength and energy to continue the business. But large businesses have a huge number of clients, and the appreciations given to them may not have as much effect.

3. Flexibility in Invoicing

Some large businesses' invoicing process will be like travelling through a rocky mountain. They can’t customize their invoices and steadily follow a single rule for the invoicing process. But small businesses can customize their invoices, set their own terms and conditions, etc., using the online invoicing software for small businesses.

4. Focused Precisions

Large businesses usually deal with multiple income streams. So, their focus would be on every field because their aim would be to expand the business even further. But small businesses will have one- or two-income streams, majorly one. So, their focus will be on a single path. So that excellent outcomes can be generated from them.

5. Client Relationship

The factor that takes place mostly in small businesses and rarely in large businesses is the relationship between the clients and the business. As the client’s expectations are clearly communicated and they are fulfilled by the small business, and engaging communication is maintained, a strong relationship will be maintained between the business and the clients.

6. Solo Decision-Making

If you’re running a small business, you’re the boss here, and you can make all the decisions regarding your business. Unlike large businesses, you don’t need to get approval from higher-level authorities for any changes, you don’t need to conduct multiple meetings to decide, etc. You, as a solo person, can make all the decisions.

Running a small business has numerous advantages, but if it does not operate well, it creates a chance to face failure also. Proper management is crucial here to succeed. If you wish to generate revenue, start a small business and become an independent person.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/the-wiretap/2025/09/09/how-ice-is-using-fake-cell-towers-to-spy-on-peoples-phones/

Recent news revealed that Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek has been investing heavily in military tech companies, which adds another ethical layer to a platform already criticized for how little it pays musicians !

Spotify only pays artists about $3–5 per 1,000 streams, using a pro-rata model that directs most money toward major stars...
By contrast, Qobuz (≈$18–20 per 1,000 streams) and Tidal (≈$12–13) pay far more fairly!

However Tidal is far from ethical. Most of its revenue is controlled by private investors and founders and small artists still earn very little...

More fair-minded platforms like Bandcamp, Resonate, Ampled, or SoundCloud’s fan-powered royalties prioritize musicians over investors.

With these more ethical alternatives available, why do we keep using Spotify?

https://www.wired.com/story/far-right-reactions-charlie-kirk-shooting-civil-war/

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-09-10-25#cmferaxnq00003b607l47wqty

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/09/09/brics-reiterates-its-resolve-to-fight-for-multilateralism-and-democratic-global-trade/

As part of its unprovoked invasion, Russia has been firing massed waves of drones and missiles into Ukraine for years, though the tempo has been raised dramatically in recent months. Barrages of 700-plus drones now regularly attack Ukraine during overnight raids. Russia also appears to have upped the ante dramatically by sending at least 19 drones into Poland last night, some of which were shot down by NATO forces.

Many of these drones are Shahed/Geran types built with technology imported from Iran, and they have recently gained the ability to fly higher, making shootdowns more difficult. Given the low cost of the drones (estimates suggest they cost a few tens of thousands of dollars apiece, and many are simply decoys without warheads), hitting them with multimillion-dollar missiles from traditional air defense batteries makes little sense and would quickly exhaust missile stocks.

So Ukraine has adopted widespread electronic warfare to disrupt control systems and navigation. Drones not forced off their path are fought with mobile anti-aircraft guns, aircraft, and interceptor drones, many launched from mobile fire teams patrolling Ukraine during the night...

Ukraine’s killer interceptors take aim at Russia’s Shahed drones

Ukraine is developing fast and cheap interceptors to knock down incoming Russian drones, forcing Moscow to react.

^{Veronika Melkozerova (POLITICO)}

cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/37230653

Pro

2025-09-10 23:27:41

Do chatbots have a moral compass? Researchers turn to Reddit to find out.

Do chatbots have a moral compass? Researchers turn to Reddit to find out. - Berkeley News

By challenging AI chatbots to judge thousands of moral dilemmas posted in a popular Reddit forum, UC Berkeley researchers revealed that each platform appears to follow its own set of ethics.

^{Kara Manke (Berkeley News)}

cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/37228898

• Meta uses an array of influence tactics to try to shape the public narrative around kids and social media. The goal is to counter growing concerns that sites like Instagram can be harmful to teens’ health and safety.
• Meta funds a collection of parent and child safety groups, including the National PTA, that go to bat for its initiatives involving kids. This gives a sheen of expert approval to the company’s efforts to keep young users engaged on its platforms.
• Meta has also created something called the Trust, Transparency & Control Labs that publishes reports in support of its kid-focused products. Meta has at times framed these “labs” as a separate organization to regulators and others.
• Meanwhile Meta has funded an array of academic research projects that foster a more benign view of Instagram, helping to support the company’s contention that academic research is inconclusive on the topic of social media’s impact.

Pro

2025-09-10 22:45:08

Inside Meta’s Spin Machine on Kids and Social Media

• Meta uses an array of influence tactics to try to shape the public narrative around kids and social media. The goal is to counter growing concerns that sites like Instagram can be harmful to teens’ health and safety.
• Meta funds a collection of parent and child safety groups, including the National PTA, that go to bat for its initiatives involving kids. This gives a sheen of expert approval to the company’s efforts to keep young users engaged on its platforms.
• Meta has also created something called the Trust, Transparency & Control Labs that publishes reports in support of its kid-focused products. Meta has at times framed these “labs” as a separate organization to regulators and others.
• Meanwhile Meta has funded an array of academic research projects that foster a more benign view of Instagram, helping to support the company’s contention that academic research is inconclusive on the topic of social media’s impact.

TTP - Inside Meta’s Spin Machine on Kids and Social Media

As Meta comes under growing pressure over its impact on teens, it’s using a range of tactics to move the public narrative in a friendlier direction.

^{www.techtransparencyproject.org}

cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/37228854

Pro

2025-09-10 22:43:20

Instagram Points Teen Users to Brutal Fight Videos

TTP - Instagram Points Teen Users to Brutal Fight Videos

Meta says its ‘Instagram Teen Accounts’ protect minors from inappropriate content, including people fighting. But there’s a big hashtag loophole.

^{www.techtransparencyproject.org}

The historic program, which starts November 1, will save families an estimated $12,000 per child every year.

New Mexico Becomes First State to Provide Universal Free Child Care

^{Chabeli Carrazana (Truthout)}

Obviously uncomfortable with the Banksy message, the police launched an investigation, and the courts scrubbed the artwork from the walls

Archived version: archive.is/newest/thecanary.co…

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.

The UK just took a harder stance on Banksy than genocide

^{Willem Moore (The Canary)}

Recording on-duty law enforcement agents is protected by the First Amendment.

DHS Says Filming, Posting Videos of ICE Agents Is “Doxxing,” Vows Prosecutions

^{Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg (Truthout)}

Poland's Prime Minister has invoked NATO Article 4 after Russia sent a wave of drones into the country's airspace on Wednesday. He said the country was "the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II."

Archived version: archive.is/newest/commondreams…

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.

NATO Article 4 Declaration Puts Poland 'Closest to Open Conflict Since WWII'

The decision by Prime Minister Donald Tusk came after the Polish military shot down several Russian drones that entered its airspace, marking the first time a NATO member has fired shots in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

^{stephen-prager (Common Dreams)}

As a collection of small and medium-sized powers, the EU sees itself as a world power, certainly in economic terms. But recent years do not support that claim: on trade and, particularly, defence and security, it has moved far too slowly and timidly.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/euobserver.c…

Von der Leyen: EU needs 'unity' in 'unforgiving world'

As a collection of small and medium-sized powers, the EU sees itself as a world power, certainly in economic terms. But recent years do not support that claim: on trade and, particularly, defence and security, it has moved far too slowly and timidly.

^{Benjamin Fox (EUobserver)}

Sen. Rand Paul told The Intercept the attack defied rules of engagement and came from a drone. A legal expert calls it murder.

Rand Paul Reveals Venezuela Boat Attack Was a Drone Strike

^{Nick Turse (The Intercept)}

Despite Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s announcements, the Spanish government delayed passing a formal arms embargo on Israel.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/peoplesdispa…

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.

As pregnancy criminalization is on the rise, Birth Behind Bars offers a rare look at what it’s like to be pregnant behind bars.

Republicans Want More Pregnant Women in Prisons. A New Book Describes What It’s Like.

^{Mother Jones}

The Zionist network has been described as a "grift" with 'confused ideology' yet it was quick to cheer on awful scenes in Switzerland

Archived version: archive.is/newest/thecanary.co…

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.

Zionist 'hate network' celebrates BMW driving through Gaza protest

^{Willem Moore (The Canary)}