Zopher
@zopher.xyz
Software developer in Flyover Country, U.S. Probably older than you. Definitely at least as nerdy as you. Gay/cis/male, he/him or they/them.
Pinned
Zopher
@zopher.xyz
· Oct 19
I bailed from Twitter on the day that Musk concluded his purchase of the platform. How was that only two years ago? It feels like a decade ago.
I've been on Mastodon (tech.lgbt/@zopher) since then. I decided to dip my toe in the water here, see how things are going.
I've been on Mastodon (tech.lgbt/@zopher) since then. I decided to dip my toe in the water here, see how things are going.
Reposted by Zopher
In the running for "Overreaction of the Year Award," CEO Brian Niccol has barricaded his office to avoid striking baristas getting anywhere near him.
No matter. We'll be waiting right out front when you're ready to talk, Brian!
No matter. We'll be waiting right out front when you're ready to talk, Brian!
November 24, 2025 at 8:28 PM
In the running for "Overreaction of the Year Award," CEO Brian Niccol has barricaded his office to avoid striking baristas getting anywhere near him.
No matter. We'll be waiting right out front when you're ready to talk, Brian!
No matter. We'll be waiting right out front when you're ready to talk, Brian!
Reposted by Zopher
Mozilla's new strategy document makes it clear: it's an AI company, and the organization you trusted to protect the open web is dead.
taggart-tech.com/moz...
taggart-tech.com/moz...
The Mozilla Cycle, Part III: Mozilla Dies in Ignominy
Mozilla's new strategy document confirms their position, and the end of their stewardship of the open web.
taggart-tech.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Mozilla's new strategy document makes it clear: it's an AI company, and the organization you trusted to protect the open web is dead.
taggart-tech.com/moz...
taggart-tech.com/moz...
Reposted by Zopher
This is the version of the post that everyone needs to see. And all you readers/authors despairing of non-comprehension, etc, we are gaining new fans of fantasy and SF. It might not be the fantasy or SF you personally read, but they're reading and buying where they weren't before.
November 20, 2025 at 10:40 AM
This is the version of the post that everyone needs to see. And all you readers/authors despairing of non-comprehension, etc, we are gaining new fans of fantasy and SF. It might not be the fantasy or SF you personally read, but they're reading and buying where they weren't before.
Reposted by Zopher
I'm not as conversant with the latest in mobile malware, but this seems like a gnarly technique, and we don't have a lot of detection/prevention options on Android.
www.threatfabric.com...
www.threatfabric.com...
Sturnus: Mobile Banking Malware bypassing WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal Encryption
Sturnus is a privately operated Android banking trojan with many fraud-related capabilities, including Device Takeover and capturing decrypted messages.
www.threatfabric.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:16 PM
I'm not as conversant with the latest in mobile malware, but this seems like a gnarly technique, and we don't have a lot of detection/prevention options on Android.
www.threatfabric.com...
www.threatfabric.com...
*nerd squeeing intensifies*
Zork I, Zork II and Zork III are now officially open source
#Zork #Microsoft #Retro #OpenSource #RetroGaming
#Zork #Microsoft #Retro #OpenSource #RetroGaming
Zork I, Zork II and Zork III are now officially open source
Microsoft announced today that they're preserving a bit of history here - with Zork I, Zork II, and Zork III now officially and clearly open source.
www.gamingonlinux.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:18 PM
*nerd squeeing intensifies*
Reposted by Zopher
I *do* think however that it's grotesque to be giving awards to companies that have laid off huge chunks of the workforce that worked on these games that are now getting awards
November 17, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I *do* think however that it's grotesque to be giving awards to companies that have laid off huge chunks of the workforce that worked on these games that are now getting awards
Reposted by Zopher
I tried all of the major Discord alternatives. Here's what I found:
Discord Alternatives, Ranked
Building an online community takes more than tools. But the right tool can make all the difference.
taggart-tech.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:06 PM
I tried all of the major Discord alternatives. Here's what I found:
Reposted by Zopher
I was laid off from Teen Vogue today along with multiple other staffers, and today is my last day.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM
I was laid off from Teen Vogue today along with multiple other staffers, and today is my last day.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
Reposted by Zopher
My perhaps controversial assessment is that when you share the propaganda of your enemies to call it out or to mock it… you’re still spreading their propaganda and maybe doing exactly what they hope you’ll do.
November 1, 2025 at 11:52 AM
My perhaps controversial assessment is that when you share the propaganda of your enemies to call it out or to mock it… you’re still spreading their propaganda and maybe doing exactly what they hope you’ll do.
Reposted by Zopher
"This has nothing to do with policy. This certainly has nothing to do with leadership. It’s just a Presidency that is there to troll people it doesn’t like. That’s literally all they do."
Great column from @mmasnick.bsky.social at Techdirt that dovetails with what I've been thinking.
Great column from @mmasnick.bsky.social at Techdirt that dovetails with what I've been thinking.
Trump’s Government Of Spite: Political Performance Art For Assholes
A couple weeks ago, as millions of Americans took to the streets in what may have been the largest single day of protest in U.S. history, the President of the United States responded by… posting a …
www.techdirt.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:41 PM
"This has nothing to do with policy. This certainly has nothing to do with leadership. It’s just a Presidency that is there to troll people it doesn’t like. That’s literally all they do."
Great column from @mmasnick.bsky.social at Techdirt that dovetails with what I've been thinking.
Great column from @mmasnick.bsky.social at Techdirt that dovetails with what I've been thinking.
Reposted by Zopher
Between believing violent crime is high while it’s as low as it was in the 60’s, the “shoplifting” panic, this, and more, one must understand that the majority of America is living in a completely constructed, terrifying reality untethered from actual world.
oh god, they're still doing the drug-laced candy panic this year
Halloween threat puts kids in danger as drug-laced sweets spook parents, trick-or-treaters: expert
Police warn parents about drug-laced Halloween candy as THC and fentanyl treats disguised as popular brands threaten trick-or-treaters nationwide this year.
www.foxnews.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Between believing violent crime is high while it’s as low as it was in the 60’s, the “shoplifting” panic, this, and more, one must understand that the majority of America is living in a completely constructed, terrifying reality untethered from actual world.
Reposted by Zopher
New from 404 Media: you can't refuse to be scanned by ICE's new facial recognition app, according to internal DHS document I obtained. Photos captured by the app are stored for 15 years, including U.S. citizens. We've seen officers scanning faces w/ phones on streets
www.404media.co/you-cant-ref...
www.404media.co/you-cant-ref...
You Can't Refuse To Be Scanned by ICE's Facial Recognition App, DHS Document Says
Photos captured by Mobile Fortify will be stored for 15 years, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, the document says.
www.404media.co
October 31, 2025 at 1:49 PM
New from 404 Media: you can't refuse to be scanned by ICE's new facial recognition app, according to internal DHS document I obtained. Photos captured by the app are stored for 15 years, including U.S. citizens. We've seen officers scanning faces w/ phones on streets
www.404media.co/you-cant-ref...
www.404media.co/you-cant-ref...
Reposted by Zopher
I can only see two outcomes from the derangement leading to massive layoffs in favor of AI.
1. Catastrophic failure of systems maintained by AI, leading to economic (and some societal) collapse.
2. A complete collapse of the premise of capitalism (compensation for labor) for all but manual work.
1. Catastrophic failure of systems maintained by AI, leading to economic (and some societal) collapse.
2. A complete collapse of the premise of capitalism (compensation for labor) for all but manual work.
October 28, 2025 at 1:18 PM
I can only see two outcomes from the derangement leading to massive layoffs in favor of AI.
1. Catastrophic failure of systems maintained by AI, leading to economic (and some societal) collapse.
2. A complete collapse of the premise of capitalism (compensation for labor) for all but manual work.
1. Catastrophic failure of systems maintained by AI, leading to economic (and some societal) collapse.
2. A complete collapse of the premise of capitalism (compensation for labor) for all but manual work.
Reposted by Zopher
Okay, so.
I've got something to share with y'all.
This is some straight up #cryptography nerd shit, but it might be of mild significance someday, so please at least bookmark it for later.
Maybe boost it if you think it's cool? No pressure of course.
I've got something to share with y'all.
This is some straight up #cryptography nerd shit, but it might be of mild significance someday, so please at least bookmark it for later.
Maybe boost it if you think it's cool? No pressure of course.
October 14, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Okay, so.
I've got something to share with y'all.
This is some straight up #cryptography nerd shit, but it might be of mild significance someday, so please at least bookmark it for later.
Maybe boost it if you think it's cool? No pressure of course.
I've got something to share with y'all.
This is some straight up #cryptography nerd shit, but it might be of mild significance someday, so please at least bookmark it for later.
Maybe boost it if you think it's cool? No pressure of course.
Reposted by Zopher
With all the DOS rankings and other retro content I've been looking at, I really wanted to check out RetroAchievements. No thanks anymore - and stop using them immediately.
October 3, 2025 at 6:58 PM
With all the DOS rankings and other retro content I've been looking at, I really wanted to check out RetroAchievements. No thanks anymore - and stop using them immediately.
Reposted by Zopher
Today is a realtime showing of how vastly people underestimate the current US citizen's outlook
The increasing amount of cold responses to high profile killings reflects the general lack of hope or faith in a functional system
We lack fundamental societal fabrics and it's genuinely a crisis
The increasing amount of cold responses to high profile killings reflects the general lack of hope or faith in a functional system
We lack fundamental societal fabrics and it's genuinely a crisis
September 11, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Today is a realtime showing of how vastly people underestimate the current US citizen's outlook
The increasing amount of cold responses to high profile killings reflects the general lack of hope or faith in a functional system
We lack fundamental societal fabrics and it's genuinely a crisis
The increasing amount of cold responses to high profile killings reflects the general lack of hope or faith in a functional system
We lack fundamental societal fabrics and it's genuinely a crisis
Reposted by Zopher
I wish more people had this Silksong energy for indie games in general. The Silksong popoff rules, but I promise you there are numerous indie games coming out, basically everyday, that would go just as hard if more people gave them a chance. Just keep an open mind!
September 4, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I wish more people had this Silksong energy for indie games in general. The Silksong popoff rules, but I promise you there are numerous indie games coming out, basically everyday, that would go just as hard if more people gave them a chance. Just keep an open mind!
Reposted by Zopher
Streaming tentatively at 6PM CT, courtesy of @theblacklantern.bsky.social:
Caput Mortem, a new first person dungeon crawler set in a 16th Century alchemist's tower.
store.steampowered.com/app/3555980/...
Caput Mortem, a new first person dungeon crawler set in a 16th Century alchemist's tower.
store.steampowered.com/app/3555980/...
August 27, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Streaming tentatively at 6PM CT, courtesy of @theblacklantern.bsky.social:
Caput Mortem, a new first person dungeon crawler set in a 16th Century alchemist's tower.
store.steampowered.com/app/3555980/...
Caput Mortem, a new first person dungeon crawler set in a 16th Century alchemist's tower.
store.steampowered.com/app/3555980/...
Reposted by Zopher
Anyone here a pro at designing boardgames? I have this neat monetary system in Noss, and I wanna develop a game using these chips, but I wanna make sure it's balanced and complex and fun. If you have some ideas and are interested in helping craft this, let me know! The game is called Qu.
August 22, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Anyone here a pro at designing boardgames? I have this neat monetary system in Noss, and I wanna develop a game using these chips, but I wanna make sure it's balanced and complex and fun. If you have some ideas and are interested in helping craft this, let me know! The game is called Qu.
Reposted by Zopher
pov you’re a whaler who has fallen in love with the sea’s vengeance made manifest and he’s determined to tear the crew to shreds
August 14, 2025 at 9:05 PM
pov you’re a whaler who has fallen in love with the sea’s vengeance made manifest and he’s determined to tear the crew to shreds
Reposted by Zopher
Oblivion remade in the Skyrim engine, Skyblivion is on the final stretch to release
#Skyblivion #Oblivion #RPG #Gaming
#Skyblivion #Oblivion #RPG #Gaming
Oblivion remade in the Skyrim engine, Skyblivion is on the final stretch to release
Skyblivion is a remake of Oblivion in the Skyrim engine, something that has been exciting RPG fans for a while it's finally coming soon.
www.gamingonlinux.com
August 5, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Oblivion remade in the Skyrim engine, Skyblivion is on the final stretch to release
#Skyblivion #Oblivion #RPG #Gaming
#Skyblivion #Oblivion #RPG #Gaming
Reposted by Zopher
It's very cool and good that the ghouls making these things have no regard for even the most minimal of norms to identify themselves.
Now this right here? This is piracy.
blog.cloudflare.com/...
Now this right here? This is piracy.
blog.cloudflare.com/...
Perplexity is using stealth, undeclared crawlers to evade website no-crawl directives
Perplexity is repeatedly modifying their user agent and changing IPs and ASNs to hide their crawling activity, in direct conflict with explicit no-crawl preferences expressed by websites.
blog.cloudflare.com
August 4, 2025 at 2:46 PM
It's very cool and good that the ghouls making these things have no regard for even the most minimal of norms to identify themselves.
Now this right here? This is piracy.
blog.cloudflare.com/...
Now this right here? This is piracy.
blog.cloudflare.com/...
Reposted by Zopher
Age verification laws are spreading in the US. The tools are often easily beaten performative trash but they're still a danger as goldmines for bad actors, holding PII data from anyone who obeys these laws. The laws also invariably get weaponized against all LGBTQIA+ content.
Fight them as you can.
Fight them as you can.
people saying "glad I'm not on spotify," the website you are presently on is doing the same thing. they're required to by UK law now
July 30, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Age verification laws are spreading in the US. The tools are often easily beaten performative trash but they're still a danger as goldmines for bad actors, holding PII data from anyone who obeys these laws. The laws also invariably get weaponized against all LGBTQIA+ content.
Fight them as you can.
Fight them as you can.