Sign in

Wayne Myers

@conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
14 followers 5 following 368 posts

Dreamer. Muesli enthusiast. #Musician #Coder #Writer #Cartoonist #SingerSongwriter #Mefite #StLeonards #UK he/him [bridged from mastodon.social/@conniptions on the fediverse by fed.brid.gy ]

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Wayne Myers
lea @lea.ordinary.cafe.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026
If you/your project is affected by DigitalOcean stopping their OSS credits program, please shoot me a PM immediately. Might be able to help. Boosts for visibility would be appreciated. #foss #linux
16143
Reposted by Wayne Myers
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026
If the main thing you want to do right now is to read a long, rambling, angry response by a non-Zionist Jewish now ex-Green Party Of England And Wales member to the not-so-hilarious antics of yesterday, then have I got the post for you: wayne.conniptions.org/2026/10/05/w... (It may not be, tbf)
200
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026
If the main thing you want to do right now is to read a long, rambling, angry response by a non-Zionist Jewish now ex-Green Party Of England And Wales member to the not-so-hilarious antics of yesterday, then have I got the post for you: wayne.conniptions.org/2026/10/05/w... (It may not be, tbf)
200
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026
about:config browser.nova.enabled = false you're welcome
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/10/2026
Pro tip: do not tell your beloved the 'Finnish hymn' joke while she has a knife in her hand.
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/09/2026
Last week, at work, I saw a squirrel sitting on a bin eating a chip (french fry, for those of you across the pond). Increasingly irritated with myself that I didn't take a photo of it, but also increasingly irritated with myself for thinking every time I see something like that I need to take a […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
012
Reposted by Wayne Myers
Matt Blaze @mattblaze.federate.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2026
Battersea Power Station, London, UK, 2024 All the pixels, none of the flying pigs, at www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/540… #photography
A large industrial building with four prominent smokestacks at each corner, across a river at night.
258
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/09/2026
My beloved does make awesome candles. #catsOfMastodon
A candle in the shape of a black cat sitting on a teatowel.
010
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2026
The problem with home-made burgers is that once you nail it, by and large you can never go out for a burger again without disappointment.
100
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026
Ok soooo... let's say a person was finally getting around to actually deleting their Instagram account instead of just talking about it and moving everything over to some Fediverse thing instead... what's the slop-free Pixelfed alternative that person should be looking at? #fediverse
002
Reposted by Wayne Myers
MizKirsten @mizkirsten.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/09/2026
WHAT TIME IS IT? by MizKirsten Karol: "Alexa, what time is it?" Smart Speaker: "Hi, Karol. Alexa is on an extended leave of absence. I'm Carl Sagan and am happy to help you understand what time it is." Karol: "Hi, Carl Pagan. What time is it?" Smart Speaker: "Carl Sagan, with an S. You know […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
101
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026
[More Rookie Chess Engine Dev Joy] My chess engine, Val, is now capable of playing random legal moves when hooked up to a UCI GUI!!!1111!! SO! I have a random-legal-move playing bot. This is version 0.1. Hooray! Version 0.2, work on which starts tonight, will attempt to play more sensible […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/09/2026
[plonkingly stating the obvious, ai] If your revolutionary new tech won't work unless you buy up the entire global supply of computer hardware and then some, that may just be an indication that your new tech is not, after all, so revolutionary, just stupidly expensive and massively inefficent.
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/09/2026
[Rookie Chess Engine Dev Joy Yelling] My very-early-days chess engine is finally passing Perft testing up to depth 5 on two different positions! I have found the basic bugs in my move generator! No doubt funkier ones remain, but still. So excited. (Yes, I will now add another few perft test […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
001
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/09/2026
Great thread about the Einstellung effect from @grimalkina - mastodon.social/@grimalkina/1171977… - if, like me, you got sidetracked by the chess bit, I just found this essay about chess and the Einstellung effect over on lichess which goes into more detail on that (and may or […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/08/2026
Not sure how I feel about this interview with Erykah Badu: www.theguardian.com/music/2026/aug/… :/
theguardian.com
‘I’m an ever-changing vessel’: Erykah Badu on defying definition, life as a birth and death doula and her first album in 11 years
Why do the Texan innovator’s records take so long to make? ‘It’s important to gather the data,’ she says: the death, dating and dopamine behind her exquisite comeback alongside the Alchemist
100
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/08/2026
@WillFlux Saw this and thought of you: github.com/thaliaarchi/unix-v4-demo
github.com
GitHub - thaliaarchi/unix-v4-demo: Interactive demo of UNIX V4 at Low Resource Computing
Interactive demo of UNIX V4 at Low Resource Computing - thaliaarchi/unix-v4-demo
000
Reposted by Wayne Myers
Pippa🏒💙🤍❤️ @pippa.famichiki.jp.ap.brid.gy · 20/08/2026
mood
1118148
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/08/2026
This is one of the cutest and cleverest things I've seen in a while: interloperunit.org Bravo! #puzzles #metal
interloperunit.org
INTERLOPER PHENOMENA UNIT
002
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026
Leftover penne arrabiata with some random salad and a splodge of mayonnaise stirred into it has absolutely no right to be as good as that but here we all are.
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/08/2026
[Cool Chess Engine Bit Twiddling Trick] So, I'm on my second weekend of trying to write a chess engine from scratch, having been thoroughly nerd-sniped by @lichess and their generous hosting of the Chess Programming Wiki. I've come across the Most Ridiculously Cool bit twiddling trick that I'm […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
110
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2026
I have so much to do. Obviously then, I should start writing a chess engine from scratch, now that the excellent chess programming wiki at chessprogramming.org is back up, thanks to @lichess (NB - If you can code and play chess do NOT click unless you too want to end up writing a chess […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
020
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/08/2026
No, *you* stabbed yourself in the foot with a meat thermometer while trying to build a garden bench in the lounge at 10pm last night.
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026
This 'Middle Age' DLC sucks. All my stats are nerfed except Wisdom, but that's fairly useless now because without the others I can't actually do anything with it. And there's no way back to the main game! I'm stuck here forever apparently, unless I try the other DLC, but I hear that's even worse.
010
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/08/2026
This practical roundup of how to disable AI in Most If Not All Of The Things by @jessamyn is brilliant: www.librarian.net/NoToAI Thanks, Jessamyn! #NoToAI
librarian.net
How to disable or avoid intrusive AI
[_Put on your own oxygen mask first! Image from San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives_] One of the biggest questions I get at Drop-In Time at the library (besides “what is taking up all my cloud storage?”) is how to disable or avoid intrusive AI that shows up where people don’t want it. I’m going to make a handout that explains how to do some of the basic AI-removal or AI-avoidance things. This is a guide for people who would like less intrusive AI in their tech environment. Maybe you like AI and find it useful? That’s fine, this document is probably not for you. Additions/edits welcome. Leave a comment or drop me an email. ## Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Docs &c) In Gmail, click the Settings (gear) icon, and then select **See all settings**. On the **General** tab, scroll down to **Google Workspace smart features**. Click **Manage Workspace smart feature settings** and toggle off two options: **Smart features in Google Workspace** and **Smart features in other Google products**. Uncheck the box next to **Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet** on the same tab. ## Apple Intelligence & Siri Only exists on iPhone 16 and newer Macs and iPads Open **Settings** (iPhone or iPad) or **System Settings** (Mac) and choose**Apple Intelligence & Siri**. Then turn off the **Apple Intelligence** option. Confirm your choice in the dialog that appears by tapping **Turn Off Apple Intelligence**. More details on how to turn off specific parts of Apple Intelligence and leave others alone. ## Copilot/Windows 11 Copilot exists both as an embedded AI agent in Office 365 and also built into the Windows 11 operating system. Right-click the **Copilot** entry in the **Start** menu and select **Uninstall**. If that option isn’t there, head over to your installed apps list (**Start – Settings – Apps**) and uninstall Copilot from there. In certain builds of Windows 11, Copilot is stuck into the OS, so a simple uninstall might not work. In that case, you can toggle it off via the settings: **Start – Settings – Personalization – Taskbar** –**turn off Copilot** **File Explorer** has some AI built into it which can be turn-onable accidentally. To remove. **Start – Settings – Privacy & Security – Click to Do.** **Notepad** has its own special Copilot, so you’ll need to disable AI there separately. Open the Notepad settings, find the **AI features** section (or a sparkly icon near a **Writing Tools** section), and toggle Copilot off. **Office 365/Outlook** There is a separate **Enable Copilot** checkbox in each app and the checkbox only applies to that app on that device. Read more about how to turn it off. If you don’t have that option, you can change your privacy settings to disable Copilot. “**Text and image generation** ” are turned on by default, affecting Notepad, Photos, Snipping Tool, and Xbox. Turn this off. It is complicated, though not impossible, to remove Copilot from your Windows computer entirely. Here is a link that gets into the details. If you feel comfortable installing software O&O ShutUp 10 is one way to do that, Win11DeBloat is another. ## Browser-embedded AI ### Chrome/AI Nano Type **chrome://flags** into the address bar and hit **Enter**. You’ll see a list of system flags and a search bar; type “**AI** ” into that search bar. This will filter the massive list down to about a dozen AI features (and a few other cases where those letters just happen to be in a word). The second search term you’ll need in this window is “**Gemini** ” set them all to “disabled” ### Edge Similar to Chrome: type **edge://flags** into the Edge address bar, hit **Enter** , then type “**AI** ” or “**Copilot** ” into the search box. Click **Appearance** in the left-hand Settings sidebar, and scroll down to **Copilot and sidebar** Turn the sidebar **off** , and turn off the “**Personalize my top sites in customize sidebar** ” and “**Allow sidebar apps to show notifications** ” toggles. Click**Copilot** under **App specific settings**. Turn off “**Show Copilot button on the toolbar**.” Then, back in the **Copilot and sidebar** settings, turn off the **“Show sidebar button”** toggle that has just appeared. Click **Languages** in the left-hand navigation. Disable **“Use Copilot for writing on the web.”** ### Firefox The latest Firefox (148 and later) has a feature to block all AI enhancements. So update, if you can, go to **Settings** and look for **AI Controls**. Turn **Block AI Enhancements** on (or select more granularly from the list) Using Firefox, this extension removes a lot of the AI junk if you use Google as your default search engine. * * * More details on removing AI slop from search results in different browsers. * Here is a link for how to do this in DuckDuckGo and Bing. * TenBlueLinks gives you some simple steps to do this in Chrome/Firefox ### DuckDuckGo DDG is both a browser and a search engine. They have a no-AI version you can get to by going to https://noai.duckduckgo.com/ You can also change your default search engine to this and stop using Google, here are steps for every browser. If you want to go all out and get the DDG browser, they also have instructions on how to do that. ## WhatsApp AI lives in here in a few places. Suggested Replies, go to **Settings – Chats – Suggestions & smart replies** and toggle off **Suggested replies**. **AI Sticker suggestions** can be shut off in that same menu. For AI message summaries, those are managed in a different location: **Settings – Notifications – AI message summaries**. ## Android/Gemini Depending on your phone’s manufacturer, you may be able to uninstall the Gemini app entirely. If not, there are some application-specific ways you can turn off some of its features ### Messages Tap **your account** picture, select **Messages settings** , then **Gemini in Messages** , and toggle the assistant off. ### Other features in other apps Tap your profile icon, select **Gemini Apps activity** , and then choose **Turn off** or **Turn off and delete activity**. Next, tap the profile icon again and go to the **Connected Apps** setting (check the **Personal Intelligence** setting). Disable all the apps where you don’t want Gemini. ### Power Button If Gemini has “taken over” your power button, you can turn this off. Go to **Settings,** then **System** , then **Gestures** and change the settings under **Press & Hold Power Button** ## Zoom Sign in at Zoom.com. Scroll to **My Account** on the left and select **Settings**. Go to the **Zoom AI** tab on the right where you can disable everything. Note: new AI options get added and they default to “on” so check back. To the right of the **Zoom AI** tab click on **My Notes** and disable “Allow participants to transcribe meetings with My Notes” ## Other useful AI Removal/Detection links * How to spot AI Hallucinations like a Reference Librarian (originally on Substack) * Library Freedom Project has a lot of handouts about AI on their Resources page Inspired by the librarians from Bangor
0119
Reposted by Wayne Myers
abadidea @0xabad1dea.infosec.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 31/07/2026
OpenAI: we put our evilest AI in a sandbox that did in fact have an internet connection but mediated through a proxy that was only supposed to allow downloading python junk. It circumvented the proxy and we failed to notice for FIVE DAYS that it was going on an interstate crime spree with the […]
infosec.exchange
Original post on infosec.exchange
522155
Reposted by Wayne Myers
Quinn Norton @quinn.social.circl.lu.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026
The whole Hugging Face/Openai thing just reeks of scam. It's a publicity stunt, it helps keep them in the media, trying to scare people into being wowed by their horrible next word picker. folks are assuming that it must of happened... because they said so? If it happened, it would be fucking […]
social.circl.lu
Original post on social.circl.lu
3538
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026
I am working through the #strudel tutorial and srsly where has this been all my life: strudel.cc/workshop/getting-started Thank you lovely strudel people!
strudel.cc
Getting Started 🚀 Strudel
Strudel is a music live coding editor that brings TidalCycles to the browser.
031
Reposted by Wayne Myers
Wieferich Prime @pikesley.mastodon.me.uk.ap.brid.gy · 29/07/2026
OMG #Strudel is amazing […]
mastodon.me.uk
Original post on mastodon.me.uk
011
Reposted by Wayne Myers
James Smith 💾 @floppy.org.uk · 28/07/2026
RE: mastodon.me.uk/@Floppy/116940067151… This is actually happening; we're building a community to execute a bigotry-free #Rails fork (29 people and increasing at time of writing). Come join us, we need your help and expertise. matrix.to/#/#amiko:matrix.org
9790
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/07/2026
This tech with no genuine use cases other than for bosses, shoddy marketers, politicians, thieves and con-artists will be the death of us all.
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/07/2026
I uploaded a new comic. First of the year, For Reasons. Anyway, it's here: comic.conniptions.org/comics/800.ht… Vaguely related blogpost here: www.conniptions.org/2026/07/27/fair… Why yes, this is the 800th FatC comic. Should be up to more by now but […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
002
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026
All this uploading of music I made ten or twenty years ago to lovely places like Faircamp and Mirlo is all very well but what I really need to do is to get on with writing and recording some new stuff. I appear to have been slacking.
110
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026
Ok, music friends, what are the Bandcamp alternatives you are keeping an eye on while we wait for the inevitable enshittification. There's Faircamp and Mirlo, and also something called 'Subvert' which - I just found out - you need to apply for rather than just sign up to, def not a red flag at […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
100
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026
Will admit to have been being slightly grumpy about #Faircamp earlier this evening while navigating the (inevitable) speedbumps setting it up, but now that I'm done and I've got a nice Makefile in place with the deploy command (that I will never ever otherwise remember) baked in, I am […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026
Ohhh yeah... I am up and running on faircamp: faircamp.conniptions.org :)))))))) #Faircamp
faircamp.conniptions.org
Fit and the Conniptions
Fit and the Conniptions
002
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026
Well I am clearly #Faircamp -ing very very wrong. None of the release.eno files in the album directories are being read at all. As soon as I use an artist.eno file, all the albums disappear. There appears to be a 'Homepage' directory with a catalog.eno file in it, created by the migration […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
100
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026
Ok, #Faircamp friends, some dumb questions for you. I am using 1.7. 1. How do you set the order in which albums appear? I am scouring the documentation but cannot find an answer. 2. Does 'link:' work in catalog.eno or not? The documentation says it does, but my binary disagrees. Apologies for […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
200
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026
Not saying I'm a hot mess but I don't appear to have a copy of my own first album. It did kind of suck though.
100
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026
Trying again with Faircamp. First challenge - upgrading from 1.4 to 1.7 on my ancient Ubuntu install (don't ask...) Wish me luck :)
200
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026
I didn't know you could study Classics at university until I arrived at university and met people who were studying Classics. I think about this often.
010
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/07/2026
[Extremely stupid music joke] I think I may have found the original Austin Allegro: youtu.be/ebYJFYAdjyE?si=tUbVtCdhWII…
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/07/2026
Seriously, NIgella Lawson's puttanesca should be illegal: www.nigella.com/recipes/slatterns-s… It shouldn't be this easy to make sth tasting this good so fast. Get in while you still can. NB: will ruin you for puttanesca in average Italian restaurants. Yours is now better. I […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
001
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/07/2026
I have finally found the Baking video again, after more than a decade of having no idea what it was or how to look for it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQAIoSC3kAQ (Yes yes, I should spend more time on B3ta and then I wouldn't have this problem. Or, y'know, have asked someone. But... never […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
100
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026
I seem to have written another song I am happy with, but it feels weirdly unfinished. UPDATE: I have not in fact, yet, written another song. But most of the way there. Just need to figure out the missing bit.
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026
Absolutely stellar writing here from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, outlining the many ways in which today's LLMs contravene the basic moral tenets of Judaism: www.lifeisasacredtext.com/the-jewis…
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/07/2026
Two specific, named billionaires are responsible for 71% of the UK's far-right Reform Party's funding over the past year: www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/j… Sadly it is of course not possible to to anything about this...
theguardian.com
Reform UK would lose 85% of funding under proposed donation cap, analysis shows
Exclusive: Party would have raised £4.1m instead of £26.7m last year if £100k funding limit had been in place, Electoral Commission data suggests
030
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2026
I too am determinedly NOT watching the football. I love you folks.
000
Wayne Myers @conniptions.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/07/2026
Anyway, I found out why I kept seeing women in white shirts, black trousers or skirts, and a bald cap, while travelling through London on my way home today: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/…
theguardian.com
Rapper Pitbull and fans set ‘bald cap’ Guinness World Record at London show
Crowd of more than 22,000 people – and the musician himself – filled Hyde Park with the ‘largest gathering of people wearing bald caps’
000
Reposted by Wayne Myers
Dan Q @dan.m.danq.me.ap.brid.gy · 09/07/2026
Fucking "app culture" drives me crazy. I got asked to install a mobile app just to look at the itinerary and accommodation information for a trip I'm going on. Why isn't it just a web page? So obviously I said "fuck that noise, hold my beer", reverse-engineered the app, and re-implemented it […]
m.danq.me
Original post on danq.me
921187