Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 27/09/2026I'm heading to a symposium in October (visa gods willing) and it is so lovely to see that all of it is being planned using FOSS: - Pretalx.com for CfP and scheduling - Formbricks.com for surveys - Rallly.co for meeting polls - Orvium.io for conference proceedings #FOSS #Openness 011
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 12/09/2026We now have "VIP voters" being recognized by the Chief Election Officer of Karnataka. Which section of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 allows for "VIP voters" to be recognised? Have we abolished Article 14 of the Constitution in India? #equality #elections 010
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 12/09/2026It just struck me that the Portuguese ruled over parts of India (Goa, 1510) before Babur ever laid his eyes on Delhi (1526), before the Mughal empire existed. I'd always thought of the Portuguese as coming to India during the Mughal era, not before it. 011
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 21/08/2026#CJEU rules that "state-of-the-art" geo-blocking counts as an "effective technological measure" for purposes of the InfoSec Directive. So, a Belgian site can publish public domain material that is still u/ #copyright in NL by geo-blocking NL. #EU legalblogs.wolterskluwer.com/copyright-bl...legalblogs.wolterskluwer.comState-of-the-Art Geo-Blocking is Good Enough, Even if VPNs Enable Circumvention: The CJEU on Territorial Copyright and the Public Domain in Anne Frank FondsTerritorial copyright and the borderless Internet have never sat comfortably together. The CJEU’s judgment in Anne Frank Fonds (C-788/24), delivered on 9 July, demonstrates that this tension remains v... 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 20/08/2026I really hate Instagram and the entire text-in-an-image culture. It's bad for accessibility for persons with disabilities, bad for searchability. And Instagram doesn't require alt-text, nor does it generate alt-text by default. Why not include the text in the description as well? #a11y 010
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 19/07/2026If "public goods" and "digital public infrastructure" are communism, is the fair use exception to copyright (which enables LLM training) also communism? Is that also a "dystopian hellscape"? Asking for a friend. #copyright #FUD #DPI 120
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 16/07/2026A good article in Fortune by David Siegel that explains what "open source" is and why it is good, and then goes on to explain what "open source AI" is and why we need open source AI and not just open weights AI. #OpenModels #genAI #FOSS www.siegelendowment.org/wp-content/u...siegelendowment.org 020
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashEthan Mollick @emollick.bsky.social · 14/07/2026This was wild: I asked Fable to make a website of the famous Catalog of Ships from the Iliad. It did a beautiful job creating this interactive map: catalogue-of-ships.netlify.app ...but it also identified that Butler's version of the Iliad actually made two mistakes in the Greek translation! 412719
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 13/07/2026Google Research shows that navigation apps can cause — and also alleviate — traffic congestion. #transport #tech research.google/blog/the-pow...research.googleThe power of collaboration: How we can reduce traffic congestion 000
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashMusicBrainz @musicbrainz.org · 07/07/2026People: MusicBrainz still exists? MusicBrainz: 3273
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 29/06/2026Anthropic's Mythos might be powerful, but open models in the right setup are better from a practical security viewpoint. I argue it is a strategic mistake for India to seek access to Mythos rather than harnessing open models. #DigitalSovereignty #OpenModels #FOSS indianexpress.com/article/opin... 010
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 29/06/2026I've interacted with three Reader's Editors in India. I'm sorry to say that none of them have acted as public ombudsmen or truly sought to hold their news rooms to account on behalf of readers. It's a shame that the true spirit of this institution hasn't caught on in India. 010
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 26/06/2026Many see those who advocate for "openness" (esp. in the AI era) as naively playing into the hands of Big Tech. Because of power imbalance, they hold that openness is now harmful. Unlike them, I see openness as necessary to fight against power imbalance, but, by itself, not sufficient. 000
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashOur World in Data @ourworldindata.org · 09/06/2026Where are more people dying than being born? For most of human history, more people were born each year than died. Populations grew very slowly for most of this history, then rapidly in recent centuries, as child mortality plummeted and people lived longer. 78927
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 07/06/2026Amazing project by @anantshri.info to document the history of #security research in #India through talks at hacker conferences. You can explore it by speaker, topic, tool, conference, and much more. Do check it out! hackingarchivesofindia.comhackingarchivesofindia.comHackers of IndiaLets hunt the origin of hacking in india 020
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 07/06/2026*Excellent* lecture by Razmig Keucheyan on his book "The Left Hemisphere: Mapping Critical Theory Today". On globalization of critical theorists: "First a diversification of the national origin of critical thinkers, but secondly the Americanization of their careers." youtu.be/rnteC5k5Vv8?...youtu.be"Mapping Critical Theory Today"YouTube video by Institute for the Humanities 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 02/06/2026> A report from the OECD has found that semiconductor firms based in the United States received more government support than those based in other regions State subsidies are non-tariff barriers according to the USTR, with the USA being the only exception. www.theregister.com/systems/2026... 010
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 02/06/2026Excellent article by @jonathanband.bsky.social on how Cox v. Sony should be seen as a reaffirmation of Grokster wrt intent vs. knowledge for contributory infringement, & why Justice Sotomayor's fears are misplaced. Highly recommended! #copyright digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/research/158/ 020
Reposted by Pranesh Prakashelisa freschi @elisafreschi.bsky.social · 29/05/2026New "AI policy" at the University of Edinburgh, via @dailynous.com: dailynous.com/2026/05/27/d... I don't claim to know the ideal answer to the AI-related challenges, but I find this approach interesting for various reasons: 1/dailynous.comDoes Your Department Have an AI Policy? Here’s Edinburgh’s - Daily NousHas your department instituted an AI policy? If so, whom does it govern, and what does it say? What should such a policy say? Has your department considered an AI policy but held off on writing or imp... 143
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 26/05/2026The "cloud", in theory, is somewhat interoperable. But in practice, due to eye-watering egress fees, etc., it isn't really. 000
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashJoseph Lorenzo Hall, PhD @josephhall.org · 04/05/2026I wonder if they are aware of Felix Wu's work here: scholar.law.colorado.edu/lawreview/vo...scholar.law.colorado.eduDefining Privacy and Utility in Data SetsIs it possible to release useful data while preserving the privacy of the individuals whose information is in the database? This question has been the subject of considerable controversy, particularly... 021
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 10/05/2026All the "rock salt" you think you're consuming is actually sea salt from hundreds of millions of years in the past. 010
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 10/05/2026Can you imagine living in India without electric fans? (Many can't imagine living in India without air conditioning.) Yet, for millennia, our ancestors did just that. 010
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 27/04/2026The men who stare at walls (in order to improve concentration): www.alexselimov.com/posts/men_wh...alexselimov.comStaring at walls to improve focus and productivityI came across a video by Simple Lucas describing a routine to improve focus and productivity. The routine was basically: Don’t use any screens/entertainment when trying to focus on work. When you sta... 000
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashAlbert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026"nobody saw this country the way Raghu Rai did" x.com/dishinterest... 1234
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashAlbert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026"There are photographers—and then there was Raghu Rai, who revealed India’s inner life. Twilight over Shahjahanabad: a lone figure at namaaz, the city stilled. I’ve seen him in the India Today darkroom, singing taans to time the light. Nothing was taken. Everything revealed." x.com/babubasu/sta... 1235
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashAlbert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026Raghu Rai's uncommon eye. 1326
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashAlbert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026RIP Raghu Rai, a great indian photographer "struggling to walk, the burden of age is not as heavy as the agony of leaving their land, neighbours, the trees they planted, the ponds where they saw their children grow up and the sky they claimed as theirs" durjoybangladeshfoundation.org/rise-of-a-na...durjoybangladeshfoundation.orgRise of A Nation - Durjoy Bangladesh FoundationWe are pleased to announce the unveiling of the much-anticipated book “Rise of a Nation,” a journey through the Liberation War of Bangladesh. 1213
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashAlbert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026Raghu Rai’s extraordinary images of 1971 Bangladesh crisis his book"Refugees in India" captured the emotions of displaced ppl. He dedicated the book to refugees "longing to belong", still remember his unforgettable exhibhition. His death in this age of War... raghuraifoundation.org/product/refu... 1295
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashAlbert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026Raghu Rai’s extraordinary images of the 1971 Bangladesh crisis his book "Refugees in India" captured the raw emotions and resilience of displaced people, and the human cost of conflict. 1338
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashAlbert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026RIP Raghu Rai, india's greatest photographer His series on Indira Gandhi was magnificent raghuraifoundation.org/indira-gandhi/ 1243
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashAlbert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026RIP Raghu Rai, india's greatest photographer - "...more riveting than anything Dostoevsky or Moliere could have dreamed up. It is a drama of poverty and passion, of insanity and innocence. It is above all a drama of a unique human relationship..." " x.com/soutikBBC/st... 15913
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 26/04/2026From F-Droid to independent devs, the entire Android ecosystem is under threat from Google's new mandatory registration decree. See why 67+ orgs are saying no: keepandroidopen.orgkeepandroidopen.orgKeep Android OpenYour phone is about to stop being yours. In September 2026, Google will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with them. 012
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 25/04/2026A Tokyo District Court convicted Wataru Takeuchi of #copyright infringement and handed down an 18-month prison sentence plus a 1 million yen ($6,296.16) fine. His offense was running a website that published detailed, spoiler-heavy write-ups of popular films. #a2k reclaimthenet.org/japan-jails-...reclaimthenet.orgJapan Jails a Man for Publishing Movie SpoilersDescribing a Godzilla movie in too much detail is now worth eighteen months in a Japanese prison. 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 25/04/2026Former British policeman arbitrarily stripped of UK citizenship without any charges or a trial. #RuleOfLaw #UK #citizenship news.sky.com/video/ex-pol...news.sky.comEx-policeman stripped of UK citizenship tells Sky News: 'I haven't done anything'Mark Bullen is a former British police officer, who was stripped of his UK citizenship because of his links to Russia. 010
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 25/04/2026Even this Wikipedia article on the timeline of abolition of slavery contradicts the self-congratulatory idea that the British were the the first to seek to abolish slavery and serfdom. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timelin...en.wikipedia.orgTimeline of abolition of slavery and serfdom - Wikipedia 011
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 25/04/2026"AI bug reports went from junk to legit overnight, says Linux kernel czar" > Greg Kroah-Hartman can't explain the inflection point, but it's not slowing down or going away #genAI #security #FOSS #Linux www.theregister.com/2026/03/26/g...theregister.comLinux kernel czar says AI bug reports aren't slop anymoreInterview: Greg Kroah-Hartman can't explain the inflection point, but it's not slowing down or going away 000
Reposted by Pranesh PrakashD. Panikkar @dpanikkar.bsky.social · 25/04/2026Two paintings by Alfonso Ponce de León. Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid. Rest, 1930 (L). Self-Portrait, 1936 (R). He was executed by firing squad a few months after he painted the latter, during the Spanish Civil War. 001
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 25/04/2026Senior advocate (and constitutional scholar) Arvind P. Datar forcefully argues that "morality" when used in the Constitution of India (incl. in Art. 25) does not mean "constitutional morality", which is a newfangled and inchoate concept: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF18...youtube.comSabarimala reference Day- 8 "Supreme Court of India Live" Constitutional Morality by Arvind P. DatarYouTube video by "Arvind P.Datar" Senior Advocate Supreme Court of India 020
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 24/04/2026This comic echoes what sex realist feminists often say, but doesn't realize that it's doing so. 🤷 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 24/04/2026"The only way to actually use the internet in a way that is going to be beneficial to you is to disregard much of it… I believe the time is now (and has always been) to use the internet like it’s 1999." joshblais.com/blog/using-t...joshblais.comUsing the internet like its 1999 - The Universe of Joshua BlaisA blog, notes, gallery, lifestyle and fully conglomerated posts from Joshua. 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 27/02/2026I know that in Hindustāni classical music, each rāga has its timing. But my brain just doesn't work that way. Instead, for me, day time is for Karnāṭak music and evening is for Hindustāni. 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 17/02/2026We already have calls for "Privacy by Design", "Safety by Design", "Security by Design", "Accessibility by Design", "Equality by Design", and soon we'll be calling for "Freedom by Design". Then we'll have "Utopia without any Trade-Offs by Design". #FoE #privacy #security #safety #InternetForTrust 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 17/02/2026There's an broadly-shared assumption that "data" is being extracted from the "Global South" whereas "value" is accruing to the "Global North". I don't think this is apparent, and I'm not sure it is true either. #AISummit #DataColonialism 100
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 23/01/2026> The problem is that Docker the technology became so successful that Docker the company struggled to monetize it. When your core product becomes commoditized and open source, you need to find new ways to add value. #FOSS #standards tuananh.net/2026/01/20/w...tuananh.netWhat has Docker become?Docker Inc's journey from containerization pioneer to AI-focused platform has been anything but straightforward. Here's what their strategic shifts tell us about the company's search for identity. 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 23/01/2026I, for one, think that a rift between Europe and the US could actually be good for the rest of the world, especially larger developing countries, if they manage to navigate the waters carefully. 000
Pranesh Prakash @pranesh.in · 23/01/2026kāl karē sō āj kar, āj karē sō ab . pal mēṁ parlay hōēgī, bahuri karēgā kab .. 000