The Network Group Gave Me The Hostname I Asked For. Hopefully It Won’t Kill Any Of My Programs ...

Need to set up a pi hole! Reblogging for reference

>First, we’ve discovered that about a quarter of all the internet connection in or out of the house were ad related. In a few hours, that’s about 10,000 out of 40,000 processed.

>We also discovered that every link on Twitter was blocked. This was solved by whitelisting the https://t.co domain.

>Once out browsing the Web, everything is loading pretty much instantly. It turns out most of that Page Loading malarkey we’ve been accustomed to is related to sites running auctions to sell Ad space to show you before the page loads. All gone now.

>We then found that the Samsung TV (which I really like) is very fond of yapping all about itself to Samsung HQ. All stopped now. No sign of any breakages in its function, so I’m happy enough with that.

>The primary source of distress came from the habitual Lemmings player in the house, who found they could no longer watch ads to build up their in-app gold. A workaround is being considered for this.

>The next ambition is to advance the Ad blocking so that it seamlessly removed YouTube Ads. This is the subject of ongoing research, and tinkering continues. All in all, a very successful experiment.

>Certainly this exceeds my equivalent childhood project of disassembling and assembling our rotary dial telephone. A project whose only utility was finding out how to make the phone ring when nobody was calling.

>Update: All4 on the telly appears not to have any ads any more. Goodbye Arnold Clarke!

>Lemmings problem now solved.

>Can confirm, after small tests, that RTÉ Player ads are now gone and the player on the phone is now just delivering swift, ad free streams at first click.

>Some queries along the lines of “Are you not stealing the internet?” Firstly, this is my network, so I may set it up as I please (or, you know, my son can do it and I can give him a stupid thumbs up in response). But there is a wider question, based on the ads=internet model.

>I’m afraid I passed the You Wouldn’t Download A Car point back when I first installed ad-blocking plug-ins on a browser. But consider my chatty TV. Individual consumer choice is not the method of addressing pervasive commercial surveillance.

>Should I feel morally obliged not to mute the TV when the ads come on? No, this is a standing tension- a clash of interests. But I think my interest in my family not being under intrusive or covert surveillance at home is superior to the ad company’s wish to profile them.

>Aside: 24 hours of Pi Hole stats suggests that Samsung TVs are very chatty. 14,170 chats a day.

>YouTube blocking seems difficult, as the ads usually come from the same domain as the videos. Haven’t tried it, but all of the content can also be delivered from a no-cookies version of the YouTube domain, which doesn’t have the ads. I have asked my son to poke at that idea.

Y’all want to see something wild?

All acceptable and encouraged forms of fanfiction. Thank you creators

“This reads like fanfiction (it feels like it was written by a preteen, and most of such things posted publicly are fanfic)” vs “This reads like fanfiction (it has a focus on character and relationships, like the style of a lot of modern fanfic)” vs “This reads like fanfiction (it keeps referencing people and events with the assumption that the audience is already familiar with them, like how fanfic doesn’t need to rehash the source material)”

when the fanfic is better than the show

I admit to enjoying supergirl fanfic more than the actual show.

Actually, I often enjoy the fanfic more than the shows... 

Check TurboVote please

!!!IMPORTANT FOR BLACK US VOTERS!!!

I saw this on Facebook and went to check my registration status, sure it was fine because I voted recently, but I put in the info and it said I’m not registered

PLEASE, especially if you’re a Black voter, check your registration status at vote.org

an incomplete list of fics to read (and comment on!) while you’re quarantined/self isolated

SUPERCORP

quite literally anything by @c–and–b (on ao3) just read thru the whole account and youll feel better

it feels better biting down - by nirav - lena’s new girlfriend might be a spy :O

but then, my homework was never quite like this - what is there to say, absolute classic by @jazzfordshire

[yeah, we really are] - bs13 on ao3, @pippytmi on here. i trust these fics with my life. absolutely the best best best. also try hypothetically, which is my favorite.

when i say read everything @seabiscuits-us has to offer, i mean it. read everything. my top two are a foolish wit & to refashion the matrix of creation. do NOT complain that it is unfinished. revel in the fact youve been blessed with these chapters.

a ribbon in time - abcooper - just a beautiful story, a wonderful read.

and when im feeling alone you remind me of home - mooosicaldreamz - WE STAN AGENTCORP BROMANCE

@spaceman-earthgirl has small delicious offerings ready to get u through this (ao3)

the fifth wall. im a slut for a good baby fic, im sorry

is this even a fic rec list if i dont include @lynnearlington‘s stay the night? a staple.

SANVERS

i would move mountains to make you smile is just the best fic of all time it will make you smile and cry and i love it with my whole heart

yearning to breathe free - the fake dating hollywood au. what a treat.

and still the world spins. it makes my heart hurt.

CLEXA

she - thefooliam - bruh every single person on planet earth should read this fic. idc what ships u like or not this is artistry and you should read it now.

in love and war and politics - centuriesofexistence - lexa becomes clarke’s campaign manager. phenomenal. 10/10

commander in chief - lexa is the president. christmas fic. lovely and warm.

beat the devil’s tattoo - isawet - another ‘everyone should read this’ fic

the business of caring - college au that just,,,, chef kiss

be the lightning in me - OOFT WHAT A FUCKEN FIC, LADIES!!!!!!!

break your plans - i forgot how much i love this. delightful!

FABERRY

youre the trouble that i always find - @mooosicaldreamz - what an absolute fucken dream of a fic. im always thinking about it. in fact, read all of their faberry fics.

here’s my previous list of faberry recs

also i hate to be That Bitch but if ur desperado i have a bunch of fics that are all mostly short and relatively easy to read so like,,,,, here u go lol

Day fifty

of @the-wip-project‘s challenge.

Q50: What fic/story made you?

A50: it was not so much a fic/story that made me it was more of an experience. When I was a kid my family would take long road trips, e.g., eight hours, to the beach in the summer. Those trips were made pre cassette tapes. On those rides, I could read, fight with my siblings or stare out the window and make up stories. I started writing them down when I was a kid.

What made me think my stories were worthy of sharing or publishing when I was an adult was a wonderful girlfriend who encouraged me to send my stories out to anthologies.

“I’m that bitch” - Ella Dawson while schooling an ignorant troll

Ella Dawson has genital herpes, and she wants to tell you about it. 

She’s not speaking up for the shock value — she’s telling you because she wants all of us to be able to talk about STIs without shame or stigma. When we make it okay to talk about, she says, people are more likely to get tested and less likely to be afraid to share their status. 

In her badass talk at TEDxConnecticut College, Ella tells the story of her diagnosis, how she overcame feeling like “human trash,” and why we need to end the stigma — now. It’s packed with information (and a shot of humor), and if you didn’t already agree with her, you will by the time she’s done.

Watch the full talk or read the transcript here.

(Full disclosure: Ella is TED’s social media manager. This post was written by her boss who is so incredibly proud of how fearlessly she speaks out.)