Pup Biru

i think the .id.au domain licensing rules are a pretty reasonable middle-ground:

https://www.auda.org.au/au-domain-names/the-different-au-domain-names/id-au-domain-names/

The id.au domain name you choose must match or be an acronym or abbreviation of your first name or family name, or your nickname

you have to provide ID to register any .au, so you’re verified as a person, and though they don’t pre-check your nickname, AFAIK if there’s a complaint you do have to prove that you’re “known by” that name

domain names do that for people with well known domain names, and verification processes do that for people without

okay, but pretty much anyone in software knows what CVE means, and anyone outside of software doesn’t need to know what CVE means… it’s almost as common in the professional context as CPU

also jam in there protections for AI training so they don’t have to deal with those pesky rent-seeking “authors”

i’m currently in the US supporting a queer minority group with services to provide access to an event to a global audience… i’ve done it every year, and this year i’m here only because i’d promised and it seems awful to that group to walk away

next year is going to be really hard: my presence here adds value to the economy and in some small way takes away from the boycott, helps to reinforce american centrism and gives advantage to US citizens (they can attend far easier, etc), not to mention im literally taking a risk that i could be detained for weeks and then banned from coming back

… but on the other hand, if i don’t come am i abandoning the community? am i abandoning a vulnerable group that needs support, and to be shown they’re not alone now more than ever? that globally, queer is normal, fine, valued - that they’re wanted and what’s happening is not normal

i hate that im having to make these choices, and i hate that i feel bad even for feeling conflicted when im not even living through it

completely different species than we have here

pretty sure despite appearances floridians are in fact the same species

free doesn’t mean no or low value though… just like expensive doesn’t mean high value. services are valued by utility; not cost. i’m not sure i see the disrespectful angle

similar thing with airport lounges: you pay in some way for lounge access, but get practically unlimited food and drink at no cost… id say that constitutes free: you pay no more or less based on your use or non-use

idk about elsewhere but at least a portion of roads here (australia) are paid through vehicle registration which is why they wouldn’t be considered free, we don’t have pensions like elsewhere; we have super funds which i guess are more like 401ks - it’s your money, and most people would consider the public school system free education

we also have free public transport in some places, and that’s explicitly labelled as free

everyone is well aware taxes pay for it; there’s no need to label it as a paid service

we call cultural events put on by the government free events, so i think it’s fair to say that if you go to hospital, get surgery, and leave without paying anything that’s considered free… it costs no more to you to use the healthcare system than not, thus free in many more senses of the word than the narrow definition of paid for in taxes