Posted in Technology

Shadow .Net Domains: How Instagram, YouTube, Etcetera, Can “Easily” Enter The Fediverse

Posted on by Darnell Clayton
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Threads as a fun monster, with his shadow companions behind him.

After Meta acquired the Threads.com domain for an undisclosed sum last year, I noticed that Threads.com began forwarding to Threads.net (which included username handles).

Several months later, Adam Mosseri (then head of Threads and current CEO of Instagram) announced that Threads on the web would operate on the .com domain instead of the .net extension, which was puzzling as the Fediverse handles were still using the .net domain.

We’re making some simple but meaningful updates to Threads web as we move to threads.com today. You can now create posts while scrolling your feeds, easily access custom feeds at the top of the web page, and copy and paste a post as an image for cleaner sharing on other apps. The web experience is a popular way to use Threads for many people so we’ll continue doing more here.

Via @mosseri on Threads

Fast forward to today & I wondered if Meta would redirect our Fediverse .net handles to our new shiny .com profiles.

Sadly, I was informed that @pcottle (a Threads team member) has already ruled out that happening in the future (at least for now).

They’ve already said they’re not changing it.🤷‍♂️

Peter Cottle says Fediverse threads will always be threads.net

Also, that’s for entirely different servers. Doubt they’re going to setup Fediverse again on the new .com servers just for this change.

Via @beaware.social on Threads

For example, my Fediverse handle on threads is @darnell (which displays the .net domain).

However, if a user visited the profile online (outside of the app), it would show Threads.com/@darnell instead of Threads.net/@darnell (yes, confusing, I know).

While this tech setup may puzzle the average person unfamiliar with the Fediverse, it may inspire other social networks to join the Fediverse without redesigning their entire websites.

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YouTube & Instagram as robots carrying nets on a beach. AI Image

.Net Fediverse User Handles‽ (Instagram & YouTube)

It would be prohibitively expensive for Meta & Alphabet (formerly known as Facebook & Google) to add ActivityPub support to Instagram & YouTube, respectively (at least upon their current platforms).

However, since Meta and Alphabet already own Instagram.net and YouTube.net, respectively, they could merely mimic what Threads is doing by having Fediverse folks connect to the .net handles, the latter of which would mirror content posted by the .com versions.

For example, my user handle on Instagram & YouTube is @darnell, respectively. If someone wants to follow along within the Fediverse, they can subscribe by switching out the .com for the .net domain.

This would reduce the coding headache for both platforms and enable an additional way for people to subscribe to content, which would increase their potential reach.

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Superhero fighting a spam monster. Image created with AI

What About Spam‽

To prevent the Fediverse from being flooded with tens of millions of spam accounts, Instagram and YouTube could make Fediverse integration a premium perk.

Folks who subscribe to either Meta Verified or YouTube Premium could be granted the ability to activate ActivityPub on their respective accounts and join the Fediverse (albeit on the respective .net domains).

This would probably appeal to creatives and influencers who enjoy sharing their content with new audiences who might be hesitant about creating a Meta or Google account.

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Robots on a beach entering the water with nets on a stick hanging out from their backs. Image created by AI

What About Other Social Networks‽

Many other social platforms operating on the coveted .com domain own their .net counterparts and could create a similar setup. This includes:

Although activating ActivityPub upon a separate shadow .net domain is easier said than done, it would present a more realistic option than relaunching a current site into the Fediverse.

Even though operating on two separate domains may appear an odd way to connect the socialverse, doing so could enable social media behemoths to communicate with each other (without spending billions) and help elevate each other to new heights.

Posted in Politics

🤦🏾‍♂️ Japan 🇯🇵 Bows Down To Donald Trump 🎃, While The European Union 🇪🇺 Bends Over 😭

Posted on by Darnell Clayton
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AI image of European Union 🇪🇺 & Japan 🇯🇵 bowing before American 🇺🇸 flag

I am honestly baffled about the actions of both Japan 🇯🇵 & the European Union 🇪🇺 regarding the recent trade deals they agreed with the United States 🇺🇸.

Although neither deal is as terrible as forging no agreement, the reality is that Donald Trump has bullied both governments into making a deal that benefits the American 🇺🇸 government (even if it comes at the expense of the American 🇺🇸 consumer).

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AI image of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba bowing before President Trump

Japan 🇯🇵 Bows Down, Uses Ninja 🥷🏾 Mind Trick

“The trade deal struck with the U.S. is certainly a relief in that it offers some certainty that U.S. tariffs on Japan-made cars won’t rise to punitive levels,” said Stefan Angrick, head of Japan and Frontier market economics at Moody’s Analytics. 

“But I’d hesitate to call it good news. A 15% U.S. import tariff is still significantly higher than where Japan started. And a 15% tariff is certainly a higher rate than most had expected.”

— Consumer News & Business Channel (CNBC)

Although Japan 🇯🇵 bowed down to Trump when it came to negotiating tariffs, they agreed to issue an odd pledge to the American 🇺🇸 President, which reveals the Asian nation’s cleverness.

The pledge from Japan to invest $550 billion in key U.S. industries could show other countries how to clinch a trade deal with the U.S., even as analysts question how real that money is. […]

But Wall Street has serious doubts that the $550 billion will actually materialize. Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute and a former Bank of Japan policymaker, said in a note Wednesday that the investment pledge is merely a target and not a binding promise.

— Fortune

So Japan 🇯🇵 opted to avoid a greater hardship and sweet-talked Trump into agreeing to a non-binding agreement. The overall framework is not ideal for Japan 🇯🇵 or the American 🇺🇸 consumer, but it avoids a trade war that could result in a recession.

While Japan’s 🇯🇵 agreement is mostly a mixed bag at best, the agreement the European Union 🇪🇺 made is utterly baffling.

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AI image of Ursula von der Leyen slightly bowing before Donald Trump

European Union 🇪🇺 Surrendered To The Tariff Sheriff

At first glance, the deal between the European Union 🇪🇺 & the United States 🇺🇸 seems like a win-win for everyone involved, especially as the US 🇺🇸 agreed to a 15% tariff rate, similar to the one in Japan 🇯🇵.

However, upon closer inspection, it is hard to see how this deal benefits the European trade bloc, as it appears the EU 🇪🇺 bent over out of fear of angering the Orange Authoritarian.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou commented: “It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, brought together to affirm their common values and to defend their common interests, resigns itself to submission.”

He was joined by at least two other French government ministers as well as Viktor Orban, the Hungarian leader, who said that Trump “ate von der Leyen for breakfast”. […]

Trump said the EU will purchase $750bn (£558bn, €638bn) in US energy, in addition to increasing overall investment in the US by $600bn.

“We will replace Russian gas and oil with significant purchases of US LNG [liquified natural gas], oil and nuclear fuels,” said Von der Leyen.

— British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

The BBC goes into greater detail regarding the winners and losers of this disastrous trade agreement, in which Trump, the US government, and major American 🇺🇸 manufacturers are the only ones who truly benefit from it.

Everyone else—including US consumers—loses, as life will become more fiscally hostile due to rising inflation & tariffs eating away at the margins.

This might have explained why Ursula Von Der Leyen appeared nervous sitting next to Donald Trump, as she agreed to a deal making Europe more dependent on America 🇺🇸.

It is still baffling why the European Union 🇪🇺 did not pivot to purchasing more gas & oil from a friendlier nation like Canada 🇨🇦, to avoid becoming dependent on America 🇺🇸.

As Trump gains more power at everyone else’s expense, it appears the only nations still resisting economic bullying are China 🇨🇳 & Canada 🇨🇦—with the latter being a target for assimilation by their American neighbor to the south (more on that in a later post).

Posted in Politics

Trump’s Tough Talk Against Russia 🇷🇺 May Reignite Global Trade Wars

Posted on by Darnell Clayton
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Trump yelling at Putin, the latter who stands in front of a bear (AI Image)

President Donald Trump is discovering what former Presidents realized long ago when trying to reason with Russia 🇷🇺: Vladimir Putin does not care & only responds to power.

Since smooth talking to the Russian dictator is not working, Trump’s new strategy is to punish nations still trading with the former superpower.

President Trump on Monday threatened to punish Russia with heavy tariffs on countries that trade with Moscow if the Kremlin fails to reach a ceasefire deal with Ukraine by September, while promising Kyiv billions of dollars worth of military equipment.

“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” Trump said during a White House meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. “Tariffs at about 100%, you’d call them secondary tariffs.”

– National Public Radio

Before folks break out chants of USA 🇺🇸 & wave the American 🇺🇸 flag around, they should realize that secondary tariffs will impact more than half of the planet.

Despite numerous sanctions, many countries continue to trade with Russia 🇷🇺, a list which includes major American 🇺🇸 trading partners like:

  • China 🇨🇳
  • India 🇮🇳
  • Turkey 🇹🇷
  • Brazil 🇧🇷
  • Netherlands 🇳🇱
  • Japan 🇯🇵
  • Italy 🇮🇹
  • France 🇫🇷
  • Hungary 🇭🇺
  • Belgium 🇧🇪
  • Spain 🇪🇸
  • South Korea 🇰🇷
  • United States 🇺🇸 (yes, seriously!!!)

If Donald Trump is serious about implementing secondary sanctions on Russia 🇷🇺, it will reignite a global trade war, which would ultimately impact American 🇺🇸 businesses in the homeland.

While frustration over the war against Ukraine 🇺🇦 is understandable, Trump would be wise to consult with experts on identifying other means to punish Putin, as the last thing the world needs is a global depression.

Posted in Politics

Trump Bombs Iran’s 🇮🇷 Nuclear Sites. Now What‽

Posted on by Darnell Clayton

This is breaking news, but the United States 🇺🇸 has officially entered the war against Iran 🇮🇷 by bombing nuclear facilities run by the Islamic Regime.

We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Donald J. Trump on Truth Social, discovered via Axios

The United States 🇺🇸 probably used multiple bunker busters to reach the underground nuclear facilities, along with other bombs afterwards to ensure the destruction of the nuclear power plant.

Here is an explanation of what the bunker bomb can do:

What Is Next‽

It would not be surprising if Iran 🇮🇷 started attacking American 🇺🇸 bases throughout the Middle East region. Iran 🇮🇷 would probably limit attacks to their nearest neighbors (Iraq 🇮🇶 & Jordan 🇯🇴), as attacking American 🇺🇸 bases throughout the Arabian Peninsula would isolate Iran 🇮🇷 (which they cannot afford).

If that happens, we would witness America 🇺🇸 aggressively attacking Iranian forces inside the country, as well as encouraging the local population to turn on their government (with financial & military backing from both the United States 🇺🇸 and Israel 🇮🇱).

However, contrary to numerous conspiracy theories (both religious & secular), this conflict would probably NOT result in World War 3 as Iran 🇮🇷 does not have any military alliances with other nations (technically neither does Israel 🇮🇱, but the United States 🇺🇸 unofficially protects them).

Posted in Politics

Democrats Cowered Before Donald Trump & Gave Him Extra Military Powers‽

Posted on by Darnell Clayton
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Democrats bowing before Donald Trump (AI Image)

In his opening segment, Jon Stewart accused the Democrats of not only being a rudderless party (as in they have no clear vision for America 🇺🇸) but also of cowering before Donald Trump as the Democrats as the latter surrendered to every demand issued by the Republicans.

Jon Stewart Knocks Dems’ Lack of Vision In Countering The Trump Agenda

However, the most frightening part of the show was afterward, when Jon Stewart interviewed Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut.

Senator Chris Murphy – Democrats Need to Take More Risks & Make Government Work Again

Senator Chris Murphy: So that CR transferred a bunch of money out of programs that help regular people, right? There was money cut from housing programs & job training programs. That’s bad for this country. It gave the president new authorities that he didn’t have before the CR was passed.

Jon Stewart: What are the new authorities?

Senator Chris Murphy: So, for instance, one of them is that the president under the CR can start new military programs in the country that have not been authorized independently by Congress. And of course—

Jon Stewart: So it is authorized.

Senator Chris Murphy: Well, we don’t normally give that kind of open-ended authorization to a president.

Jon Stewart: Right.

Senator Chris Murphy: Certainly not at a time when the president is regularly, hourly, abusing his statutory & constitutional authority. It seems like a pretty bad time to give him additional new authorities.

Note: Time stamps for this conversation snippet are between 2:57-3:47

If Donald Trump can start new military programs that have not been authorized independently by Congress, then what are the exact limits of those powers‽ Is the President only allowed to use these powers outside of the United States 🇺🇸, or could those military programs be used domestically‽

Why would the Democrats even agree to give the “most corrupt President” (according to their words) this power if they suspect Donald Trump would abuse such power‽

Perhaps this is a non-issue & I am just being paranoid. But if the Democrats agreed to this, then what is the point of supporting them in their attempts to reign in Trump‽

Posted in Politics

Is Apple Resisting Trump Over Gulf Of Mexico Name Change‽ (Gulf Of America 🇺🇸)

Posted on by Darnell Clayton

Recently, President Donald Trump declared that the Gulf of Mexico 🇲🇽 would now be known as the Gulf of America 🇺🇸.

Trump signed an executive order making the proclamation official to all map services in the United States 🇺🇸.

Trump “renames” Gulf of Mexico 🇲🇽 as the Gulf of America 🇺🇸

Google was quick to bow down to the new Orange Overlord & quickly complied with the executive order.

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Google Bot bowing before Trump

However, Apple has not yet implemented the change on Apple Maps, which may raise a few eyebrows among the MAGA (Make America Great Again) masses.

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Screenshot comparing Gulf of Mexico 🇲🇽 on Apple Maps & Google Maps

It is still too early to tell whether Apple is resisting renaming the Gulf of Mexico 🇲🇽 or merely being slow to make the “updated” alterations.

But a week from now, if Apple Maps still proclaims that the Gulf of Mexico 🇲🇽 is still the Gulf of Mexico 🇲🇽, then it will be apparent that Apple has chosen to side with 400 years of historical precedence over the preferences of the newly elected President.

Discovered via: @cmdrmoto, @chris & @dangillmor

Posted in Politics

Fact Or Fiction: Did Elon Musk Really Give A Nazi Salute‽

Posted on by Darnell Clayton

So, there is some controversy regarding this gesture from @ElonMusk at today’s Trump victory rally.

Elon Musk makes awkward gesture resembling a controversial salute

So did Elon Musk make a Nazi salute to a crowd of conservative Trump supporters‽ Let’s compare & contrast footage recorded during Nazi Germany 🇩🇪 almost a century ago…

…as well as salutes from modern-day Nazis, from Anders Breivik (a serial killer)…

…to a Nazi in Australia 🇦🇺.

So Did Elon Musk Give The Nazi Salute‽

The short answer is technically no, as Neo-Nazis usually raise the arm with the palm down when giving a salute, & do not start from the chest.

Was this wise for Elon Musk to do at a Trump rally‽ Probably not, as Elon Musk is already facing controversy for backing the Alternative for Deutschland (Germany) party, or AfD for short (who are considered by some the successor to the Nazi party).

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Posted in Politics

Could Greenland 🇬🇱 Survive As An Independent Country‽

Posted on by Darnell Clayton

The world’s largest island desires to determine its fate apart from Denmark 🇩🇰 & may declare independence in 2025.

Greenland 🇬🇱 Prime Minister seeks Indpendence

Despite the autonomy Greenland 🇬🇱 has over its internal affairs, the sparsely populated ice giant may not be ready to support itself on the world stage.

Economics do not favor Greenland 🇬🇱 exiting Denmark 🇩🇰

Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of around 60,000, was a Danish colony until it became self-ruling with its own parliament in 1979. It remains a territory of Denmark, with Copenhagen exercising control over its foreign and defense policy. […]

Under a 2009 agreement with Denmark, Greenland can declare independence only after a successful referendum — which Egede appeared to hint at holding in tandem with the island’s upcoming parliamentary election in April. […]

Despite its rich mineral resources, Greenland relies on Copenhagen for significant financial assistance, receiving an annual subsidy of around €500 million. (Politico)

If Greenland 🇬🇱 voted for independence, it would immediately be placed in a vulnerable state. The nation would need to not only create its own currency but also establish trade deals with many nations worldwide.

Boasting only 60,000 residents would make it difficult to defend their landmass against hostile powers, as Greenland 🇬🇱 would not have any defense treaties with any country in the short term.

Worse, Greenland 🇬🇱 (like many nations) is facing a population decline, which is not a good omen for a region desiring to create a future on its terms.

Greenland 🇬🇱: Securing An Independent Future

But what if Greenland 🇬🇱 declared independence from Denmark 🇩🇰‽ Here are a few steps they could take to secure a prosperous future.

  • Currency: Creating a new currency that is useable at home & abroad is easier said than done, but Greenland could adopt the Danish Krone (what they currently use), Euro 💶, or Dollar 💵 as their national currency. They also could create a new currency & peg it to all three.
  • Security: Greenland 🇬🇱 would be vulnerable in the short term, but the country could quickly strike security deals with the United States 🇺🇸 (depending on Donald Trump’s mood), Russia 🇷🇺 (unlikely), or even China 🇨🇳 (also unlikely). However, an independent Greenland 🇬🇱 would probably establish military ties with Denmark 🇩🇰 (the latter is a member of NATO), allowing them to avoid dealing with authoritarian leaders.
  • Population: In a cold climate, Greenland 🇬🇱 would have to embrace immigration in the short term to boost its population, especially if it desires to defend its large landmass.

Will Greenland 🇬🇱 Declare Independence‽

It would not be surprising if Greenland 🇬🇱 politicians encouraged their residents to vote for independence. Still, voters will not embrace the ideal until the ice giant resolves the economic & security uncertainties that come with being an independent state.

However, based on their dependence upon Denmark 🇩🇰 for security & economic stability, it is probably unlikely we will see a new nation emerge from the frigid north in 2025.

Posted in Politics

Not Good: New Years Day Terrorist Was A Real Estate Agent & Army Veteran‽

Posted on by Darnell Clayton

Early in the morning, an terrorist by the name of Shamsud Din Jabber, decided to take his truck & ram it into a crowd of civilians while opening fire upon nearby police officers (props for @barbaraj.sobel for keeping us updated about this!).

Terrorist attack in New Orleans in Louisiana

The suspect accused of plowing a truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning has been identified by a law enforcement source and confirmed by the FBI as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar. […]

The FBI confirmed that Jabbar was carrying an ISIS flag in the truck, and authorities have said he was dressed in military gear. The FBI said they also found weapons and a potential IED were located in his vehicle. […]

Local officials said the suspect rammed his car into revelers on Bourbon Street at around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday as the city brimmed with tourists celebrating the new year. They said the suspect shot at first responders as well, while FBI officials said they found an improvised explosive device. (NOLA)

The New York Post was able to provide a photo of the terrorist (shown below)…

Image

…& many users on Instagram & YouTube are claiming the video below is from Shamsud-Din Jabber personal account.

Video allegedly belonging to the Terrorist

The Daily Mail reported that Jabber served in the United States 🇺🇸 Army, which was allegedly confirmed by Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.

Update: Just as I was typing this, YouTube took the video down!

Update 2: X has the video! Props to @CollinRugg on X for uploading the video!

Update 3: Clarified credit on update above, as well as uploaded video here.

Video of Shamsud-Din Jabber for years prior to him becoming a terrorist. This video was oddly removed by YouTube & censored on Instagram. Credit to Collin Rugg on X for uploading it.