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14 posts total
Doctor Popular

Spotted this beautiful little feline at #DynamoDonuts yesterday. At first, I thought it was Odin, the black and white cat that hangs out at Haus Coffee, but this cat was much friendlier and larger. He also wore a "do not feed" collar, something I had never seen before.

I am starting to think there are three different, but similar-looking, outdoor cats that hang out at the cafés on 24th Street in SF. #CatsOfMastodon

A cat with black fur (and white spots on it's belly) sitting on a white plastic chair on the back patio of a cafe. There is a nice garden behind the cat. His body is facing away from the camera, but his head is turned around to stare at the camera.
A black cat with white spots walking on the ground behind Dynamo Donuts. You can see it's collar that says "Do not feed me".
8 Sep 2024 at 18:59 | Open on mastodon.social
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Doctor Popular

Today’s #SidewalkFriends sketch was inspired by some covered up graffiti on a nearby wall. I think I started off seeing Princess Bubblegum in my head, but it turned into another character.

A drawing of a young girl with pink/peach colored skin, blond hair, and a checkered blue and green dress. In the background of this image is a photo of the side of a building.
The side of a building that has some orange paint on it. The paint appears to be covering some sort of graffiti, so it doesn’t fit with the rest of the paint on the wall.
18 Aug 2024 at 16:10 | Open on mastodon.social
Doctor Popular

I can’t tell you how happy I am to get texts like these from friends. I’m so optimistic about the future of the #fediverse and always excited to talk about it.

The fediverse is still a tricky concept to explain though. I’d love to hear how you like to describe this *gestures wildly at ActivityPub/Federation/Mastodon/Threads/AT Protocol/PeerTube* to a friend.

A text from a friend that says “Doc can you explain what the fediverse is?”
13 Apr 2024 at 17:27 | Open on mastodon.social
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Tired Bunny :bunhdcomfysleep:
@docpop The most popular explanation is "It's like email, but for different social networks", but that assumes that person you talk about understands why email works in the first place.

The most simple explanation to start with is "It's a network of compatible but independent social networks" and "It's also not owned by big corporations". If they are interested, they might ask about "how they are compatible", "why that matters", "are they really independent", etc. And if not, they will probably just say "Oh, cool".
@docpop The most popular explanation is "It's like email, but for different social networks", but that assumes that person you talk about understands why email works in the first place.

The most simple explanation to start with is "It's a network of compatible but independent social networks" and "It's also not owned by big corporations". If they are interested, they might ask about "how they are...
16 Apr 2024 at 11:33 | Open on udongein.xyz
Tuhgy

@docpop@mastodon.social The simplest way I would describe it is that it is similar to how email works. You can make an account at a host and can interact with others that are using different hosts.

I know this doesn't work everywhere or perfectly though, like Mastodon is different from Lemmy, etc.

16 Apr 2024 at 12:26 | Open on sharkey.world
D:\side\

@docpop I think I'd start with a point that "it's a social media network owned (operated, paid for, hosted, governed and moderated) by the society in it".

This can pivot into a number of questions depending on what the asker is most interested in, which is probably the only way to explain something as complex at Fedi:
- how are popular networks free (ads and associated conflicts of interest)
- why hosting matters (sustainability)
- is moderation ok (Facebook's certainly isn't, here it at least varies, if both ways)
- what can it do that popular networks can't (can't sub to a YouTube channel from Twitter, but can to a PeerTube channel from Mastodon; having rules that are not in line with {their favorite platform}'s ToS)
- why does this even matter (tremendous power over societies enforced by recommendation algos and content policies)

@docpop I think I'd start with a point that "it's a social media network owned (operated, paid for, hosted, governed and moderated) by the society in it".

This can pivot into a number of questions depending on what the asker is most interested in, which is probably the only way to explain something as complex at Fedi:
- how are popular networks free (ads and associated conflicts of interest)
- why...

16 Apr 2024 at 12:57 | Open on mastodon.ml
Doctor Popular

I'm a sucker for weird and esoteric tags, like these word squares someone has been writing in our neighborhood lately. Each square is a type of acrostic that can be read horizontally or vertically. For example:

T R U S T
R A N C H
U N D E R
S C E N E
T H R E E

#SFGraffiti #WordSquare #Tagger #SanFrancisco #acrostic

A box on a pole where a graffiti artist has written a word square. The square can be read vertically or horizontally, and it says: trust ranch under scene three
A trash can where a tagger has written the words: mind, idea, neat, data
A section of sidewalk where a tagger has written a word square. This can be read horizontally or vertically and it says: Heart, ember, abuse, resin, trend.
A tag on the wall that says: feast, earth, armor, stone, threw. Each word is written above the other word in clear columns, so the words can be read vertically or horizontally.
27 Feb 2024 at 21:25 | Open on mastodon.social
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feld
@docpop weird way to store your seed words for your bitcoin wallet
28 Feb 2024 at 16:34 | Open on bikeshed.party
polprog68k
@docpop interesting, the heart-trend square is on wikipedia, but the rest are not. I wonder if the tagger came up with them on their own.
Did you find the sator-rotas square yet? It would fit on a building wall.
7 Mar 2024 at 8:24 | Open on pleroma.m68k.church
Doctor Popular

I spotted a few more "Magic Acrostic Squares" by Sapien (aka Sape). #SFGraffiti

Graffiti that has written words in an acrostic square, so it can be read the same way vertically and horizontally. This one says LEG EYE GEL
Graffiti that has written words in an acrostic square, so it can be read the same way vertically and horizontally. This one says CLUMP LUNAR UNTIE MAIZE PREEN
Graffiti that has written words in an acrostic square, so it can be read the same way vertically and horizontally. This one says: SPUR PAPA UPON RANK
Graffiti that has written words in an acrostic square, so it can be read the same way vertically and horizontally. This one says: SPESH PORNO ERROR SNOWS HORSE
23 Mar 2024 at 17:21 | Open on mastodon.social
Doctor Popular

Tonight, we played a few games of Nego, a strategy game with cats. The rules are very simple, but there are some nice twists. The design of the physical pieces was our favorite part.

The game was designed by Yuka Morii, a Japanese clay artist and Pokemon illustrator.

I enjoyed it, but my partner felt it was boring. We both felt the game sort of plays itself as spaces become more limited. We both like it as a piece of art, though. The game is available here: japantrendshop.com/nego-cats-b

Tonight, we played a few games of Nego, a strategy game with cats. The rules are very simple, but there are some nice twists. The design of the physical pieces was our favorite part.

The game was designed by Yuka Morii, a Japanese clay artist and Pokemon illustrator.

I enjoyed it, but my partner felt it was boring. We both felt the game sort of plays itself as spaces become more limited. We both like it as a piece of art, though. The game is available here: japantrendshop.com/nego-cats-b

A board game with several black and white cat figures placed on a tiled board. The game sort of looks like Go, but with cats.
A shot of the game from further away. There are a couple of cocktails on the table and a hand is about to place a black cat on the board.
A look inside the box of Nego, where all of the pieces are placed meticulously in little squares. The design of the box is very intentional, and everything fits just right.
30 Jan 2024 at 5:21 | Open on mastodon.social
Doctor Popular

Don't make me tap the sticker.

A photo of a sticker on a wall in San Francisco. The sticker uses the meme image of a bus driver pointing at a sign on the front of the bus. In this case, the sign says "There are never purely technological solutions to societal problems"
27 Dec 2023 at 18:44 | Open on mastodon.social
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DELETED

@docpop True. But won't make us many friends

27 Dec 2023 at 20:26 | Open on mastodon.social
DELETED

@docpop And engineers should never be in charge of anything that involves people as part of the "What" question.

How yes.

What, never.

27 Dec 2023 at 20:48 | Open on mastodon.social
anomalocaris

@docpop We can save the world with a carefully selected series of self-tapping signs

27 Dec 2023 at 21:15 | Open on oldbytes.space
Doctor Popular

I just received #TristanPerich’s newest circuit album, “Composition for Three Small Speakers”. This is part of Tristan’s 1-bit music series. tristanperich.bandcamp.com/alb

23 Nov 2023 at 1:12 | Open on mastodon.social
Doctor Popular

It's been 14 years since I drew this "Reverse-Trick-Or-Treating" comic.
It was based on a true story I found in a comment on Metafilter and is likely the most-viewed comic I've ever made. docpop.org/2009/11/the-greates

An 8 panel comic. The title says "The Most Amazing Halloween Costume Ever based on a story by np312 art by Doctor Popular" The first panel shows a kid dressed up as Spock and sitting on a couch in his home when the doorbell rings. The text says "One Halloween our doorbell rang". The next panel shows him opening the door, expecting to see trick or treaters. The next panel reveals a door on the other side of the kid's door. A sign says "Please knock". The kid knocks twice on this pop-up door and then it opens, revealing a bunch of college dudes dressed as really old grandmothers. "Oh my, look at your costumes" one of the grandmas says as they pinc the face of the the young kid. The grandmother adds, "Such cute trick or treaters" before handing the kid some candy. The college kids then close their door, pick it up, and move it to the next house leaving the young Spock in shock at what just happened.
1 Nov 2023 at 15:45 | Open on mastodon.social
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follow me for more great recipes

14 Oct 2023 at 14:43 | Open on mastodon.social
Doctor Popular

Have you ever noticed that most self-driving cars don't have any passengers?

"Deadheading" is an industry term for keeping driverless cars in constant motion, even when they have neither a passenger nor a destination. Waymo & Cruise rely on deadheading to avoid paying for parking.

Why pay the city for public parking when you can store your car on the road for free (as long as it's moving)?

Since I've started keeping track, I've noticed that over 90% of the self-driving cars I see are empty...

8 Aug 2023 at 2:26 | Open on mastodon.social
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Sebastian :coffefied:

@docpop This is hilarious!🤡 In Europe we move in the direction of being charged for even entering some parts of the city. Then people that don’t need to go there with a car won’t go there. But then, Europe is not designed with car first mentality…🤷🏻‍♂️

8 Aug 2023 at 15:21 | Open on mstdn.social
jaymerryfield :mstdnca:

@docpop “Why pay for parking when you can burn fossil fuels indefinitely?”

8 Aug 2023 at 15:39 | Open on mstdn.ca
Sjoerd Visscher

@docpop With an additional advantage that the system keeps learning from newly encountered situations?

8 Aug 2023 at 16:42 | Open on types.pl
Doctor Popular

Automattic has acquired the popular ActivityPub plugin for WordPress. @pfefferle, the plugin's creator, will be joining Automattic to work on ActivityPub integrations full time. wptavern.com/automattic-acquir

Here's an interview I shot with @pfefferle and @tim about the ActivityPub and Webmentions plugins, and how #WordPress and the #fediverse can be used together. youtube.com/watch?v=Bf2Bksfof0

13 Mar 2023 at 23:03 | Open on mastodon.social
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Doctor Popular
Doctor Popular

"There are never purely technological solutions to societal problems."

Not sure why that particular quote has been on my mind today, but I ended up mocking it up in the style of some motivational posters.

I first heard the quote in @molly0xfff's "Blockchain solutionism" talk at the University of Texas in Austin, but I've seen other variations of it since then. youtube.com/watch?v=G0k_GjxuJD

A motivational style poster that looks like a silkscreen print. It is a blue ink on vanilla paper. The text on the poster says "There are never purely technological solutions to societal problems". In the back ground of the poster are various clouds.
A photo of two black frames on a white wall. There is ornate white text on both signs. The top sign says ""There are never purely technological solutions" and the sign below it says "to societal problems"
6 Dec 2022 at 1:19 | Open on mastodon.social
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