Robin Berjontweets archive

March 2020

420 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @stuartathompson

Conversely, people might be forced to learn that these big brand things aren't all that useful. Regular soap is more effective, and I'm guessing that white vinegar, while not packaged conveniently, works at least as well on surfaces?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @ZombiePaisible

Oh merde.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This seems like a great way to entrench the issue. If we: * Regulate data markets and give user agents a duty of care; * Make distributors responsible for toxic content; and * Prevent self-preferencing; then the Internet megafauna problem could well solve itself.
Quoting a tweet by @ftbrussels ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ewlamy

User agents such as browsers, operating systems, identity providers should be under the obligation to work for their users rather than for their makers. Chrome, Android, iOS, Windows all violate this rule.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
@benyt asks good questions that are worth worrying over. Media needs new models and no one will build them for us, but they need to work broadly and not just for a few big ones. "Why the Success of The New York Times May Be Bad News for Journalism" nyti.ms/2VxBIlr
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jkohlmann and @lostblackboy, @trbrtc, @washingtonpost

Underrated tweet.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @swodinsky

Provided without comment.
Quoting a tweet by @OttoKolbl ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @seanmmcdonald

You just hate innovation, Sean.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Okay, OKAY, I was joking about the privacy thing, you can stop showing me Mike Bloomberg ads everywhere now.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @benharnett, @flglmn, @Atrios

I mean, it depends on where those putative hopes were being pinned. I can think of places they could have been pinned that make @maggieNYT's statement correct!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I felt compelled to tweet a pile of aging white sausages, I'm not entirely sure why.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @benlikestocode

It's filtered🙄🤭
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @marionpdaly

I think I need to stop watching election results...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Biden has the worst sound engineer.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @riptari

How many ads did the accounts see before they were taken down?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @riptari

That would be my expectation, but we don’t have to guess: they can actually produce that number. It would be a good number to know.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @EvanSelinger

We might never know.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @anabrandusescu and @anabmap

So much.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo, @DavidDeutschOxf

Do you have a source to share?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo, @DavidDeutschOxf

Awesome, thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @PrivacyProject and @nytimes, @kashhill, @jenvalentino, @Aaron_Krolik, @natashanyt, @gabrieldance, @mhkeller, @sheeraf, @ShiraOvide, @ceciliakang, @satariano, @MikeIsaac, @kateconger

Any recommendations on the business side? 😉😇
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @kateconger

Surely made reading this from Brooklyn a lot more exciting 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @kateconger

S'okay, I'm not excessively worried for my family, but I did immediately start going through a mental checklist of how to make the next few weeks working from home function, with the expectation we'd follow suit!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Forsheit

[cue Robin's broken record] that's why making 3P controllers illegal, placing a duty of care on user agents like browsers, phones, and identity providers, purpose limitation on a sliding scale, etc. are key to reshape the market even for those who don't care about privacy 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I know that athletes have training plans in which they have specifically chosen days on which they don't train, or vary their intensity, so as to be in top form and not get depleted. Does the same thing exist for intellectuals? Are there guiding principles to steal from sports?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @dmarti and @Forsheit

Some publishers didn't wait for Google to even get there to get started on that sort of thing, Don!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @gsnedders

What's that?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @morallawwithin, @litgenstein

You need a frame of reference because it doesn't quite look the same depending on which glasses you're wearing.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @dmarti and @Forsheit

I do worry about a coming identity blitzkrieg, though.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @lilianedwards and @riptari

Those ads do cost advertisers, yes. If by "priced in" you mean it contributes to Facebook’s valuation, then yes!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @sandhawke

Good measurement is hard, but at least if I pay attention to myself I can sort moments into two buckets: brain works, or brain struggles. Struggling isn’t the same as getting stuck on simple — it’s more that focusing on a basic sentence is slow and bad.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @dmarti and @Forsheit

WANT.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This, very much this. Just look at the evil megacorps we got from a generation of us tech folks being stupid about the money.
Quoting a tweet by @Chronotope ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
You might not be able to get a woman president this time around, but remember: you can still empower the smart women around you. Hire them, support them, promote them, listen to them, give them hard projects, give them credit. That’s how we persist.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mwilcox and @random_walker

If you’re not reading it, then citing it seems pretty suspect in my book!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
For all their flaws standard groups are how we solve problems collectively. Privacy is one of today's most important issues in tech and all the players who care are getting together to map a common path forward. I'm therefore happy to say that @nytimes is joining the Privacy CG!
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @hober and @nytimes

Thank you 🤗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @johnwilander and @nytimes

Me too! I mean, I’m officially retired from standards, but still ;-)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @johnwilander and @nytimes

So. Many. Times.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @TzviyaSiegman and @nytimes

There are other CGs?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mnot and @johnwilander, @nytimes

Never heard that one before. Never.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @clry2

AI is just a lot of dumb statistics engineered together with duct tape — it’s quite different from how maths works.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

I’ve been wondering about that approach for a while. I was more worried about complaints from purists fearing their perfect art might get distorted :-D
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Am I the only moron who didn’t know that upgrading to Catalina will randomly delete data?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tigerteam

Mine just deleted. All my data and all my projects. It just deleted them.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tigerteam

Praying the backup works!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @marionpdaly

That at least is... logical and was bound to happen eventually. Here it deleted my: code, writings, pics, music, video. Everything else untouched.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @clancynewyork

Yeah, I always wait so that the fanfolks can find all the issues. But it looks like this one made it through. Judging by the free space it's all gone.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

Oh absolutely, I didn't mean *reasonable* complaints. In my experience eg. sound purists tend to have somewhat irrational and loud issues.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @v0max

Arguably that's by design 🤭
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @clancynewyork

So I found the issue and the files are in fact there! I don’t know where the extra 15GB came from… It turns out, the root FS is now read-only, so it moves the files to some weird place. It’s… better than deleting but still not friendly!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Law_Privacy and @clancynewyork

I have backups! And a good thing is that I found out they weren’t working as well as I thought they were. But that’s how I figured the issue out. Nothing was coming up for search variants on “Catalina deleted files”. But Time Machine refused to restore…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
So I poked around and noticed that the root dir was read-only, with various mount indirections, which is why restoring couldn’t work. Then searching for “Catalina root read-only” brought up solutions.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @kaveh1000 and @clancynewyork

I’m afraid we’re stuck with it and have to hope things work better in the forward direction? I’m still going through some Unix haX0ring to get my system to behave sort of like it used to…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
"Allowing people who share responsibility for our tech dystopia to keep control of the narrative means we never get to the bottom of how and why we got here, and we artificially narrow the possibilities for where we go next."
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
"The prodigal tech bro doesn’t want structural change. He is reassurance, not revolution. He’s invested in the status quo, if we can only restore the founders’ purity of intent. (…) Those others who said years ago what he’s telling you right now? They’re troublemakers."
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
"These ‘I was lost but now I’m found, please come to my TED talk’ accounts typically miss most of the actual journey, yet claim the moral authority of one who’s ‘been there’ but came back. It’s a teleportation machine, but for ethics."

Thread of 4 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @kaveh1000 and @clancynewyork

32bit isn’t coming back and so I wouldn’t recommend downgrading as that’ll only lead to getting stuck with an OS that will be decreasingly supported… Maybe the best option is for you to run an older OS in a VM just for those?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @random_walker

The impact of ads on agency & autonomy is a highly important and understudied topic, but I think that's a simpler characterisation than the topic deserves. If I show my ad to the whole population and convince 10% is that more ethical than showing it to just those 10%?
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I'm not saying this in defence of BT, which is fraught for other reasons, I think that the ethics of influence deserve more.
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Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ZacYapJQ and @random_walker

I recommend reading papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf… as it has very good ideas but I feel that we need a more systematic way of thinking about the right to autonomy if we are going to tackle weird objects like ads. I'm working on it!
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Has anyone carried out a solid study of the costs stemming from having to build the same thing multiple times in order to support app platforms in addition to the Web? I'm particularly interested in the impact on small local news outlets.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @HelloFillip

Can you share it?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jarroddicker

Right, but there is no (technical) reason why both are needed at all, it's entirely Apple's decision to make it so.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @HelloFillip

I'd love to read what you can share, I'm at given.family@nyt. Thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @prushforth

So very true!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @knowtheory and @jarroddicker, @RJI

I'd love to tell people they don't need a mobile app but there is an entire class of users that discovers services only by searching for apps. At the very least it should be possible to register installable Web apps with stores.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @HelloFillip

Thanks a lot!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @pilhofer and @jcstearns, @MobileTrevor, @seanmmcdonald, @joshstearns, @fundjournalism, @pcheung630

I'm interested in an eventual policy angle on deliberate decisions to render the web less competitive with apps and the impact it has on smaller pubs (and businesses). DMing!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @HelloFillip

I wonder how much white label apps actually bring the costs down versus look cheaper at first (cc @jarroddicker). React Native might not help because React bloats things and makes them hard to reason about. How did you isolate testing costs from just inconvenient tech?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @andreloez and @temptoetiam

C'est pas dynastique (à ma connaissance), mais John Le Fucker n'est pas trop mal. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_le_F…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @temptoetiam

Cet homme mériterait un film.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @igvolow and @HelloFillip, @jarroddicker

That's been my experience as well, or you end up with something that works by looking equally crap everywhere (Java memories...). The Web is the only platform I've seen that doesn't suffer from this, I think largely because it took a very different architectural path.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo

So basically you're proposing clique distancing, on the assumption that clique mixing happens faster in large meetings (probably right). I would assume the effect will depend on how connected the cliques already are?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This should be visible in the data, large *local* meetings (where cliques likely overlap a lot anyway) should have limited impact on slowing down a giant component, whereas a very international meeting of the same size would be riskier?

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo

This seems like a strong assumption, or am I missing something? Does it not dictate the result?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This thread is giving me bad epidemiology ideas. For instance, could we not #SlowTheSpread by quarantining all the people whose Facebook or LinkedIn account show as having more than N connections? At what N do we break cliques apart from the larger components? t.co/7j2OXLuAD1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Disclaimer: this is Sunday morning musing, do not take epidemiological advice from a Twitter crackpot who's just read a few random books and papers.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo

Not quite! My intuition is that big meetings bring together smaller but more stably/regularly connected groups. So the driver of transmission isn't how many people a typical attendee will meet but across how many groups they will interact.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
So if the groups gathering are already highly connected otherwise (eg. they're all in the same city) I would expect the effect to be different from if they're not. But my assumption is that local cliques stay connected even with social distancing.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo

Forgetting dystopian considerations it might work. We'll probably never find out though.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @davidhagmann and @SimonDeDeo

Reading between the lines they seem to largely be using geolocation tracking to know who has intersected? This could be done in the US very easily. It's hilarious to read all the concerns over privacy in that article when everyone with a smartphone here is tracked more 😋
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tobie and @YouTube, @netflix

My assumption is that if something needs to aggressively market itself to you that's a red flag for product quality. And they basically never relent.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tobie and @YouTube, @netflix, @iFixit

You can use Netflix on a Chromebook!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
One of the fun side effects of having a Weird Internet Career is that you can move to a mainstream income type (in my case, salaried employment) yet people *still* have no clue whatsoever what it is you're actually doing. kottke.org/20/03/weird-in…
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @AureliePols

“Daddy works with computers.”
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @AureliePols and @DuckDuckGo

Mine have started using a computer and all they want to do is... email. I'm considering pushing them towards a career either in standards or middle management 🤭
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @EvanSelinger

I feel like I’ve been reading that specific op-ed for, what, twenty years now? I wonder if someone has studied them for similarities, I wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out to all be the work of a single plagiarism ring.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @EvanSelinger

If your theory is correct and such blunt tactics actually do end up working, then frankly we probably deserve to end up as zoo attractions for super AIs from the future. On the plus side, that’ll help drastically reduce terrorism.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
One undiscussed issue with the free and supported by behavioural/programmatic advertising model is that it is basically a monocrop. And with monocrops, famine strikes with the first shock to the system. Like, say, a recession.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This book I'm reading has as regular example a squirrel that intercepts a travelling golf ball and kicks it hard enough for it to hit a distant tree and bounce back into a hole. From this we should infer that causal ontologists have:

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @persepolicy and @matthewstoller

Market concentration, complete take-over by programmatic, ad sales teams have been let go... I saw an IAB report from 2009 and it listed classifieds as a substantial source.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @AmeliasBrain

Hahaha fucking brilliant.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @fatemehx2

That's... actually a believable explanation. Just think of future kids studying 20th century philosophy, though. They'll be having nightmares of our squirrel megafauna.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @pes10k, @torproject

I'm loving this and am really happy to see it happening. My only question is: why just reseed at browser restart? I only restart my browser when I'm forced to reboot my device, which I only do for 0-days with significant risk of spontaneous combustion.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @pes10k, @torproject

Ah, right, matching session lifecycle makes sense, thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Don't forget that the news cycle can be rough on your cat, too.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @JInterlandi and @cwarzel

So, very conservatively taking 550 as the current number of cases and working from data showing doubling every six days, that's ~550×2^9 or about 280k cases before we can effectively drive quarantines from testing, is this roughly right? We might need another approach...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @histoftech

Same, totally same, it's from the weight of my head.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @trekonomics

Frankly I’d do it even if I’m wrong, just to make people who care about status writhe and fume.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I’ll admit that my first reaction to “we made a list of people who understand pressing issues in tech” was to roll my eyes, but then I saw the actual list and, whoa, that’s a lot of good people. washingtonpost.com/pr/2020/03/10/…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @brianleroux and @dam

Can haz? Last I poked at Web Components I spent hours getting a brittle example to suck instead of fail outright and I could never get the server to behave sensibly…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Choire

I hope you’ll send us postcards from… Cleveland? Grenoble? Charleroi? Posadas? Darwin?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Do you think that media should be much better at privacy? Do you want to intern with the coolest team in data governance? Apply now! The position reports to @k_johnsn — there aren’t many people who’ve had as much experience with datagov in the trenches! nytimes.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NYT/job/…
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @podopie, @JamesGRobinson

How much money for a “Best Twitter Drive-By Dad Joke” category?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
A time will come when the US abolishes slavery, but I guess a pandemic is not that time.
Quoting a tweet by @dnbrgr ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @trekonomics

I actually kinda like the modernised version 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @trekonomics

Ni dieu, ni maître, but autocorrect sa mère.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @AndyPryke and @tomaspueyo, @Austen, @paulg

Same! If there's no way to make it readonly but copiable maybe you could export it to Excel and make that downloadable?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @JustinBrookman

Android contracts are fun, someone should look at search royalty contracts too :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Are any of you who were going to speak at @PrivacyPros Global Privacy Summit planning to do virtual versions?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The excellent folks at @nwspk are curating a list of useful #COVID_19 resources, from fighting misinformation to DYI ventilators. coronavirustechhandbook.com
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @themarkup

Where’s the merch? I can’t seem to see it sold anywhere?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_abialas and @femalegazebot, @kathyvsinternet, @NewYorker

React developers deserve no mercy, Anna.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @susanthesquark

Maybe try bookshop.org/books/8581370/… ?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @susanthesquark

Shelf space, shelf space... I can't seem to track it down but Deleuze had a great line about how the most indestructible arrangement was the pile 😁
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @litgenstein

Where do you even find these? Do you hunt them at night in the darker spaces of the twitters?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @baekdal and @_HannahRitchie

It’s hard to believe WHO can’t provide decent-quality open data on, well, any matter of health that they cover. This is insane!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @baekdal and @_HannahRitchie

So, this is the entry point to configure the whole dash: who.maps.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/c…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @baekdal and @_HannahRitchie

Yes — all the `query` endpoints seem to provide some data, but interpreting them requires going through a few indirections.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @baekdal and @_HannahRitchie

I have it. There are two calls made that have f=pbf in their query parameters. That’s for format=Protobuf. If you replace the `pbf` with `json` you get the data. I put it here: gist.github.com/darobin/0bd176…
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @docum3nt and @jensimmons

If it isn’t we’ve failed.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @baekdal and @_HannahRitchie

Yes, it’s annoying both ways and not what I would expect from a public organisation, even less so in health! Much power to @_HannahRitchie.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This is all good advice: flattenthecurve.com
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
It looks like the updates are mostly that we’re losing that “IP address” clarification on personal data as well as the opt out logo. Damn. I actually made the opt-out state of that logo in hope of making it better UX! A thing of beauty now lost forever:

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Shocked Americans Discover Amtrak Can In Fact Use Technology
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @kyotonio

It wasn't very good. I think it was trying to do a special case of GDPR's legitimate interest by outlining cases in which data processing would be fine. But it wasn't very clear, as clarifications go, and it had potential for misuse.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Mexico will indeed pay for the Wall — to keep infected Americans out.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
🇪🇺European friends🇪🇺 A lot of American residents are going to find themselves stuck near you, some in difficult positions. Most of them had no part in picking a leader incapable of tackling what we all face today. Please organise to shelter and help them. Thank you!❤️
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yoyomorena and @SMerler

Same here...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yoyomorena and @SMerler

Because… in the Netherlands the south of the country is so far from the north?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yoyomorena and @SMerler

I'm hearing that a fair bit from people in Paris, too. The lack of basic scientific literacy worries me.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @baekdal

A week? It'll be there sooner!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @baekdal

Oh, that, on the contrary, seems optimistic! He's going to spend the rest of his life claiming this avoidable catastrophe was not his fault.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yoyomorena and @SMerler

Whoa, I really expected better from the Dutch.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yoyomorena

The notion that a virus might care if you came over by plane or bicycle is, what? Some kind of magical thinking?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_abialas and @femalegazebot

It might save your life.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @annfosterwriter and @Bookshop_Org

I can’t find the feature, can users just create their own?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Yup. I’ve long been wondering if session cookies shouldn’t be tab-bound, but whenever I mention that a spectral browser engineer springs out of nowhere and wails “cooOoOOOmmmmPaaatibilityyyyyyy issssssuUUuUUUes!”
Quoting a tweet by @ericlaw ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @daniellecitron and @timberners_lee, @BULawReview, @HarvardUPLondon, @CCRInitiative

Tim, is the Foundation planning to follow up on this call to action with concrete policy proposals? (I think Danielle might be able suggest a _few_ ideas…) Because if not this feels very high level and unlikely to produce much change.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ericlaw and @mikewest

will eventually fix all the things.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Bookshop_Org and @annfosterwriter

Ah, thanks! I don’t wish to bother anyone there — if this eventually becomes something regular users can do then I’ll use it!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins

I don’t think necessarily so? I would expect all tabs to a given origin would share the same session and it would only go away if all closed. 3P sessions, well, who cares? ;-)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @johnwilander

Yes! And this would be great.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins

That’s not what I meant with (handwavy) tab-bound — I’m looking at lifecycle. Sessions belong to domains, and we could consider them alive so long as there exists one tab that matches them. When the last tab dies, it dies.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins

Essentially, they’d be like today except instead of getting terminated at browser exit they would terminate at a set of conditions triggered on tab close.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I am just discovering this CNN visualisation of market sentiment status and, well, I’ll let the dimensions speak for themselves.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @pilhofer and @Chronotope

Avocados from Mexico is actually one of my favourite examples, I use it in training all the time. They couldn’t find adult women more than 20-30% of the time — it’s hard to understand how you can fail that thoroughly.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope and @pilhofer

I haven’t asked internally but it looks like programmatic to me.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @csarven

Yeah.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @SamMorrisDesign

Any chance you'll open source that?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @pes10k

It's all over the place and it's been that way forever. I recall when the WebApps group was looking at exposing lifecycle events there was essentially no clear definition of session and all the unclear ones were different :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @sandhawke

Seriously, if you made this up in a novel they'd call you a crazy leftist.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins

Yeah, I mentioned it in passing without proper clarity. You can tell I’m in management now. I mean, who closes their browser?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mikewest and @ericlaw

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The Hangout plugin (or whatever it's called this week) gives me this once every ~20 calls maybe. It's tolerable under normal circumstances, but it's going to get old fast at the current pace...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @sheeraf and @nicoleperlroth

I’ve wondered if it could be because they’re trying to acquire our microbiome as that would certainly protect them — but it’s just a thought I had watching my kids, it may well be utter bollocks.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @benwerd

It’s interesting, but I’m not sure it’s good. There’s a reason why we don’t do everything on our mobile devices. I’m seeing the same trend, and some of those apps are missing out on some damn obvious things. Like useful keyboard access.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @internetdaniel

From what I gather the summer should see a drop in epidemic status but it would pick up in the fall, so... don't make any plans for next spring?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @internetdaniel

More time for writing? I'll read your new papers in the fall! 😀
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I suspect democracy and authoritarian regimes differ far more in every day life than in the face of crisis. What makes a difference in times of crisis is competent leadership.
Quoting a tweet by @meifongwriter ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @lilianedwards

Loving the “BRB” title :-D
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
If it has to be the apocalypse, I don't plan on taking it lying down.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The fact you didn't know you needed to know.
Quoting a tweet by @qikipedia ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Sniperovitch

Voilà!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @acfou

At 15 I'm flying, champagne is really good for your health that way.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_abialas and @femalegazebot

Oh noes! Jesus makes exceptions!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @daiwaka

I mean, any half-competent developer could ship a series of questions triaging people by Monday. (It could get tough coordinating 1,700 to do that, though.) The problem is more: what are the right questions, and is this useful?
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @can

No Can, when you have a functioning government it’s called SOCIALISM.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Called it!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Underrated opinion.
Quoting a tweet by @tim_libert ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @cwilso

Chris, wherever you are, it is an honour to raise the last of my bubbles to you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @dcreemer

It’s true both ways!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins and @fantasai, @cwilso

OMG! We discussed it the other night but it's one of those things that seem impossible until they happen, I mean, I remember Raman being AC Rep for Google before Google was founded. Congratulations Chris, good luck for the interesting times to come. Another reason to drink! 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @Avedian4, @BWbfxv, @daiwaka

Crazy thinking! 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @thomas_k_r, @alanburdick

I don't know, but if he does I bet @alanburdick knows about it!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jensimmons

Take care! You're admirable for doing this right when the world around you won't.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Parenting, but you're cooped up with your kids 24/7 for an indeterminate length of time.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Please do it faster than that. There is no value whatsoever in waiting to see if it will get as bad before acting.
Quoting a tweet by @roddreher ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Science illiteracy kills.
Quoting a tweet by @notstevenwhite ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
New York City is texting people to ask them to report price gouging from shops, but who is preventing adtech intermediaries from profiteering?
Quoting a tweet by @zeynep ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @alex_kuhner

Things seem to be getting better in Brooklyn, but it's a very recent change.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
📚 I'm definitely not an epidemiologist, in fact I'm not trained in anything whatsoever, but here are a few books I've read that are helping me make sense of what's going on. I'll add more as I remember them, please share yours!

Thread of 3 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @__apf__

Rhubarb pies make it worth it.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @__apf__

I would encourage you to socialise rhubarb planting. That way you can move sooner and have confidence that others will have planted it too wherever you move to.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @__apf__

That's a start, but maybe a bit tame. We're talking about rhubarb here, Adrienne! RHUBARB PIES! Have you considered guerilla planting operations? With social distancing, no one will dare stop you.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @donohoe and @__apf__

Frankly, the best way I know is just to chew on the raw rhubarb stems until you can’t feel your gums. But I recognise that there are levels on the path to enlightenment.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @perigrin

Thank you 🤗 You too!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
You know, this is not what I had in mind when I said we need better privacy. (#TooSoon?)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The Berjon Berthezènes are in self-quarantine too!
Quoting a tweet by @ByrneHobart ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @TzviyaSiegman

Yeah, we're looking into virtual drinks and figuring out what we could keep the kids busy with!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @SamDFonseca

People have already thought of it. There are potential limitations on both sides, but it can almost certainly be done.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I assume that there must be some sort of coordinating body for state governors (at least some sort of informal group)? Can we call upon it to organise some leadership? Short of a coup it's not going to come from federal institutions, we know that now.
↺ 2
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Current status. Sharing this virtually with you all! 🤗 💋 🎂
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @clancynewyork

Thank you Eileen! 😀🤗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @hober

Merci! 💋
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jkohlmann

Thank you!! 🌟
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @stuartathompson

Merci Stuart!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @SamDFonseca

GDPR has "protection of vital interests" as a legal basis. But it would stop working when it ceases to be true. Regarding the moral hazard, they're already doing this anyway!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @benharnett

Thank you Ben!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @marie_ototoi

Merci!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @seduncan21

Awww, thanks Sarah, you too!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @loidav

Thanks Loida!!!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @amyvdh

Thank you thank you thank you Amy 🤗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @schillinger

Merciiiiii! 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
It's 100% the right thing to do but holy crap that's going to feel long.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @edasfr

Merci, c'est tout à fait mon genre de chapeau!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @benharnett

When the pandemic is over and they open our flats...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mcnees

Hahaha, thanks! 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mcnees

Honestly, I was getting worried that they might wait longer (I wouldn't have sent my girls, but still) so in a way it's a present.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @versac

Thank you 😘 It sure looks like chaos *has* to be part of it!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
It wouldn't be the worst idea to kick-start an ad hoc @NaNoWriMo session right now.
↺ 3
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @NaNoWriMo

Brilliant!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @swodinsky

Shoshana!!!!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @seanmcarroll and @thinkincAU

I hope you also got some of the Vegemite chocolate!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @megangrA

We set up a whole arts and crafts area that they can use at any time. So far it's helping. But yeah, it's going to be long.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @annbass

Awww, thank you 🤗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
What pandemic?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @seduncan21

Awwwww!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @dcreemer

Part of it 😉
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @annapieti

Thank you 🤗 You too! 💋
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @LeonieWatson and @TzviyaSiegman

Thanks Léonie, that's very thoughtful and not daft at all. I'm OK on the WFH front as I've done it a lot, but those who haven't might need support to adapt? The novel thing for me is WFH with kids, I've only done that with little babies and I'm really not sure what will happen!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Apple could contribute usefully to disaster relief by committing to sending working keyboard to people stuck working from home on their laptops.
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @BoudiccaHawke

Don't worry, that's just one pile!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @lukemulks

Thanks Luke!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @shepazu

DAAAAHUUUUT!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @TzviyaSiegman and @LeonieWatson

Yeah, I require extra patience from colleagues too — but that’s nothing new.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @fmanjoo

There might be a sarcasm piece about taking the time to smell the broken, unfair systems in there?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I would like to share a big, BIG shout out to the school teachers who are putting together amazing material at the drop of a hat and making children feel like everything is normal. Thank you, we can never thank you enough.
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @rdeltour

Hahaha, merci!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Yes. Oh so yes. newyorker.com/cartoons/daily… @NewYorker and @podopie
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I have the best team: office birthday party edition ♥️🍻
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @benlikestocode

Thank you! 🥂
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

Thank you! You have the best twitter handle right now 🐻
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

Much much approved.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
A timely reminder that the broad impunity that allows platform to profit from distributing toxic content and misinformation kills people. This isn’t new, but our current predicament make it salient. Neither the internet nor innovation need to be irresponsible to function.
Quoting a tweet by @gchaslot ↗
↺ 3
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
You’re reading this right, and it’s just one example among many. Google has been actively promoting a channel claiming amputated arms can regrow. Now that channel is giving its followers #Covid19 advice.
Quoting a tweet by @gchaslot ↗
↺ 3
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @PrivacyMatters

Thanks Pat! 😀
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mariafarrell

Haha, thanks Maria! It's actually earlier but since this is the office we wouldn't do it on the weekend 🤭
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @julien51

It might be weird because it's a different teacher, but you want the courses? I can share the digital parts at least!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @k_johnsn

Awwwww 🤗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mariafarrell

I’ll try to live up to it ;-)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope

Thanks Aram :-D
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @julien51

Just shared with you some stuff that Thelma got digitally; not sure it’ll work well but feel free to use! Her teacher made insanely fast last-minute plans on Friday and gave us books and stuff.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Or (4) you can reform CDA230 to eliminate the perverse incentives that produce megaplatforms and obviate much of the content moderation problem by returning it to manageable, distributed scale!
Quoting a tweet by @alexstamos ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
What's the deadline for a primary challenge for the Republican presidential nomination? Any bets?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

There are (or were?) but I don't think they're credible, no?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

Lol, yeah, I'd rock it. "Functioning government is SOCIALISM, and people should die totally random preventable deaths because that's THE AMERICAN WAY!" How am I doing?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

RNC support might shift fast!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins

That, sir, is the unvarnished truth.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @kplawver

I thought not being qualified was considered a plus? Bdumtschh!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

Breathable air is a HANDOUT, it's the kind of thing they do in EUROPE!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo

As, sadly, are many others, like CDT. You can tell @EFF and @CenDemTech are stuck in another century because when they talk about the Internet they still say it involves innovation.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @rickbruner

I am not very familiar with how the Republicans do this. Can they change their mind by the convention?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @rickbruner

I'm just thinking that when people's parents start dying outside the hospital they might grow a spine faster than evolution allows for. But then again, death cult psychology is hard to predict.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo, @REasther

Because the science & tech geeks brain trust won't do it differently if the manner in which expertise is handled doesn't change. I mean, just look at the mess that tech put itself in without even needing an extrinsic shock.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @WKCosmo and @REasther, @SimonDeDeo, @AnandWrites

I think the halving of millions is where we can point at actual policy failures. The whole reason organisations do tabletops is to have protocols at the ready when disaster strikes. Most tabletops end horribly precisely so you can have the best response to the worst.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I don't believe that China is handling this because they're authoritarian. I think they were just ready for it because of SARS and friends. Why aren't we ready? That's a very good question to answer. I'm just sceptical that techno-solutionism would help much?

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Answers to Your Coronavirus Questions: a free ebook from @nytimes to help you navigate this crisis. nytimes.com/article/answer…
↺ 2
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @EmilyCSharpe and @daniellecitron, @timberners_lee, @webfoundation

Hi Emily, it’s a pleasure meeting you. I think it’s much more important that you chat with Danielle if she’s up for it, but I’m certainly happy to join. My DMs are open and my email is given.family@nyt. Thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Google Classroom is totally not yet another way of sucking yet more data from your family. That’s why, in order for your child to chat with their teacher, it is absolutely required that we know their exact date of birth and gender. I’m so tired of these people.
↺ 91
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @WebDevLaw

It's *classroom* software. It should just be child-compliant by default. Instead it's using forced consent to get me to hand over data rights for my kids.
↺ 4
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @funnymonkey, @johnnyryan

Thanks — please share when you have it!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yuusharo and @GlennF

Even that, frankly, doesn’t seem needed — this is clearly child-directed. All you need to know is that they’re a student and not a teacher (which they also ask).
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Overwrite or GTFO, I would say.
Quoting a tweet by @erikphoel ↗
↺ 2
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Ash_OLeary and @Moonalice

It's also hard to assess because the terms they use to create an account and a Google Family are different in Europe, IIRC. But if I take my family back to France, I think they're in trouble. The manner in which they obtain "consent" is pretty bad!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin and @yuusharo, @GlennF

Maybe that's something between the student and their friends/teachers, and doesn't need to be recorded? As usual I don't doubt that someone had good intentions at some point, but I'm exhausted with how irresponsible the threat modelling remains.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
“Move to New York, it’s where things are happening!” they said.
↺ 2
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins and @jyasskin, @yuusharo, @GlennF

If a service is child-directed you’re de factor in COPPA scope (and likely others), the only reason to ask for a DOB is to *exclude* yourself from COPPA requirements for users older than 13.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins and @jyasskin, @yuusharo, @GlennF

Either way, as always, I’m sure there are plenty of good intentions in there. Beyond the specifics of this case, the problem is that it’s clear that no one stops to think about the threat. What happens when G has a few bad consecutive Qs and data brokerage starts to look good?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tobie

Entirely true. It’s not a very good product, either, it feels like something Google built as an afterthought to get another contract.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Max_Fisher

I really want to make sure they’re a thing! What I’m trying: 1) not working, 2) having the kids on a different schedule (they can watch some TV in the morning, no homework, longer walks outside). Let’s see how it works...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins and @ian, @jyasskin, @yuusharo, @GlennF

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @taravancil

Typical developer…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin and @tabatkins, @yuusharo, @GlennF

I’m not worried about birthdates, I’m worried about what the decision to collect birthdates reveals about other likely data collection decisions.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin and @tabatkins, @yuusharo, @GlennF

Also, getting pronouns could make sense — but it’s asking for gender. There is no general mapping of one to the other. Some people identify as a relatively binary gender yet prefer “they”.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @SimonDeDeo

Isn't it just because everyone is on MacBooks and they have bad cams?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @nhoizey

Things might be better by then!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin and @tabatkins, @yuusharo, @GlennF

Translating what? It’s a classroom…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin and @tabatkins, @yuusharo, @GlennF

If your kids were to spend the majority of their day there — yes, you absolutely should. That’s why our kids-directed services don’t work that way.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins and @jyasskin, @yuusharo, @GlennF

But people in a given classroom usually speak the same language and don’t need translation services?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tabatkins

Most of my stuff works that way, but I think the “right” way involves using Vault or similar.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @fmanjoo

Wouldn’t you expect catastrophe/let’s all stick together/war president types of support, at least at first?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin and @yuusharo, @tabatkins, @GlennF

As a speaker of a heavily gendered language (French), I have to note: • You don’t need my gender to address me. • Knowing my gender won’t tell you how to speak about me in the third person if I picked a non-binary option. So I’m not sure what problem this actually solves?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin and @yuusharo, @tabatkins, @GlennF

There’s an easy first step to solve the core problem though: adopt a privacy policy that prevents data reuse across services. Sadly, that ship sailed in 2016. So now my daughters’ data can be sold in open programmatic! 💸🤑💵
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
You know you're in New York when the Governor issues an executive order designating restaurants and bars as essential businesses. ♥️🗽
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @podopie

Oooh, 🔥!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @EndofIntranet, @tabatkins, @jyasskin, @yuusharo, @GlennF

I've worked with COPPA and there's nothing about it I've found too strict. We should build a smart world for people, especially kids, and not make resisting monopoly power a personal responsibility issue.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mnot and @jyasskin, @yuusharo, @tabatkins, @GlennF

Well, it's the Google Account, there is no purpose limitation, so a pronoun is probably used somewhere.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
But either way, we can talk about pronouns all night but when the rubber hits the road I had a substantial amount of drinks with Google's lobbyists when last in Sacramento and if Google cares about privacy they haven't been told - quite the contrary in fact.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

Sorry, I'm not sure I get that?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

I'm still not 100% sure that I get your point (I want to!) but note that one reason we can't make it clearer is because Google point-blank refuses to tell us what you do with the data you collect on our site! Our PP has to cover that too, so it can only be fuzzy m
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Some of us have most or even all of our social contacts through work. With isolation across the board, take a minute to reach out to coworkers or people around you who might be sheltered at home with no interaction until Monday. If you're in that situation, my DMs are open!
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jkohlmann and @liamstack, @dodaistewart, @MikeIsaac

Oooooooooh. This site needs a burn button. 🔥
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jkohlmann and @liamstack, @dodaistewart, @MikeIsaac

Who needs permission? It's just a field in a DB somewhere...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
"Maybe I could use the time to read some of those browser tabs," he mused.
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @sampswu and @wuster12

*moves some tabs into Pocket* «There! I’ve accomplished so much right now.»
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @cynthiawu_

Yes — but why require this? Have you seen the terms that parents are forced to consent to for this account? The gender field isn’t optional — you can pick «Prefer not to say» which is a different statement from optional.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Seggitorial and @can

Mine does...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Seggitorial and @can

Not loudly, but she does. It's cute.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @can and @Seggitorial

HERESY!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I believe Proudhon would have had a few things to say about our current predicament, notably about the limits of privacy as an individual right rather than a collective freedom from digital protostates.
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The NYC DOE seems to have lost the plot, trying to go with mandatory synchronous attendance on its first week, when some families have limited digital proficiency. Teachers are doing a stellar job trying to support families but this is unhelpful to say the least.
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @dontclickonthat

Our teachers are working through Sunday trying to make this work for families...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @aral

I was never much of an RSS user (the feeds just end up with my never-ending stash of tabs 😁) but Thunderbird seems to match that description? Cc @LauraKalbag
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I know I’ve complained about Google Classroom’s gratuitous grab of children’s data, but in fairness I must admit that it’s also remarkably painful to use.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @johnwilander

It's the usual known stuff with Google accounts for kids, forced consent, unnecessary disclosure of age and gender. There's probably more, but that's what's immediately obvious.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @johnwilander

There's this but nothing more formal I'm afraid!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Google Classroom is totally not yet another way of sucking yet more data from your family. That’s why, in order for your child to chat with their teacher, it is absolutely required that we know their exact date of birth and gender. I’m so tired of these people.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Be nice to IT, don't forget that when this is over they'll basically be running your Silo.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
If I ran a large adtech intermediary with no immediate cash flow problem, I'd consider forgoing my 30+% tax on advertising for small publishers. @Google, @amazon what about a little help for democracy?
Quoting a tweet by @tiffkhsu ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I loved this article: "The Great Empty" nyti.ms/2Uy6M2t
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

No, I did not ask for a policy that prevents data brokerage — I asked for a threat model that does. The risk of direct data harm to users from Google *today* is in part limited by Google’s need for goodwill — if only to retain employees.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
But the threat is: how many bad quarters in a row before that stops mattering? What happens if your kids can’t get into college N years from now because Google is selling access to a model that shows they underperformed in Google Classroom? Or because you don’t buy enough books?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
You can repeat with health, credit, etc. It’s a very long list of threats. The way to contain that is: limit collection, decrease retention, silo data processing, minimise, minimise, minimise. It’s very obvious, at every turn, that that’s not happening at all. Am I wrong?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Think of it as a maintenance problem: you’re not doing it for you and your nice coworkers now — you’re doing it for the vulture capital that’ll sell you for parts when a better search engine comes or search ads no longer make money.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
And if you really want to go into equivalences that don’t work so well because scale and scope are just not commensurable: yes, that’s part of my threat model for The Times. We’re not at all perfect with it, but we’ve decreased collection a lot and sharing to controllers 90+%.

Thread of 6 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @marionpdaly

There are! They're not good enough, and not enforced enough, and Google is pushing the FTC very hard to weaken them. But they exist!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tobie

My god. Moodle. So that thing still exists. That said, try this mix: * special managed Gsuite account (gov provided), can't log into a Chromebook * Chromebook with child account, can't have simultaneous logins * Chrome, forces you to be logged in to the underlying user
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
* Google Docs, refuses to work on Non-Chrome mobile browsers * Google Docs app, can only use the OS's account Turns out, you can't use Google Classroom for a child on a Chromebook with a managed account. Magic! 🌟 🎈

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This.
Quoting a tweet by @tobie ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

Yes, if you minimise to the point that you go out of business it's not a good strategy 😅 But it's not obvious that Google is minimising sufficiently here. Eg. how many times a day does Android share my location & mode of locomotion back and is that really preventing bankruptcy?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

Google sells data, despite claims to the contrary, so the wording is insufficient. Also, the PP can be changed at any time. It's a step! But it has limits.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

Possibly, though it also depends on how legible classroom data. For me the mandatory DOB and gender aren't the heart of the issue, rather they *reveal* the lack of care for the problem. That's what I'm tired about, beyond that no one is perfect!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @torgo and @tobie

The UK might be one of the rare countries to have treated digital systems as public infrastructure. It's not perfect but you have stuff to show for it!
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Excellent, excellent @zeynep on asystemic thinking as a major contributor to our collective failure to handle the pandemic. The same intellectual toolbox limitation translates to poor understanding of the impact of tech, here it kills more directly. theatlantic.com/technology/arc…
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jyasskin

Say I buy targeting from Google (pick whatever segment, eg. women 25-40) and I use a DMP tracker in my ad, I now have a segment of people matching that demographic, which I can overlay with my own users. So I’ve effectively bought that information from Google, no?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I guess the fact that Google Docs force-switches to “mobile basic” mode on all mobile browsers — including Chromium ones — except Chrome is yet another “totally unintentional” issue?
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I signed up with “Firefox Better Web with Scroll”: firstlook.firefox.com/betterweb/ So far: it’s a smooth experience, very easy onboarding, high-speed ad-free experience with the publishers making money — more than with ads apparently!
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_abialas and @femalegazebot

Yeah, I guess there must be some sort of legal reason.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yoavweiss

Agreed! There’s a lot of good thinking around new models now that it’s clear that the existing ad infrastructure is failing. It’s cool to see some consumer products come out of it!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @nhoizey

I know — but I think it’s fair that they’re trying multiple things.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @simcd

Ha! SURPRIIIIIISE!!!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @simcd

Yeah, I try to keep things low key, you know how it is of course.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @hober

Lol, they pulled it!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @ndw

I think it was unpopular 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Follow @kzwa for essential, quality content in these trying times. 🐆💨
Quoting a tweet by @kzwa ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @kzwa

🐩💨! Oh god. Sanity! Wither begone art thoust?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @kzwa

I spotted that one, but awe kept me from using it in vain.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This little fellow has been trying to tap its way through the window for ten minutes. I guess this means we're nearing the "Daphné du Maurier" stage of the apocalypse.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @LeonieWatson

I was thinking "The Birds", but your option is good too!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @TzviyaSiegman

I tried locking the door once but they just banged hard as as they could 😂
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I was wondering why a component in Google Classroom was behaving weirdly and… this is the “closing tag” for a single `button` 🤪
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @AmeliasBrain

I have but… they keep coming back!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Gnppn

*clap* *clap* *clap* Well played.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @benlikestocode

And the person who added the magical `role=button` to the root of that sub-forest made it VP Eng, I guess 🤭
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @briankardell

I’m dumb — of course! That’s so smart.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @codepo8

It’s why those whiteboard interviews matter: you need to make sure people know algorithmic strategies like DIVide and conquer.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @briankardell

It’s more Web-scale!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Frameworks are the <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div> of all evil.
Quoting a tweet by @tabatkins ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @brianloveswords and @BrendanEich

What I love most is that if you don't specify you get an error message saying you must, with a specific value. I shudder to think about why they might be doing that instead of DWIMming.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @LeonieWatson and @briankardell

Brian was being facetious, it's just bad code. And sorry, it reads: </span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @annbass

We rented a place out of town so we would have a backyard for the girls to play in in case of a lockdown (and also for general sanity). The wreath is fake 🤭
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @alexanderdanilo

I think they tried to spell that in Morse using spans and divs 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The @nytimes releases its #COVID19 dataset tracking all US cases by county.
Quoting a tweet by @archietse ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @__apf__

I wish they all fit in the time span of a single breakfast…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @__apf__

Most of my breakfasts this week have been about frantically trying to get technology to do its thing on time for the girls' morning telcons. They've learnt a lot of interesting new words! But existential dread has been put off until after the apocalypse.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Do you fine people have recommendations on upgrading a Chromebook to Linux? There seem to be lots of options out there, I’m looking for one that will decrease the level of tech support I need to provide for a child user (and is generally less buggy/absurd).
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ShaneHudson

Thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @andreisambra and @ShaneHudson

Looks neat — thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @fantasai and @nytimes

You’re not the first to ask — I’ve passed it along!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @clancynewyork and @danbri, @AJWright31, @arkhamlibrarian

I’m not sure you’re entirely fair there Eileen, I’m kind of intrigued by “The Cookie Sutra: An Ancient Treatise: that Love Shall Never Grow Stale. Nor Crumble.” ;-)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @clancynewyork and @danbri, @AJWright31, @arkhamlibrarian

That’s entirely fair — to be honest I looked at a few pages and the only effect is that now I’m hungry :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @annbass

Greenport, at the end of Long Island. It's nice seaside but not posh like the Hamptons where rich NYers are in bidding wars for spots outside the city... How are things on your coast?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I love these people. t.co/rGRQS4HFSl
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @arainert

Please make a how-to video for xfunall.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Brand safety vendors are yet another part of the adtech world with bad governance. They harm publishers, it's unclear that they help brands, but you won't get fired for using one so the incentives are aligned for using them with blunt force. (via @masooga) buzzfeednews.com/article/craigs…
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Step by step.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @olivierthereaux

I always thought that scarifications would work great for you.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @arainert

Thank you! All I had was the Wahl Peanut since I normally just have the beard to handle, which naturally I picked from thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-b…. It worked fine for hair as well!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Biologist/complexity friends: is there a name for the difference between (or the switch from one to the other) an organism that is essentially reactive to information (eg. chemotaxis) and one that manipulates the world to match its needs/knowledge model better?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @olivierthereaux

It can double as eye shade too, which is convenient.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @AmeliasBrain

Thanks, those are useful! Right, I'm not looking for intent, I'm more interested in effect.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Has anyone written on the link between phrónēsis and mētis? It would seem like those two *want* to be conceptually articulated but I can't seem to find instances.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @nhoizey

Pretty badass too!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_aurelienfabre

Ha, justement je ne posais la question, voir ci-dessous! C'est bien? Je ne sais pas, je lisais mētis et je trouvais que les deux devraient avoir un lien, que ça ferait sens en gouvernance. Ils parlent de ça?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_aurelienfabre

Et ça va sinon?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @nhoizey

The best we can be, I hope you too!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @nhoizey

My family started three weeks ago, but NYC hasn't hit the peak yet so we have no idea how long this will last. Probably into May at least.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_aurelienfabre

Han ça a l'air trop bien, merci! J'ai voulu le commander là mais, euh, bon...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_aurelienfabre

Pareil! On est exilés en dehors de la ville et on bouquine en essayant de s'organiser correctement.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @LAM_Barrett

Any recipe recommendations?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Toi aussi tu t'offres une parenthèse, un sursis?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @nicol4sb

MAUVAISE RÉPONSE!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I've often thought of moving to Portugal. Great food, great poetry, great leadership. Here's one more example.
Quoting a tweet by @trekonomics ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @TzviyaSiegman and @marcosc

Hugging people!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @laurie_winkless

You got this!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @marcosc, @TzviyaSiegman

Wheeeeeee
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tobie

I'm not surprised, it was bound to be a problem.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Australian science! 🇦🇺
Quoting a tweet by @juliacarriew ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @lilianedwards

I suspect this is less about AI and more about design. Use positional sound and some matching on-screen representation so that we can process people talking at once because they're spatially distinct. At least that's my armchair guess.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mcnees

That’s… that’s just beautiful.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @lilianedwards and @technollama

@avadacatavra, time to unsheath the XR magic?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @avadacatavra, @lilianedwards, @technollama, @MozillaHubs

I’m very tempted to try this for my team. There’s a bug that makes it hard to use though: its keyboard handler doesn’t stop propagation/prevent default, so using WASD to move around triggers Firefox’s fast-link search… and then I can’t move.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @avadacatavra, @lilianedwards, @technollama, @MozillaHubs

Can’t rotate :-D It’s an easy fix, I’d go fix it if I had a wee bit more time!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
If you’re tired of the same old videoconferencing, try this! t.co/MD5J3KMjGG
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Confiné, il mange son fromage avec du vin blanc. "M'en fous," déclare à sa famille cet homme de 43 ans connu des services de police. #ConfinéVirgule
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Amis français•es: la seule source officielle avec les chiffres français à jour pour le coronavirus semble être… un JPEG. Il y a mieux ou c’est un peu la honte là? santepubliquefrance.fr/maladies-et-tr…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @wadouk and @remitbri

Ah super merci! J’ai cherché “covid” dans data.gouv hier soir et je n’ai trouvé que des données relatives aux urgences? Anyway — ça, ça marche!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @rdeltour

Oui, un peu la mort!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @simevidas

On the Chromebook I was seeing a usable version in Chrome vs other browsers.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @simevidas

Wait a few more years to pull that article out if you really want to make fun of me ;-)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
@RalphsFamous Hi! Do you know which days/times your Greenport store is open at? I saw that it was opening but it was closed when I went. Thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @swodinsky

"85,000 attribute taxonomy" is such a lengthy way to spell "bullshit", though.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @rcalo

A welcome distraction in an otherwise rather… grizzly timeline.