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LFGSS and Microcosm shutting down 16th March 2025 (the day before the Online Safety Act is enforced)
Giving @dinosaurpt proposed letter after adding a couple of further pieces added - please do flag up other articles that provide a sympathetic view, particularly if they're major news outlet (less niche the better).
You can find who your local MP is here
Dear [local MP],
I am writing to you about the Online Safety Act due to come into force March 17th 2025.
Ofcom has published advice pertaining to the categorisation and requirements for user-to-user internet services (i.e. services that allow users to create/upload and share content).
Specifically, this advice sets out the obligation for any service with links to the UK to:
someone please fill this in with the requirements applicable to all or multi-risk services.
The Secretary of State must now consider this advice and pass regulations to a make it into law.
The act, which clearly was originally meant to target tech companies (as evidenced by Ofcom’s frequent use of terms “companies”, “businesses” and “tech companies” in its literature), was set out in such broad and vague terms that small online forums such as those owned and operated by sports clubs, hobby societies and other special interest community groups, will now become regulated services.
These forums and message boards are used by the groups to communicate and organise themselves and, particularly since Covid, have become extremely important spaces, bringing people with common interests together, serving as an important outlet for personal development and expression and being an effective avenue to combat loneliness and social isolation (which are in current times their own epidemic). In many cases, communities exist solely within the realm of these online forums.
These platforms are most often ran by volunteers in a personal capacity or as members of non-profit organisations and the overly onerous and complex compliance effort required to meet the proposed requirements as well as the personal liability risk faced by the individuals operating these forums, pose a serious threat to their continued existence.
I believe regulation serves an important purpose, particularly where it pertains to the online safety of our children, and applaud its introduction. However, the proposed requirements, in their current form, will have a disproportionate impact on the above mentioned communities. They will then be faced with the choice of using commercial internet service providers (where most abusive and dangerous content is actually disseminated, as illustrated by Ofcom’s own research) or simply cease to exist.
[insert personal impact statement (e.g. I personally am a member of…) or delete}
The national media seems to have only just picked up on this issue. Please see below for some relevant news reporting:
Hundreds of websites to shut down under UK’s ‘chilling’ internet laws
Hundreds of small websites may shut down due to UK's Online Safety Act
Death Of A Forum: How The UK’s Online Safety Act Is Killing Communities
Britain's online safety rules come into force, and sites are already shutting down.I therefore politely request that you to look into this matter and intercede with the Secretary of State to consider incorporating changes into the advice received from Ofcom, to align the requirements with the nature, size and resources of these self-organized communities (which are an expression of the centuries-old British tradition of associativism), minimising the impact of the act in their operation and ensuring their continued existence.
Kind regards
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LFGSS and Microcosm shutting down 16th March 2025 (the day before the Online Safety Act is enforced)
Figure political climate is not going to be helped by the verdict on the Gisele Pelicot where an online community was used to bring perpetrators together. I realise that the private nature of the online community makes the situation different but this nuance might be lost by politicians
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/12/coco-website-pelicot-rape-trial
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LFGSS and Microcosm shutting down 16th March 2025 (the day before the Online Safety Act is enforced)
Be good to get eyes on @dinosaurpt proposed text just above and see if there's any additions or changes. Whilst we should definitely be looking at adapting, also worth looking at getting changes at legislative end as we're one of many online communities that are facing these onerous obligations
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They're in France currently...long story but they're British, moved to NZ when I was a little one and then retired to France (close but not too close to my Mum's family).
They're now at a stage where mobility is an issue (they live in really rural corner and not confident drivers) and their ropey French means that navigating situations (particularly healthcare) is getting more difficult. They may well end up in Colchester but would imagine if they do head down that path they'll find their living arrangements have to downgrade a lot.
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I'm not sure if this is possible at all, and I obviously don't know your parents or situation but ime get a smaller flat in London. The healthcare provision is much better and having them nearby and being able to pop over after work is really, really helpful.
Smaller flat in London is out of their price bracket...Mum is from Colchester, Essex and they were looking for housing around there but found the pricing too spicey so downsizing to small London flat unfortunately is not on the cards
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My parents (Dad in his early 80s, Mum in late 70s) are looking to return to the UK and looking at places to move to. They're comfortable but certainly not loaded and the price of property in much of SE England is scarey for those not on the ladder (something I'm acutely aware of as a renter).
Interested in advice on good places to live based on the following
More affordable than what you'd typically find in Home Counties
Accessible by public transport with preference for rail (I don't drive). In a perfect world, it would be great if place was readily reachable from London although figure accessibility to London is in inverse relationship with affordability
Good environment - I'm acutely aware of the fact that some parts of UK have been hammered by economic decline outside London/SE which helps with affordability but critics risks for vulnerable elderly
Weather that isn't too bleakAny suggestions gratefully received...finding that parents' situation is becoming more of a concern now for me and others of my generation and figure others are going to be facing the same question
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Interesting POV, according to NY Times Claude is doing really well (off a low base) because they've injected more of a personality into the model
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/13/technology/claude-ai-anthropic.html
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For Pro Cycling, this is a good starter
https://bsky.app/starter-pack/cyclartist.bsky.social/3layjkmyr6b2a
More generally, would suggest BlueSky is maturing fast. Situation in Syria was a good roadtest of how it's adapting to real time events and whilst not quite where Twitter was pre Musk, can see it getting there soon particularly as there appears to be a lot of goodwill and people highlighting other people to follow
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Anyone know where to pick interesting enamel pins/badges? Picked up one from Supemundane a couple of years ago and figure something similar but different would make great Christmas presents but sorely lacking in inspiration. Figure people on here may have some interesting ideas
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Majorelle Jardin, if you want to go, advice i had was get there early
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majorelle_Garden
There's also the Berber Museum on the same site looking at indigenous cultures which i found really worth a visit
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I cycled from Marrakesh to Agadir in April a few years ago in April so likely to be warmer than when you're travelling. I took the bus from Agadir to Essaouira and then back to Marrakesh. I stored the box my bike i flew in with at my accommodation in Marrakesh in flattened state with gaffa tape restoring it to service. I did come in when there was a torrential storm but fortunately the box was still usable when I arrived. bargaining with taxi drivers for a ride in to accommodation was interesting. You may have something of a walk from where you're dropped off to your accommodation.
Agadir got flattened by an earthquake in 1960 so there's much less of the cute old architecture that you'll find in Marrakesh and Essaouira (there was a really interesting exhibition in the Curve Gallery in Barbican about Agadir some years ago). That being said, Agadir felt friendly and because there's less Europeans going there, i had more luck interacting with the locals.
I kind of regretted not cycling to Essaouira from Agadir but then I wasn't quite so confident in my abilities then. I'm normally vege but am omnivore when i travel and was happy to eat meaty tangine.
I did some wild camping enroute which wasn't an issue. Marrakesh has lots to offer but is also a harder place with tourists seen as cash cows
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Just picked up these but haven't had a chance to road test them yet. Only major qualm initially is the lack of size options
https://www.jejamescycles.com/product/1037348/dexshell-dexshell-drylite-gloves/option/
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I haven't said thanks @Velocio for your tireless work keeping this place alive. Keeping communities healthy is both an art and a science and you've done a great job of both...
I've been involved with other communities before but LFGSS was the first community that I've been involved that went from online to IRL. I can remember the first event I attended where I asked what someone's real name was and then inevitably what their forum name.
I remember fondly the many IRL events including track days, rides to the coast, bike polo, pedalo racing and also the way that lives were celebrated through weddings and funerals.
I've also find the place an invaluable hive mind for understanding issues and problems well beyond the world of velocipedes. We all come with our own blinkers on and this place has a way of taking them off with new knowledge or different points of view from the mundane to the profound...
Am hoping we find a way forward, but regardless of whether we do, I'll always remember fondly this world