#technical accessibility standards

[adasitecompliance]

Inclusive Digital Experience

ADA Site Compliance creates an inclusive digital experience for schools, ensuring all students can engage with educational content regardless of their abilities!

[calltainn]

Here's a simulation of how the standard 6-stripe pride flag, intersex inclusive progress pride flag (which uses a lighter green than the standard 6-stripe and progress pride flags) and this colourblind friendly pride flag look with green-blind vision, as an example:

I used this simulator (they all have issues, as far as I understand, but hopefully adequate for getting across the general idea). The image descriptions are from my perception as someone with normal vision.

The original Reddit post links to a useful resource about colouring for colourblindness, which includes links to several further resources, and gives the hex codes used in their design:

D60303 (Red)

FF790B (Orange)

EAEE03 (Yellow)

06D68B (Green)

017EFF (Blue)

6B0ECC (Purple)

Finding a colorblind friendly redesign of the rainbow flag has me happy to see a pride flag for once

[not-terezi-pyrope]

Worst part of popular left wing AI discourse online is that there's absolutely a need for a robust leftist opposition to use of cognitive automation without social dispensation to displaced human workers. The lack of any prior measures to facilitate a transition to having fewer humans in the workplace (UBI, more public control over industrial infrastructure, etc) is a disaster we are sleepwalking into - one that could lock the majority of our society's wealth further into the hands of authoritarian oligarchs who retain control of industry through last century private ownership models, while no longer needing to rely on us to operate their property.

But now we're seemingly not going to have the opposition we so desperately need, because everyone involved in the anti-AI conversation has pretty thoroughly discredited themselves and their movement by harbouring unconstrained reactionary nonsense, blatant falsehoods and woo. Instead of talking about who owns and benefits from cognitive automation, people are:

Demanding impossibilities like uninventing a now readily accessible technology

Trying to ascribe implicit moral value to said technology instead of the who is using it and how

Siding with corporations on copyright law in the name of "defending small artists"

Repeating obvious and embarrassing technical misconceptions and erroneous pop-sci about machine learning in order to justify their preferred philosophy

Invoking neo-spiritual conservative woo about the specialness of the human soul to try to incoherently discredit a machine that can quite obviously perform certain tasks just as well if not better than they can

Misrepresent numbers about energy use and environmental cost in an absurd double standard (all modern infrastructure is reliant on data centers to a similar level of impact, including your favourite fandom social media and online video games!) to build a narrative AI is some sort of malevolent spirit that damages our reality when it is called upon

It's a level of reactionary ignorance that has completely discredited any popular opposition to industrial AI rollout because it falls apart as soon as you dig deeper than a snappy social media post, or a misguided pro-copyright screed from an insecure web artist (who decries a machine laying eyes on their freely posted work while simultaneously charging commission for fan-art of corporate IPs... I'm sure that will absolutely resolve in their favour).

It would be funny how much people are fucking themselves over with all this, except I'm being fucked over to, and as a result am really quite mad about the situation. We need UBI, we need to liberate abundance from corporate greed, what we don't need is viral posts about putting distortion filters on anime fan-art to ward off the evil mechanical eye, pointless boycotts of platforms because they are perceived to have let the evil machines taint them, or petitions to further criminalize the creation of derivative works.

[juney-blues]

god, i don't wanna say this *only* happens to trans women because this site likes to prove me wrong when i expect it to have standards.

but like, imagine if we had conversations *every other week* on here about whether any other minority is truly the target of the bigotry against them.

"racism is against people of colour? well, *white* is technically a colour, didn't you think of that?"

"woah, you're drawing a distinction between perisex people and intersex people? sounds kinda binaristic to me! we're *ALL* affected by intersexism."

"well i stubbed my toe on the stairs here earlier. you're *sure* this building not having wheelchair access ramps isn't about *me?*"

do you people not know how you sound.

[ms-demeanor]

fucking client emailed in requesting a license last night at 10, called today before nine asking for the license and if I could hurry this along because it was urgent; being the person that I am I went to go find some more information and discovered that the customer wants to do an in-place upgrade on a nine-year-old free license to a recent server license which is.

A) not possible with the service pack they have installed B) probably not compatible with the two kinds of software they have talking to the database C) probably not compatible with their actual server, which blew up spectacularly in January.

(all of which is to say nothing about the wide variety of possible ways to purchase and install the license, but probably standard is what they want even if they're technically too big for it)

I talk to my team, most of whom do not have much experience with upgrades/migrations for this software and we all agree that more research into their environment is needed, including possibly calls with their other software vendors and also possibly maybe replacing their twelve year old server.

Call the client at 2pm and let him know that this project is going to be more rigorous than just ordering a license, let them know that this isn't being dropped or ignored, but we need more information and will be in contact when more of the team knows what's going on.

5:14 PM, my coworker messages me "hey, do we have a tenant for this client?"

I message my coworker: "fucking lol, this is about their license, isn't it?"

It is about their license. They have sent in an emergency after hours ticket describing the issue as urgent: they have purchased the license on their own from a consumer vendor unaware of the fact that they need admin access to a tenant to download the software.

I create a tenant for the client and document the information, then provide the tenant ID.

And then since it's urgent, it's an emergency, I begin gathering data and composing an email.

The license won't populate to the tenant for hours at least and probably not for a full day.

They didn't actually tell us what license they've got, but if they plan to use it with one flavor of software they've got they probably need a secondary license they were totally unaware of.

I have found no evidence whatsoever that this license is compatible with their other software.

I hop into an after hours meeting with one of our tier three consultants to get the exact version number of the software and confirm that there is not a straightforward upgrade path between the license they have and the license they want.

I send an email advising that if their developer wants to make an upgrade they MUST back up the database because we have emergency backups, not database backups, let them know in writing "per our conversation this afternoon, this is why we don't think this will work" and thank them cheerfully, letting them know to reach out if they have questions about licensing.

hit send at half past eight.

Combined after hours work on this "emergency" "critical" "urgent" ticket is now probably about half the hardware cost of a better server.

I get that emergencies happen, but buddy if I tell you "hey, I know you are in a rush with this but we have to take our time to do this correctly" and you ignore me and make me stay late to handle your "critical" ticket, you and I both are not going to have a good time.

[darael]

It's also wrong. Sorry.

The English didn't settle on a single rail gauge for a very long time, and it certainly doesn't derive from Roman wagons and therefore horses' behinds. We constructed wagonways and tramways and railways in a huge number of different gauges, according to what was most useful in the place we were building them. Modern "standard gauge" isn't even the same as the track gauge on the specific wagonway from which it descends. The Killingworth Wagonway used a track gauge half an inch narrower than modern Standard Gauge, and so did the Stockton and Darlington Railway that Stephenson headed up afterwards, and the Liverpool and Manchester railway he did after that. The common thread was Stephenson — other railways with other chief engineers were using other gauges at the time. Now, half an inch isn't much, but you will notice if you pay attention that both of these were designed for comparatively short distances. That immediately kills off the idea that the gauge was chosen so that the wagons needed to fit old long-distance-road ruts, but even if it didn't, the fact that the Killingworth Wagonway used special purpose-built wagons which were not used on ordinary roads absolutely does.

[wirewitchviolet]

Sudokuvania: Digits of Despair is one of the most impressive works of pure game design I have ever seen.

Before I say anything else, I am going to be talking about a game that is VERY new and has pretty terrible search optimization, so in case this blog post somehow came up near the top of results for someone, here is the as-of-this-writing-current 1.02 release, and for good measure, here is the official FAQ page with the full version history, any future patches, and an FAQ for some of the more confusingly worded stuff that crops up later into the game. Now on with the praise-heaping!

So... Sudokuvania pretty much exactly what the name implies. It's a -vania, that is, a Metroidvania, and specifically one styled after one of the ones that's actually in the latter Castlevania series so that naming convention actually makes sense. Exploring a big castle, fighting bosses, getting various items letting you explore more areas, maybe breaking out of the borders of the map to find cool secrets here and there.

Also, it's a variant of sudoku. And I don't mean someone sat down with some videogame designing toolkit and made a videogame where some of the gameplay is solving logic puzzles on a grid you fill with numbers (I mean, I guess technically I do). I mean that link to the game I posted takes you to a website with a little built in standard app for solving sudoku puzzles and weird variations thereof, and the particular puzzle it's pointing to, somehow, manages to have a big map to explore, boss fights, special items that give you new powers, NPCs, and for good measure, fog of war. It is, again, an absolutely amazing hacky thing and I'm flabbergasted at how well executed it is. Now you're probably wondering how that even works, and that's why I'm writing this big gushy blog post. Here's what you see when you first load it up:

You're going to notice there is some absurdly small and kind of important text you can't possibly read, and that's because again, this is kind of a hacky thing this site so was not designed for. So it's kind of annoying but if you access this through the proper introduction page, it'll explain that the first thing you need to do is click the little gear icon in the floating tool palette, toggle on Visuals: Draw arrows above lines and Disable emoji replacement, then scroll all the way down to Experimental and turn on Test Large Puzzle UI. That enables you to zoom in and out with the scroll wheel, and right-click drag to pan around. It's... a little clunky because again, this website was NOT built for this, but tada, now you can zoom in, read the text, and start solving at a reasonable size. Then there's a couple gameplay concepts it does its best to explain, but... most people I've shown it to myself included needed extra explanation of a couple important early concepts. So let me just do a little color coding here to make this easier to get...

The map is not, in fact, one great big grid. It's 9 squares (and one rectangle that's not quite square over on the east side). Each of these is its own 9x9 Sudoku grid (well, the starting one is 6x6 and has those mutant 2x3 cells instead of the usual 3x3, and there's that weird eastern mutant). If you're solving stuff in one square, you completely ignore everything outside that square, except for where they overlap, in which case the numbers you're placing have to fit for both puzzles. So if we look at the light grey/green intersection on the left, those three overlap cells respectively can't be 4 6 or 5 (and whatever use you deduce in the grey box, but the pure green cells completely ignore all that, you're just focusing on the green 9x9 (which is going to have the overlap as a starting point, naturally).

The next bit that through me off a ton is the way fog of war works. Let me reasonably zoom in and do a little solving here. One second...

Here's the whole starting area all marked up to hell like you do when you're kinda bad at Sudoku and don't know how to spot a starting point. Penciling in little numbers in the corners. You'll also notice a that... most of the map is covered in this dark grey fog of war. A lot of in-game stuff mentions that you shouldn't go clicking out into the fog of war, because it'll show you names of later areas and preview certain special rules and all, but that's talking about clicking WAY off from what you can see. You are 100% allowed to solve stuff out in the fog of war, and it's pretty stingy about de-fogging. Don't go blindly guessing because then you can maybe end up sequence breaking but... yeah. Sorry I'm spoiling the Front Gate, it's basically the tutorial though. Anyway, first move is obvious, only one place we can put that 6, and suddenly...

Tada, important space so it rewarded us with a little fog clearing. You can also see that this will handily point out stuff in your pencil notes that can't be true, but only if A- it's untrue for standard sudoku reasons not special stuff, and B- it's not in the fog of war (or on the other side of some. You also maybe noticed that weird green thing under that first hint 6? That's something we need a tool for, you don't worry about it until you have that tool. Solving this out some more...

Little more de-fogging, both of the puzzle area and the margins where we're getting new information on playing the game in general. Now right here if you're observant, you'll see that bottom right corner has to be a 6. It's out in the fog of war, but you can mark it if you know what it is. And...

I was cropping it out before but the big purple number pad is always floating off to the side there, and the green text box over it, which among other things has an area name and flavor text for whatever grid you're in. This won't ALWAYS happen when you place numbers in fog of war, but there was a trigger on this 6 to load in a little piece of the first real area, and oh hey, we unlocked "Guide THERMO!" That's our first tool, and it's described up in the upper left.

So tada, from here out in addition to standard sudoku stuff, you've got these "bronze Guide THERMOs" that show up here and there and have this extra rule. You basically never get free numbers in the grid past the Front Gate, it's all slow-marching into new areas using what you're bringing in plus some easy starting examples of how your new tools work, plowing on from there. The fog of war is pretty stingy but it keeps you focused. You'll also notice the rules here mention bosses, all the 9x9 ones have one. It's clearly marked, and you should PROBABLY expose it from the fog first, but any time you're in the area really you, if you scroll around in that green text box or hit the rules button when in a grid, there's a link you can click to go fight it. The boss fights are all separate puzzles (site's good about auto-saving so don't freak out if it takes over your tab and you have to hit back after). These are very themey, sometimes VERY evil (especially boss #1, feels a bit overtuned) self-contained 9x9 puzzles, probably using the same tools their area is themed around, and I don't think there's a single pre-placed number in any of them. Beat the boss puzzle, it gives you some flavor text and a number to place in its cell back in the main castle puzzle, plug that in and you're always going to unlock something cool. Usually a new item, sometimes other weird stuff, and it just goes on like that.

Don't expect to be able to fully solve a given grid in one go. It's a Metroidvania, backtracking is expected. Even if you've fully de-fogged a grid, later stuff might reward you by straight up adding new symbols you couldn't see before or doing weird stuff with fog. It IS all solvable with pure logic... but there ARE a few places that do that thing I hate in tougher sudokus where you just kinda have to pencil in in a different faction and explore 2 possible futures for a bit to see which eventually contradicts itself. And of course the last couple of grids do some really evil mind-bendy stuff.

But yeah aside from a couple gripes where the way a tool works could maybe be a lot more grammatically clear, that first boss being a lot to deal with as you're first getting your feet wet, and a particularly cruel twist later on, I don't really have any complaints. Well, it might need a cool soundtrack. Maybe play some Castlevania music. Maybe switch it up for some real proper boss music when you're nearing victory.

Again I am just completely blown away that someone made something so meaty in a standard sudoku site's normal UI, and really managed to make it feel so much like playing a DS Castlevania. Some real proof of game design being an art form here. And now you too can just completely lose a day or two to it!

[cryptotheism]

If you’re ever read Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, you were probably a bit surprised by how common-sense Mr. Tzu’s advice was. Of course you need to feed your army. What idiot wasn’t feeding his army? The thing was, nobody had actually written this stuff down in one place yet. 

Think of Rhazes like the Sun Tzu of Alchemy. The Kitab al-Asrar is full of ancient occult wisdom like “make sure the room you’re doing alchemy in has windows so you don’t inhale metal fumes and die.” Rhazes assumes the would-be alchemist has access to five things: Literacy, technical knowledge, space, financing, and reproducibility. These standards would become so influential, people would quote Rhazes as an authority on alchemy and medicine well into the 17th century. 

Islamicate Alchemy, today on patreon.

[prokopetz]

Look, there's a lot to be said about the contemporary gaming industry's preoccupation with graphics performance, but "no video game needs to run at higher than thirty frames per second" – which is something I've seen come up in a couple of recent trending posts – isn't a terribly supportable assertion.

The notion that sixty frames per second ought to be a baseline performance target isn't a modern one. Most NES games ran at sixty frames per second. This was in 1983 – we're talking about a system with two kilobytes of RAM, and even then, sixty frames per second was considered the gold standard. There's a good reason for that, too: if you go much lower, rapidly moving backgrounds start to give a lot of folks eye strain and vertigo. It's genuinely an accessibility problem.

The idea that thirty frames per second is acceptable didn't gain currency until first-generation 3D consoles like the N64, as a compromise to allow more complex character models and environments within the limited capabilities of early 3D GPUs. If you're characterising the 60fps standard as the product of studios pushing shiny graphics over good technical design, historically speaking you've got it precisely backwards: it's actually the 30fps standard that's the product of prioritising flash and spectacle over user experience.

[witchestower]

The most common pattern from what I'm used to seeing in 1-bedroom apartments (sometimes 2-bedrooms as well) is that there will be a bathroom with 2 doors, one leading to the bedroom, the other leading to a common hallway. More commonly, 2-bedrooms will have one en-suite and then a second full or (usually) half bath accessed via a common hallway. Contrary to prev tags, very much not a rich person thing in the contexts I'm familiar with?

Hey real quick, I wanna check out something. I've been talking to a few friends who live in a different country and they told me it's normal for houses to have bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms over there. (Not saying where.)

[Definition in case it's needed: an en-suite bathroom is a complete bathroom, with at least a toilet, a sink, and a shower, which is accessed directly from a bedroom and is usually only used by the people who sleep in that bedroom.]

So here's my question: in your country, in normal dwellings (i.e.: houses, flats, apartments, etc, not hotels and such), is it normal to have en-suite bathrooms?

As usual, reblog for reach, and tag with your country / area and yes or no.

[adasitecompliance]

U.S. Department Of Justice

Public Schools Need A Digital ADA Accessibility Makeover Within 2-3 Years

According to a new federal mandate from the U.S. Department of Justice, public schools must make all digital content accessible to students with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued under Title II of the ADA that stipulates compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by 2027.

This means schools must ensure that websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms used for education are usable by students with a wide range of impairments.

The United States Department of Justice has endorsed the WCAG 2.1 to provide clear guidance for ADA compliance for web content and mobile apps.

These guidelines, established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), are recognized globally and offer a comprehensive framework for creating accessible digital experiences. Although W3C released an updated version of these guidelines in 2023, public schools must adhere to the WCAG 2.1 standards from 2018.

Public schools nationwide face a formidable challenge: ensuring all students can access digital resources by 2027. However, navigating the complexities of digital accessibility can be overwhelming for schools.

Meeting the 2027 deadline for compliance while creating an inclusive online environment requires expertise and precision. At ADA Site Compliance, we simplify the process.

Our team ensures your school’s digital platforms adhere to accessibility standards, preventing legal issues and fostering a welcoming environment for all students. Let us help you create a truly inclusive digital experience.

Schools Face Steep Climb to ADA Compliance

Public educational institutions across the U.S. have two or three years, depending on their size, to ensure their web content and mobile apps meet technical accessibility standards adopted in April under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Smaller school districts have until April 26, 2027, to achieve compliance, while larger districts exceeding populations of 50,000 have till April 24, 2026, to meet compliance.

Attaining ADA compliance is an uphill battle for many educational institutions.

This requirement has placed significant pressure on school districts, many grappling with limited resources and poor technological expertise.

The standards cover a wide range of accessibility features, including providing alternative text for images, ensuring keyboard navigation, and maintaining adequate color contrast.

That’s why some experts say they should start preparing now. The transition to a fully accessible digital infrastructure is a technical upgrade and comprehensive overhaul of existing systems and practices.

Revamping their digital infrastructure to create inclusive online learning environments necessitates strategic planning, substantial investments, and continuous professional development for staff.

Schools must adopt a phased approach to ensure compliance within the given timeframe. This involves thorough audits of current digital assets, identifying accessibility gaps, and implementing necessary modifications.

These principles are not just technical requirements; they are essential for enhancing the educational experience of students with disabilities and fostering a more equitable learning environment for all.

Accessibility: More Than Just Website Compliance

The shift towards accessibility isn’t solely a technological endeavor for schools. It also demands a cultural change within educational institutions, fostering an environment where inclusivity is a core value.

Professional development opportunities will play a crucial role in this transformation.

Staff must have the knowledge and skills to create and maintain accessible digital content. This includes understanding universal design, becoming proficient with assistive technologies, and staying updated with the latest accessibility standards.

Additionally, schools must allocate budgetary resources to support this initiative. This might include hiring accessibility consultants, investing in accessible technology, and ensuring ongoing maintenance and updates to digital content.

Collaboration with stakeholders, including parents, students, and disability advocacy groups, is essential to address diverse needs and gather feedback on accessibility improvements.

Consequences of non-compliance

The consequence of non-compliance with WCAG is the risk of facing potential legal ramifications with time. The legal fees associated with non-compliance can get expensive, much more than the cost of attaining web compliance.

While the Department of Justice has outlined specific exemptions—such as archival information, legacy papers, content from third parties, social media postings, and password-protected files—it’s important to note that these exceptions are limited and may not apply universally.

Educators must thus thoroughly analyze their digital assets to determine which information falls under these exemptions.

Benefits of accessibility to educational institutions

According to CAST, a leading accessibility organization, this regulatory reform is a significant milestone in the quest for accessibility. By integrating accessibility standards into digital content, educational institutions can offer a more equitable learning environment for students with disabilities.

Furthermore, universal design principles benefit all users by making content easier to understand and navigate. Lindsay Jones, CEO of CAST, underscores that accessibility is not just about compliance; it’s about providing a better user experience for the entire school community.

This emphasis on enhancing user experience is the true driving force behind accessibility.

The Ripple Effect of ADA-Compliance on Student Success

Compliance with ADA Title II 504 is more than just a legal obligation; it’s a commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Schools that prioritize accessibility adhere to legal standards and are dedicated to educational equity.

This proactive stance can lead to numerous benefits:

Enhanced Student Engagement: Accessible digital content ensures all students can fully participate in educational activities. This inclusivity can lead to higher levels of engagement and academic success.

Improved Academic Outcomes: Studies have shown that when students have access to resources that cater to their individual needs, their academic performance improves. By removing barriers, schools can help all students reach their full potential.

Positive Institutional Reputation: Schools known for their inclusive practices attract a diverse student body and staff. This positive reputation can enhance the institution’s standing in the community and attract more resources and partnerships.

Legal and Financial Safeguards: Proactively addressing accessibility reduces the risk of legal challenges and the associated financial costs. Schools can avoid costly lawsuits and fines by complying with ADA Title II 504.

Equal access for everyone: ADA compliance ensures that students with disabilities have the same access to educational resources as their peers, which is fundamental for their academic success and overall well-being.

Universal design approach: Accessible digital environments benefit all students, as they promote a universal design approach that can accommodate diverse learning needs and preferences.

Digital accessibility extends beyond the classroom: Accessible online learning platforms and resources prepare students for the future, equipping them with the skills to navigate an increasingly digital world.

A Roadmap to ADA Compliance: Nine Essential Steps for Schools

As schools work towards meeting these compliance deadlines, they must also consider the ongoing training and support for educators and staff to use and create accessible digital content.

To effectively comply with ADA Title II 504 within the given timeframe, schools can adopt these nine practical steps:

Conduct Regular Accessibility Audits: Regularly conduct audits of school websites and mobile apps to identify and address accessibility issues. Use both automated tools and manual testing to ensure a thorough evaluation.

Invest in Training: Educate staff about the importance of digital accessibility and provide training on creating and maintaining accessible content. This includes understanding how to use accessibility features in various software and platforms.

Utilize Accessible Technology: Integrate and support using assistive technologies that can aid students with disabilities. Ensure website compatibility with screen readers, voice recognition software, and other assistive tools.

Engage with the Community: Involve students, parents, and community members in the accessibility planning process. Their feedback can provide valuable insights and ensure that the solutions implemented meet the needs of all users.

Incorporate Accessibility in Procurement: When acquiring new digital tools or platforms, ensure they meet WCAG 2.1 standards. Include accessibility requirements in procurement processes to avoid future compliance issues.

Develop an Accessibility Plan: Create a detailed plan outlining the steps to achieve compliance. This plan should include timelines, responsible parties, and measurable goals.

Policy Development: Develop and enforce policies prioritizing accessibility in all digital content creation and management processes. Make accessibility a core component of the school’s digital strategy.

Fostering collaborations: Collaborating with students, parents, and advocacy groups can provide valuable insights and help identify areas that need attention.

Continuous Monitoring and Updates: Accessibility is not a one-time effort. Continuously monitor digital content for compliance and stay updated with the latest accessibility standards and best practices. Implement regular updates to address new accessibility challenges as they arise.

By following these nine steps, public schools can meet the requirements of ADA Title II 504 and also create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.

As technology evolves, so should our commitment to accessibility, ensuring no student is left behind.

Conclusion

The journey toward compliance with ADA Title II 504 is challenging but an opportunity for schools to enhance their digital offerings and ensure that all students, regardless of their abilities, have equitable access to educational resources.

By embracing this mandate, schools can foster a more inclusive learning environment that supports the diverse needs of their student population. However, meeting the 2027 deadline for compliance while creating an inclusive online environment requires expertise and precision.

At ADA Site Compliance, we simplify the process. Our team ensures your school’s digital platforms adhere to accessibility standards, preventing legal issues and fostering a welcoming environment for all students. Let us help you create a truly inclusive digital experience!

[felixandresims]

KICHEN 2Point0 :)

It’s been well over a year since the last Harlix collaboration, but we are happy to finally be able to announce the KICHEN 2Point0! It all started way back in 2019 with the original KICHEN, so we decided we wanted to bring it back full circle and finally focus back on our much-loved room of the home. A lot has changed over the past 4.5 years, not only in our own personal work but the multitude of custom content creators that also now create kitchens for your Sims. In 2019, there were slim pickings for your homes. Now, there is such a vibrant array of content to choose from, and it really is an excellent thing for all.

In the years that followed, we have really focused on improving our technical skills and artistry, which we hope you can see with this latest set. The stand-out item for us both in the original KICHEN was the wishbone chair. We have personally both tried to find another dining chair that tops it and failed miserably! It is just the perfect chair for use in so many different settings, whether it be modern or even a rustic setting; it’s just so versatile. It deserved an update to our latest techniques and colours & it’s the only item from the original KICHEN set that has been reworked for this newest iteration. Also, back in 2019 we were a little too scared to use our internal name for that item, but in 2024 we are happy to share the appropriately named WISHBONER chair with you 😆

The KICHEN 2Point0 is also designed to fit perfectly into our current Klean & Soho sets to fulfill the kitchen part. For some reason, we always seem to be in sync with our set themes, and no more so than with Klean & Soho. The overlap was very scary tbh, with many Pinterest pins selected independently but shared in common, so we decided to do this 2 part collaboration to create a kitchen to fit both of our current sets, with the hope of creating a much more in-depth set which includes all elements required to make your dream kitchen. This first part focuses on the foundations of that dream kitchen.

All items are Base Game compatible and can be found by searching the b/b catalogue using the keyword 2Point0. As the items are designed for both of our current sets, they will also appear when you search using the keywords KLEAN or SOHO.

Set Items include:

- Counter (raised with legs) - Counter (standard) - Island (raised with legs) - Island trolley (3 pieces) - Cabinets (short) - Cabinets (tall) - Appliance Cabinet - Fridge Nooks (high & low) - Built-in Sink (wide & standard) - Dining Table (1, 2 & 3 tile) - Wishboner Dining Chair - Shelving (multiple height endings, middle & standard end pieces) - Hanging Feature Pendant Lights (multiple variants)

Now on Patreon Early Access

Public release on the 7th of May

The collaboration will continue next month and focus on appliances and clutter for your kitchens.

[priyajoyy]

Devil wears prada part 2

Dark!lottie Matthews x reader x dark!shauna shipman x dark!jackie taylor x dark!natalie scatorcio

this is just a bunch of story building cause if I fit meeting Lottie into this part it would be way too long im sorry

Warnings:

Dark characters, power imbalance, toxic workplace, mental health problems, fat shaming, beauty standards, etc (more in later parts)

“Now you’ll technically be reporting to me, I’m situated on the 24thth floor where you’ll spend most of your time, though it really depends on where you’re needed” Mari told you as she guided you towards the elevator once again.

You’d viewed the offices on the 15th floor, which Mari had told you, you would sometimes need to go to on the odd occasion. You were now on your way up to one of the higher floors.

“If you need anything you can come to me, though the other secretaries are very friendly so I’m sure they’ll be happy to help.” She continued, “you report to anyone above you really, you’re not anyone’s personal assistant so they can all use you when necessary”

The elevator dings and the doors finally open. And Mari wastes no time, walking straight through the offices.

“The likelihoods are you’ll only be dealing with lower-level management, because the others have their own girls for their important stuff so it will never be anything too difficult.” 

Everyone was dressed so nicely; you were certain you were going to have to splurge on a new wardrobe of much nicer workwear when you got home.

“Miss taylor is in the big corner office of this floor and Mr Martinez is in the other corner, they’re the ones you’re most likely to be working with. Well, more likely their personal secretaries, Laura lee and robin” she tells you.

“This is miss Taylors office” she says as you reach one of the roomier ones, with fancy glass walls and a desk in front of it with a blonde sat at it.

“This is Laura lee, Laura lee this is the new hire, miss y/n y/l/n” Mari told the girl, who smiled at you brightly in return, standing to shake your hand.

“Hi!” she says cheerfully, she seemed like the nicest person you’d met here yet.

“Laura lee here deals with all of miss Taylors stuff, her personal Calander, meetings and such, you’ll have access to most of the head execs calendars on the system, though you won’t be able to adjust anything, so if you do need to, bring it up with Laura lee here” Mari tells you, and you nod along, trying to take mental note of all the information she tells you.

She then takes off in another direction, not so much as saying goodbye to Laura lee, who you quickly chuck a wave before trailing after Mari.

The older woman’s heels click against the floor as you both make your way back towards the main area of the floor, leading you towards a trio of desks that greeted you as you exited the elevator.

“And this will be your desk” she told you, gesturing the empty one of the three in front of you, “feel free to organise it however you want but we like to keep work areas clear and uncluttered at all times so please don’t…mess it up”

You weren’t really sure what you’d have to go on it other than some pens, a notepad and your laptop, but you nodded along to her request anyway.

“you’ll start officially on Monday, I’ll send you over some of our policies I need you to look over and sign, I’ll also send you everything else you need to know, attire rules, scheduling, so on” she listed off, to which you yet again nodded along to.

As soon as you got home, you were already scowering online sites for new clothes. Given you hadn’t been paid yet it was a little tricky to get anything too expensive, so you had to settle for some simpler choices. Though you were sure you’d have another search on your next payday.

You friend, insisted on taking you shopping that weekend, dragging you along to a million stores to try on expensive outfits and shoes you could barely walk in.

You weren’t exactly a hater of fashion. You thought you looked pretty presentable from day to day. But you were definitely used to much simpler clothes, more comfortable and plainer. Definitely not the designer blouses and skirts she had you trying on and buying.

By the end of it, you had a collection of new clothes in your wardrobe or on the way, and a dangerously low bank account, verging on entering your overdraft.

By Sunday you’d already planned out your outfits for the week, ironed all of them to perfection and prepped your lunch for Monday and Tuesday. Knowing you didn’t have the money after your little shopping spree to be buying lunch, even if it did make you look a little silly…

By the end of it you were running out of things to so and prep really for the week to take your mind off the nerves you were feeling. So, you spent the time trying to forget and watching tv, failing miserably at both.

Mari had sent you a collection of emails as soon as you had left on Friday. Consisting of your contracts as well as log ins to different systems and lists of responsibilities.

You’re main role was helping guests and staff from other departments from the front desk of the floor you’d be at. Greeting them and helping with their problems. You were glad you weren’t likely to have to interact with the head management often. The idea of dealing with them seeming terrifying.

“morning” you squeaked out nervously to the girl at the front desk yet again, this time a different girl greeting you, seeming more friendly than the one you had encountered last week.

You had worn something nicer for your first proper day, a smart looking grey pencil skirt and light pink blouse with your nicest shoes, trying to make a good impression. Yet you still felt inferior stood in front of the gorgeous ginger sat at the front desk. 

“Um I’m y/n? Mari Ibarra said you’d be expecting me for a keycard…” you told her nervously, to which she nodded and looked at her computer.

“of course,” she said with a reassuring smile, looking back up and standing to turning to grab something from a draw nearby, “this will get you into the building each morning and activate the elevator to take you to all floors except 7 and 15, they don’t require special access”

She hands you a grey lanyard, with a keycard hanging from it, a picture of you and your name and info staring back at you from it.

“you’ll also need it for photocopying, printing and such, you won’t tend to need to access any special rooms, or anything so don’t worry too much, but any you do need to…and have access to, will open with this too” she continues.

You nod along to her, taking it from her grasp and smiling nervously. She must have noticed your nerves because she continued.

“don’t be nervous, it’s all quite easy really, and the girls upstairs are nice enough” she tells you, a pretty tilt to her head as she does, “you should head up now, Mari will be waiting for you on the 24th floor”

Taglist:

@theoreticalfreak @nats-w1fe @clairvoyantstuff @modernvenuss @moonyxstars

[shadesofmauve]

Alliance Normandy SR2 redesign: Deck 3

The crew deck sits in the middle of the ship, where the hull is widest. This is where design for a larger crew really comes into play.

Sleeping and other bodily functions

The main bathrooms are roughly the same shape and location as in-game, but people walking by no longer have a great view of the showers every time the doors open.

Enlisted racks

24 enlisted racks line the corridor to the main battery, housing the bulk of the rank-and-file. Bunks are stacked two high, with uniform lockers to one side and coffin-lockers under the mattress.Footholds in between sets of bunks let you can reach the top without stepping on the one below.

Junior officers' quarters

I assume a spaceship needs more technical expertise and less grunt work, so the crew is weighted towards officers and highly-trained technical specialists. These specialists fill non-command roles and bunk with the junior officers. Joker (flight lieutenant) and Traynor (comms specialist) berth here. So does Kaidan, because at the point he came aboard the guest stateroom was occupied by Khalisah Al-Jilani, and bunking with marines would muddy command waters because he seriously outranks Vega.

Bunks are two-high with coffin lockers just like the enlisted racks, but officers rate four inches more elbow room and two inches more to stretch out their toesies. They also get a bit more privacy, a little more storage, and access to the lounge overlooking the eezo core*.

*I gave them a lounge because in ME3 you occasionally find officers chatting at a table in the middle of the bunk room, and if anyone did that while I was trying to sleep three feet away I'd commit murder.

Senior officers' country

Miranda's old quarters, which Liara claims in ME3, are large enough to house the entire senior staff in staterooms, with one extra for guests and a shared head. Each room has one permanent bunk (two inches wider and four longer than junior officers; swank) and one fold-out upper-bunk in case of extra passengers.

In Sunset and Evening Star the first thing Shepard does on the Citadel is sign on a first officer**, old navy hand Lieutenant Commander Nguyen. The first thing Nguyen does is fill the missing weapons and ops roles (she heads the navigation department herself, since it's a small ship).

With Shepard in the admiral's quarters on deck 1, First Officer Nguyen gets what would have been the captain's cabin on the crew deck (except while Primarch Victus and his aide were aboard; when she gave up her quarters to the turians). Mukerjee, the head of ops, gets the slightly-larger-than-standard cabin intended for the XO.

Garrus has the 'extra' stateroom, as their liaison with the turians. He keeps the desk folded for space and sleeps crouched in one corner; the bunk is useless to him.

**Shepard delegated something! It's a Mass Effect miracle!

Vital ship functions

Main battery

The main battery looks exactly the same, except Garrus isn't sleeping in the corner or constantly fiddling with the guns. In fact, he's never fiddling with the guns. He and Silva were spending hours re-calibrating the thanix cannon to their own preferences whenever the other person's back was turned, and Nguyen stepped in and banned Garrus from the armory before it moved from passive aggression to murderous-interspecies-diplomatic-catastrophe.

AI core

Access to the AI core is from the battery corridor, not through the medical bay.

Medical bay

The medbay is divided into a front office, the main med bay, and an area for major surgery or isolation. There's also a small private cabin for the two members of the medic corps who assist Chakwas.

Life support

The life support corridor has another four enlisted racks, bringing the total enlisted berths on the crew deck to thirty. Life support itself is basically unchanged, except for some added Important Keep People Alive machines. Like engineering, life support systems are also spread throughout the ship.

Food & leisure

Mess & galley

The mess seats 32. It's also all-watch meetings are held, and occasionally movie screenings. Crew can grab shelf-stable snacks, cereal, or recent leftovers from self-serve areas outside the galley, or collect the meal currently on offer at the counter.

The galley feeds three shifts three times a day each, and one watch's breakfast comes immediately before the previous watch's dinner. About a week out, stores of fresh produce are gone, so a lot of food is frozen, freeze dried, or reconstituted. There's always something to eat; one of the two big pots is almost always full of soup, if not both Bread is made from scratch (flour keeps indefinitely, bread doesn't), and there's a flat-top as well as a six-burner range. The food storage in the galley and nearby walk-in are only what the cooks expect to need for the next two days or so; food actually makes up most of the Normandy's cargo, stored on deck 4.

Observation lounges

The observation lounges, important for crew morale and sanity on longer missions, are differentiated by volume. Starboard is generally used for quieter conversation, reading, solo gaming, or study. The Port lounge is for parties and games. (There is no free wet bar, this is a military ship).

Normandy redesign posts

Intro

Loft

Command

Crew

Engineering

Hangar

[mariacallous]

In the span of just weeks, the U.S. government has experienced what may be the most consequential security breach in its history—not through a sophisticated cyberattack or an act of foreign espionage, but through official orders by a billionaire with a poorly defined government role. And the implications for national security are profound.

First, it was reported that people associated with the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had accessed the U.S. Treasury computer system, giving them the ability to collect data on and potentially control the department’s roughly $5.45 trillion in annual federal payments.

Then, we learned that uncleared DOGE personnel had gained access to classified data from the U.S. Agency for International Development, possibly copying it onto their own systems. Next, the Office of Personnel Management—which holds detailed personal data on millions of federal employees, including those with security clearances—was compromised. After that, Medicaid and Medicare records were compromised.

Meanwhile, only partially redacted names of CIA employees were sent over an unclassified email account. DOGE personnel are also reported to be feeding Education Department data into artificial intelligence software, and they have also started working at the Department of Energy.

This story is moving very fast. On Feb. 8, a federal judge blocked the DOGE team from accessing the Treasury Department systems any further. But given that DOGE workers have already copied data and possibly installed and modified software, it’s unclear how this fixes anything.

In any case, breaches of other critical government systems are likely to follow unless federal employees stand firm on the protocols protecting national security.

The systems that DOGE is accessing are not esoteric pieces of our nation’s infrastructure—they are the sinews of government.

For example, the Treasury Department systems contain the technical blueprints for how the federal government moves money, while the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) network contains information on who and what organizations the government employs and contracts with.

What makes this situation unprecedented isn’t just the scope, but also the method of attack. Foreign adversaries typically spend years attempting to penetrate government systems such as these, using stealth to avoid being seen and carefully hiding any tells or tracks. The Chinese government’s 2015 breach of OPM was a significant U.S. security failure, and it illustrated how personnel data could be used to identify intelligence officers and compromise national security.

In this case, external operators with limited experience and minimal oversight are doing their work in plain sight and under massive public scrutiny: gaining the highest levels of administrative access and making changes to the United States’ most sensitive networks, potentially introducing new security vulnerabilities in the process.

But the most alarming aspect isn’t just the access being granted. It’s the systematic dismantling of security measures that would detect and prevent misuse—including standard incident response protocols, auditing, and change-tracking mechanisms—by removing the career officials in charge of those security measures and replacing them with inexperienced operators.

The Treasury’s computer systems have such an impact on national security that they were designed with the same principle that guides nuclear launch protocols: No single person should have unlimited power. Just as launching a nuclear missile requires two separate officers turning their keys simultaneously, making changes to critical financial systems traditionally requires multiple authorized personnel working in concert.

This approach, known as “separation of duties,” isn’t just bureaucratic red tape; it’s a fundamental security principle as old as banking itself. When your local bank processes a large transfer, it requires two different employees to verify the transaction. When a company issues a major financial report, separate teams must review and approve it. These aren’t just formalities—they’re essential safeguards against corruption and error.

These measures have been bypassed or ignored. It’s as if someone found a way to rob Fort Knox by simply declaring that the new official policy is to fire all the guards and allow unescorted visits to the vault.

The implications for national security are staggering. Sen. Ron Wyden said his office had learned that the attackers gained privileges that allow them to modify core programs in Treasury Department computers that verify federal payments, access encrypted keys that secure financial transactions, and alter audit logs that record system changes. Over at OPM, reports indicate that individuals associated with DOGE connected an unauthorized server into the network. They are also reportedly training AI software on all of this sensitive data.

This is much more critical than the initial unauthorized access. These new servers have unknown capabilities and configurations, and there’s no evidence that this new code has gone through any rigorous security testing protocols. The AIs being trained are certainly not secure enough for this kind of data. All are ideal targets for any adversary, foreign or domestic, also seeking access to federal data.

There’s a reason why every modification—hardware or software—to these systems goes through a complex planning process and includes sophisticated access-control mechanisms. The national security crisis is that these systems are now much more vulnerable to dangerous attacks at the same time that the legitimate system administrators trained to protect them have been locked out.

By modifying core systems, the attackers have not only compromised current operations, but have also left behind vulnerabilities that could be exploited in future attacks—giving adversaries such as Russia and China an unprecedented opportunity. These countries have long targeted these systems. And they don’t just want to gather intelligence—they also want to understand how to disrupt these systems in a crisis.

Now, the technical details of how these systems operate, their security protocols, and their vulnerabilities are now potentially exposed to unknown parties without any of the usual safeguards. Instead of having to breach heavily fortified digital walls, these parties  can simply walk through doors that are being propped open—and then erase evidence of their actions.

The security implications span three critical areas.

First, system manipulation: External operators can now modify operations while also altering audit trails that would track their changes. Second, data exposure: Beyond accessing personal information and transaction records, these operators can copy entire system architectures and security configurations—in one case, the technical blueprint of the country’s federal payment infrastructure. Third, and most critically, is the issue of system control: These operators can alter core systems and authentication mechanisms while disabling the very tools designed to detect such changes. This is more than modifying operations; it is modifying the infrastructure that those operations use.

To address these vulnerabilities, three immediate steps are essential. First, unauthorized access must be revoked and proper authentication protocols restored. Next, comprehensive system monitoring and change management must be reinstated—which, given the difficulty of cleaning a compromised system, will likely require a complete system reset. Finally, thorough audits must be conducted of all system changes made during this period.

This is beyond politics—this is a matter of national security. Foreign national intelligence organizations will be quick to take advantage of both the chaos and the new insecurities to steal U.S. data and install backdoors to allow for future access.

Each day of continued unrestricted access makes the eventual recovery more difficult and increases the risk of irreversible damage to these critical systems. While the full impact may take time to assess, these steps represent the minimum necessary actions to begin restoring system integrity and security protocols.

Assuming that anyone in the government still cares.

[murderbot-moodboard]

This article is a fantastic deep analysis well worth the read.

And if I can add my own very personal reaction, holy fucking shit, this made me choked up. Because Murderbot (and The Murderbot Diaries) gets to the heart of why trying to be a person can be so miserable and seemingly impossible for some of us these days. In my own case, that means being a disabled person, trying to survive in the good ol' US of A. And because this is Disability Pride Month, I'm gonna take a moment to explain.

Even though I have multiple physical conditions, neurodivergences, and mental health issues (I'm represented by every stripe in the Disability Pride Flag), there is so much to who I am beyond those things. But more often than not, I feel like they define my very existence. Not just because of how much they affect my life in the normal course of things (which I can accept), but because they regularly place me in the category of "people who the system chooses not to see as people because it doesn't want to be forced to treat them like people." Like the article above says:

Under a capitalist system “defective” is the worst thing you can be. If you can’t do your job, make your company money, and spend your money to fund other companies, you’re useless. Everything in a society like that will hammer home the idea that your life has no worth if it isn’t earning money or spending it. If you’re a SecUnit who can’t be trusted to do security, you’ll be melted down and stripped for parts. If you’re an augmented human, you’ll be hooked on drugs and used as a weapon.

Government disability support in the US is so monumentally impossible to access (even before the latest "work requirements") that unless you can depend on someone else's income or can access sufficient community, nonprofit, or charitable support (which vary wildly by location and your ability to reach out to them), you basically have to work in order to both survive and prove you deserve help to keep surviving.

If you're too disabled to work at all, you're useless to the system and you'll probably struggle to "prove you're not a freeloader." (Scare quotes because I know this is a bullshit self-righteous concept that mostly targets homeless people, addicts, and others whom the system has failed in ways that aren't considered socially acceptable.)

If you're technically able to work, but no company wants to hire you with the specific accommodations you need in order to work, you're still useless to the system, and it's even harder to "prove you're not a freeloader" because technically you can work—under very specific circumstances that no one wants to hire you for. At least one food pantry I visited (though I think and hope they're in the minority) required you to undergo job counseling before you could pick up more than your first box of food from them—which is damn well useless when you're too disabled to find a job. (I couldn't eat half their food anyway due to multiple dietary restrictions, which is another problem if you have to depend on food pantries as a disabled person, but I digress.)

This is the system that treats you like a non-person if you don't meet their standards of usefulness (making them money as a worker or a consumer), because then they don't have to spend one cent of their precious millions on treating you like a person. And pretending that circumstances are otherwise accomplishes nothing. Like the article says regarding Gurathin's offer to buy Murderbot from the Company,

Naturally the others react in horror, because SecUnit isn’t an object to be bought or sold, but Gurathin understands that here, it is. But more than that: they all are. The Preservation Alliance doesn’t realize it, but he knows: you can believe in autonomy and self-determination and free will and even the soul—you can believe anything you want; functionally speaking, if you’re in a room with people who are more powerful than you and the majority of them don’t agree that you’re a person, your internal personhood ceases to matter.

When the system would rather pretend you don't exist than give you the smallest hand up in your survival, it feels like maybe there isn't a world in which your existence is realistic. In a system that considers your life worth less than nothing compared to some shareholder's profits...some CEO's salary...or other people's self-interest as they desperately try to stay on top of a broken system...you start to think that maybe it's not worth using all of your abnormally-limited energy fighting to eat food and get medical care. Maybe this is a permanently losing battle. Maybe it would hurt less to just go down quietly.

... When we get to Gura’s turn [in the "Bitter/Sweet" game], he trusts [his team] with part of the truth of who he is—a truth that could make them look at him differently, that could set him even more apart from them. He honors the conceit of the game with an offering that is as bitter and sweet as anything could be. And he does it in this glittering restaurant, in the place he hates most, surrounded by all the trappings that almost killed him. In this room filled with artifice and small talk, elites eating and drinking while indentured servants and enslaved bots provide all the labor, he cuts through all of it to get to a place of brutal honesty. Gurathin is what happens when capitalism can do whatever it wants. It latches onto a person and sucks them dry until they’d rather die than keep living under it.

I hasten to clarify for anyone who's concerned, I'm not currently suicidal. In fact, my recent move has placed me in probably the most emotionally and practically supportive situation of my life (and I don't have to depend on food pantries or ration my food anymore!). But I want to speak honestly about this because I know I'm not the only person who struggles with these types of circumstances. And the more of us who speak out, the more likely we'll make change happen.

And that's why I love what the Murderbot TV show did with Gurathin's character and the Corporation Rim. Because holy fuck do I relate to Gurathin and Murderbot both. And entertainment media has a well-documented effect on public perception and social norms. Murderbot's sci-fi narrative does what my favorite sci-fi does: it challenges our current thinking and behavior; it presents alternatives that are more just, ethical, and compassionate which we can emulate; and it gives us hope that even in our current circumstances, we can make things better. "We can talk about this."

I love that Murderbot is already providing us opportunities to talk about the systems we live under and their treatment of people in all circumstances. Seeing all people as worthy of dignity and care, regardless of how much they "earn their living" or profit corporate entities, is the foundation of disability rights. I'm excited to have something on TV we can point to and say, "This is how we should be doing it," and I'm hoping the conversation around these themes will continue and expand as Murderbot goes into Season 2. After all, what's a premium-quality show without some deep existential themes alongside the action, comedy, and drama?