Interesting Links for 19-06-2020

[andrewducker]

Warren Ellis Accused Of Sexual Coercion

(tags:WarrenEllis abuse OhForFucksSake comics )

UK virus-tracing app switches to Google-Apple privacy-centric model

(tags:apple google pandemic apps uk privacy )

Trump Facebook Ad Openly Using a Nazi Symbol For "Political Prisoner"

(tags:republicans nazis Holocaust wtf OhForFucksSake USA viaSwampers )

NHS coronavirus app to be scrapped after only detecting 4% of contacts on iPhones

(tags:privacy apple Google pandemic apps )

Masked arsonist might've gotten away with it if she hadn't left Etsy review

(tags:police review Etsy wtf )

This kind of shit is why you can't trust it when people "Just want to ask a few questions"

(tags:OhForFucksSake communication fraud )

How are TV subtitles made? Are they done by a human or a machine? (I could not do this job)

(tags:technology BBC subtitles )

FizzBuzz: One Simple Computing Interview Question

You'd be astounded how many people fail this. People going for computer jobs who actually can't program.
(tags:interviews jobs computers )

Vegetarian? Jewish? Muslim? Government food parcels may not be much use to you

(tags:food pork UK government )

Social progress is at the heart of community politics

(tags:politics community )

UK health ministry has no records on Turkish PPE fiasco and won't say if files destroyed

(tags:UK pandemic OhForFucksSake )

Comments

[anna_wing]

I don't know if the UK has a centralised doctrinal authority for Muslims or how strict it might be; most authorities consider that eating what would otherwise be haram, in an 'eat this or starve'-type emergency situation, would not then be an occasion of sin.

Presumably food-parcel recipients in the UK would have other sources of food, so in those circumstances observant Muslims should not eat the haram item. On the other hand, not all Muslims are observant, or would be observant given the choice. I am not entirely comfortable with the idea of helping to impose a religion-based rule on people who may or may not actually wish to follow that rule. Ideally of course individuals would have a choice. In the food-parcel context I appreciate that that might be a bit difficult.

[jack]

I don't think I would want the government to judge who is a Muslim and give out food on that basis. I know some countries have that problem of society policing religious mores and it is horrible: the government typically shouldn't have any knowledge of your level of observance. But I don't *think* that's the most likely failure mode in the UK.

If there were a more inclusive alternative I would have assumed it involved having two or three basic options available to cover the most common needs, and allowing people to choose.

I am torn because I am fortunate enough I usually am in situations where I am offered a choice or can make my own arrangements, and I don't want to be oblivious to many people not having the chance. But also, I don't think religion should be a privilege available only to people who can afford it, if there's food made available to people who can't shop during the pandemic it should make some effort to see that people can eat it.

[anna_wing]

Someone from UNICEF told me once that they hand out emergency rations to some extent regardless of whether it is exactly what the recipients are used to eating, because (a) sometimes it's what they have, and (b) the recipient can usually sell or trade the item, thus also helping to get the local economy moving again. They don't worry too much about seeing some food aid ending up in local markets. If people want to sell their biscuits and buy rice, that's fine.