Imagine getting on the plane with a pair of fully functioning legs, and then as you leave the plane, someone cracks you across the knees with a lead pipe

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I haven't done a lot of non car travel since I got home from the hospital almost three and a half years ago, and I certainly haven't done any flying, but stories like this - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-16/qantas-damage-wheelchair-akii-ngo-disability-activist-inclusion/102846034?utm_source=abc_news_app&amp;utm_medium=content_shared&amp;utm_campaign=abc_news_app&amp;utm_content=other">How a trip home on Qantas left disability advocate Akii Ngo stranded with a broken wheelchair</a> - give me the heebs.The tl;dr is Akii Ngo took a short flight from Canberra to Melbourne, on one end they had a functioning powered wheelchair that enabled them to move around and be part of society, on the other they had this:<blockquote>The entire left side of the wheelchair had become detached, with numerous mounting screws loose and missing, as well as a crooked guard cover and&nbsp;misaligned wheel.</blockquote>In essence if Akii had been a non disabled passenger, it's the same as if they came and knee capped her halfway through the flight.The sad thing is that this sort of story isn't unusual. Here's a sample:<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kvrr.com/2023/08/29/delta-airlines-replaces-moorhead-teens-electric-wheelchair-damaged-in-june/">Delta Airlines Replaces Moorhead Teen’s Electric Wheelchair Damaged in June</a> - Thanks to the airline breaking this teenagers chair she developed a pressure sore. That meant she was stuck in bed for 22 hours a day waiting for it to heal. You DO NOT WANT a pressure sore</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/wheelchair-damage-after-a-flight-is-a-major-obstacle-for-this-traveler-with-a-disability/ar-AA1g841W">Wheelchair damage after a flight is 'a major obstacle' for this traveler with a disability</a> - Bad handling by airline staff damaged this womans chair to the point where they're having to rely on gaffer tape and zip ties to repair it. Note no apparent attempt by the airline to fix the issues.</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/traveling-flight-not-great-idea-090351540.html">'Traveling by flight is not a great idea for me' with wheelchair damage risk, flyer says</a> - Bits of this ladies chair were left on the plane. Thankfully the airline stepped up to get repairs done</li></ul>I'm a long way off needing to fly anywhere, but I'm not seeing an industry that's putting the interests of their disabled passengers front and centre. Chairs should never be treated as "luggage", they are expensive tools, tailored to their users and the damage can have real health consequences, both physical and mental.&nbsp;Sigh.I really need to do more Tech &amp; Disability blogging don't I.

Come fly the friendly skies, we'll break your legs for you

Where I examine the intersection between technology and disability. The good, the bad and some of the very bad.

Tech and Disability

A Plover in the gutter and a Grumpy Willywagtail

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So I went on a Roll About today and took my camera as I am wont to do. Took some photos which I've added to the <a href="/photography">Galleries</a>.My favourites are the images below, a Plover in the gutter and a Grumpy Willy Tagtail going about his day.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://angrybeanie.com/gallery/bird-life/plover-in-the-gutter"><img class="image_resized" style="width:59.91%;" src="/uploads/IMG_1712_d7a1d25475.jpg" alt="IMG_1712.jpg" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_1712_d7a1d25475.jpg 234w,/uploads/small_IMG_1712_d7a1d25475.jpg 500w,/uploads/medium_IMG_1712_d7a1d25475.jpg 750w,/uploads/large_IMG_1712_d7a1d25475.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"></a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://angrybeanie.com/gallery/bird-life/willy-wagtail-getting-his-grump-on"><img class="image_resized" style="width:60.01%;" src="/uploads/IMG_1727_676e54c57b.jpg" alt="IMG_1727.jpg" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_1727_676e54c57b.jpg 234w,/uploads/small_IMG_1727_676e54c57b.jpg 500w,/uploads/medium_IMG_1727_676e54c57b.jpg 750w,/uploads/large_IMG_1727_676e54c57b.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"></a>

New photos in the Galleries

A very quick how to on getting the streaming platform software “Owncast” running.

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Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a series of HowTos<h1>What is it?</h1>Owncast is an Open Source (MIT Licensed) self contained streaming platform that you can install and run yourself. It’s designed to be easy to install and customise.<h1>What you need?</h1>Basically the only requirement you have is a place to launch the service. It will work fine in virtual environments (though lack of direct hardware access is going to make things a little slower rendering wise).I’ve used my linode setup to play around with it. It’s a very basic setup, 1 CPU Core with 2GB of RAM, so it’s not going to be able to support a lot. As with all things video, the more hardware you throw at it, the better result you’re going to get.<h1>Installation</h1>Installing Owncast is actually pretty simple. You have a number of options, from a command line installer, a docker image or a manual install. Some hosting providers also offer “apps” that you can install (basically pre-built images that get deployed to the hosting providers infrastructure).For the purposes of this walk through I’m going to be using the docker option (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://owncast.online/quickstart/container/">https://owncast.online/quickstart/container/</a>)As you can see from the instructions, just getting it up and running is the easy part. Simply pull down the latest version of the Owncast docker image and then run it. If you wanted to get fancy then you could setup a Docker Compose and integrate it into whatever setup you’ve got going.You should be able to run the following on Mac or Linux without an issue. Haven't tested on Windows.:$ docker pull owncast/owncast:latest:$ docker run -v `pwd`/data:/app/data -p 8080:8080 -p 1935:1935 -it owncast/owncast:latestOnce this has finished running you should be able browse to your newly running Owncast server at [IPADDRESS]:8080 and see something like below<img class="image_resized" style="width:67.13%;" src="/uploads/newowncast_047d3e18e0.png" alt="A screenshot of the landing page for the newly setup Owncast Docker image" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_newowncast_047d3e18e0.png 245w,/uploads/small_newowncast_047d3e18e0.png 500w,/uploads/medium_newowncast_047d3e18e0.png 750w,/uploads/large_newowncast_047d3e18e0.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h1>Getting setup</h1>I’m not going to go to deep on the configuration of Owncast in this howto, rather we’re going to get enough done that you can setup your first stream.<h2>Logging In</h2>The first thing you’re going to need to do is login. Pretty simple, browse to [IPADDRESS]:8080/admin and you’ll see a Basic Authentication form.<img src="/uploads/owncastadminlogin_ae9a634102.png" alt="owncastadminlogin.png" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_owncastadminlogin_ae9a634102.png 228w," sizes="100vw" width="228px">If you’re going to look at using Owncast for longer than just this howto, I would probably change that.<h2>Configuration</h2>We don’t have to do much in the way of configuration to get started with a first stream. Owncast has a set of defaults which you can use, but we’ll have a quick look at them here.<img class="image_resized" style="width:22.86%;" src="/uploads/owncastconfigurationdropdown_9140495c6a.png" alt="owncastconfigurationdropdown.png" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_owncastconfigurationdropdown_9140495c6a.png 113w," sizes="100vw">What we’re interested in the above dropdown is the Server Setup and Video options.<h3>Server Setup</h3>The Server Setup screen holds the information and configuration for the engine that drives Owncast.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:32.07%;" src="/uploads/owncastserversetup_0b43620ccc.png" alt="owncastserversetup.png" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_owncastserversetup_0b43620ccc.png 245w," sizes="100vw">The Server Config tab is where you would define the Admin password, the ports that the services will be listening on and the path to the FFMPEG software that does all the actual work.The Stream Keys tab is pretty self explanatory. These are the keys used by the software you’re using to generate the streams to authenticate against Owncast. In a default Owncast setup there is already a key setup, this is the same as the Admin password, however it’s not linked, so you can safely change this without affecting the Admin password.<img class="image_resized" style="width:34.26%;" src="/uploads/owncaststreamkey_768265eb56.png" alt="owncaststreamkey.png" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_owncaststreamkey_768265eb56.png 245w," sizes="100vw">The last tab, the S3 Object Storage allows us to setup an object storage provider like AWS S3 to host the actual files generated by the renderer. This means that instead of having to serve your video off the same instance that you’re generating it on, you can use the much better bandwidth and storage options available.<h3>Video</h3>The Video configuration page is where we configure how we want to build the actual streams that go out to the users. A default Owncast install comes with a Stream output definition already setup, it’s good enough to play around with.I’m not going to deep dive on the Video page for this howto, but as I explore more I might do an addendum.<h1>Time for that first stream</h1>Okay, now that we have a working Owncast server it’s time to setup our first stream. For this howto I’m going to be using OBS, however if your streaming software supports RTMP then it should be fine.To point OBS at your fresh new Owncast server, go to the Stream configuration panel in the OBS Settings. There, select Custom from the Service drop down. Put in the address of your Owncast server (format rtmp://[SERVICE]:1935/live) and fill out the Stream key (if you’ve kept the default one, that will be abc123)It should look something like this.<img class="image_resized" style="width:44.09%;" src="/uploads/owncastobsstreamsetup_4868191def.png" alt="owncastobsstreamsetup.png" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_owncastobsstreamsetup_4868191def.png 245w,/uploads/small_owncastobsstreamsetup_4868191def.png 500w," sizes="100vw">Click on Apply and you’re almost ready to go. If you’re working with a limited setup like I am, I would recommend ensuring that the Streaming Output bitrate of your OBS matches the bitrate that Owncast will be streaming. This just means less work for your Owncast server to do when rendering the stream. So for me I’ve got the following setup<img class="image_resized" style="width:47.97%;" src="/uploads/owncastobsbitrate_ae7e2af1ef.png" alt="owncastobsbitrate.png" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_owncastobsbitrate_ae7e2af1ef.png 245w,/uploads/small_owncastobsbitrate_ae7e2af1ef.png 500w," sizes="100vw">Now you’re ready to go. Load up your favourite game and let your friends know.<img class="image_resized" style="width:69.09%;" src="/uploads/owncaststreamrunning_ee1c09cea4.png" alt="owncaststreamrunning.png" srcset="/uploads/thumbnail_owncaststreamrunning_ee1c09cea4.png 245w,/uploads/small_owncaststreamrunning_ee1c09cea4.png 500w,/uploads/medium_owncaststreamrunning_ee1c09cea4.png 750w,/uploads/large_owncaststreamrunning_ee1c09cea4.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">

Howto - Owncast

Step by step, getting my head back into all things media

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So for years I've been a tinkerer of things around media online. I've done <a href="https://angrybeanie.com/podcasts">podcasts</a>, I've played with streaming via <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/angry_beanie_plays_games">Twitch</a> and fiddled around with audio streaming online both via the old <a href="https://icecast.org">Icecast Server</a> and using an automated “complete radio station” setup through <a href="https://libretime.org/">LibreTime</a>Mind you, looking at that list it's been a while since I actively looked into the whole digital media landscape. So I think it's time to pick it up again.I want to do more media foo, something like the following:<ul><li>Live streaming, both for gaming and other purposes. Really what I'm looking at here is both the how (get into the technical side, both in terms of hardware as well as craft) and the why (why do people stream, why do people consume streams, why do people pay money for streams, that sort of thing)</li><li>More photography and possibly video about HOW and WHY I do things. I've hesitated on the video stuff because honestly there's a million people out there who look like me doing videos. However I've got to the point where I think I can justify doing it on the following counts:<ul><li>I have not really been able to find much in the way of wheelchair based photography. While each persons wheelchair experience IS DIFFERENT, if I can help through demonstrating what I'm doing or exploring what others are doing then all the better.</li><li>Secondly, doing the video works is a learning experience in of itself. Use that.</li></ul></li><li>Exploring the alternatives. As each of the big players has gotten more insular and less “Good” people have started developing their own alternatives. Protocols like ActivityPub and others have allowed for distributed networks to crop up which give participants more freedom, but with that freedom also comes responsibilities and traps.&nbsp;</li><li>Lastly I think I'd like to do stuff around the Tech and Disability space. I have this plan in my head to do reviews of accessibility gear, possibly interviews and news bits around the stuff I find in this space. This again would hopefully be useful to other people, while also helping me to learn how these things are put together</li></ul>So yeah, there's a lot there but I think it's doable. I'll probably add a new Media Project to the site so that I can offer a feed for those who wish to just see those posts, similar to what I did for the Tech and Disability stuff.

Media exploration - a beginning (again)

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It's 2023 and people still aren't getting the message.You CANNOT replace human beings with any sort of chatbot for anything more complicated that a restaurant booking service and expect it to cope.You ESPECIALLY shouldn't think that firing the humans who operate your Eating Disorder helpline (for people with complex mental health issues around eating) and replacing them with an “AI Chatbot” is going to be anything other than an actual disaster.And yet, here we are: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/31/eating-disorder-hotline-union-ai-chatbot-harm">https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/31/eating-disorder-hotline-union-ai-chatbot-harm</a>If you don't want to read the whole article (and I think you should to get the full idea of how bad it got) here's the tl;dr:<ul><li>The humans who operated a help line for people with eating disorders decided to unionise.</li><li>The organisation offering the help line didn't like that, so they fired the humans and replaced them with a chatbot called “Tessa”</li><li>“Tessa” immediately started offering tips to people accessing it on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs1jp1pPkOs/">how to lose weight</a>. Yup, on an eating disorder help line.</li><li>The organisation offering the help line ended up pulling “Tessa” from service</li></ul>So now there is no helpline at all (a decision the organisation in question says was three years in the making).Can we please just make one thing very clear. So called “AI” isn't. Even the most advanced Large Language Model is a very fancy Auto-complete that can do very clever things, but is about as “intelligent” as a brick. It certainly is no where near capable of being empathetic or handling complex human emotions or motivations.Tech is awesome, tech is great, tech can do amazing things, one thing it absolutely cannot do is fix human beings mental health.

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