Cool - forcing ads into the start menu, forcing edge on users. Guess like Win10 is where I leave windows forever.

I downloaded Mandrake Linux back in 1992. I've always fiddled with linux over the years but could never fulfill all my needs. But things have changed recently. I've started using ChatGPT to help me when I hit roadblocks with Linux, and it's REALLY helped work around the various barriers that have kept me from fully adopting linux. Honestly, I am looking forward to switching entirely over to Linux for my business - I'm tired of Windows. And I've been here since Win3.1!!

Donald Trump is a poor man’s idea of a rich man, a weak man’s idea of a strong man, and a dumb man’s idea of a smart man.

Barns are red because of exploding stars - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/barns-are-painted-red-because-of-the-physics-of-dying-stars-58185724/

Is that his f*cking blue steel look? Wonder how long he spent practicing that expression in the mirror this week.

My partner needed to buy a new vehicle. A Tesla Model was easily in budget. But they opted not to buy one because they want zero affiliation with Musk or any connotations that they may endorse his behavior by owning one of his products.

Funny, during the boycott of Reddit when squabbles was growing, I signed up and created two new communities - one for earbuds and one for vaporents (dry herbal vaporizing).

My earbuds community was quicky approved, but the vaporents group took almost a week before it was approved. It's almost like the site's owner (since back then he had no mods or admin team) was hesitant when it came to something possibly clandestine in nature. I guess drugs aren't cool, but hate speech is?

no no no, they don't want you to use google. They want you to use Reddit search instead, because it's so awesome!

I've told this story before, but about a decade ago I had banked enough PTO days that I was able to take off every Wednesday in the summer (with my boss's permission, natch). So I effectively worked no more than two days in a row for four straight months. Off weekends, work monday/tuesday, off Wednesday, then back to work Thursday/Friday.

The first month went about as expected - "yay! Wednesday off!!". But I wasn't expecting to experience what I did by the second month of my experiment: my mental health and attitude towards work had changed. That "Monday blues" you get was gone. Every work day felt like a "Thursday" or a "Friday" to me - because the "weekend" was no more than a day away. The dread of Sunday evenings knowing work was starting the following day disappeared.

By halfway through my experiment, I was happy to go to work because there was stuff I wanted to accomplish and thus was more efficient at my job. Nobody ever complained that I was gone every Wednesday for four months, my work always got finished on time (or ahead of schedule).

But I really was shocked at how my mental health improved by NOT working five days in a row.

I fully support a four day work week and wish everyone has the opportunity to experience what I did.

That partially already happened at the start of the war. There was a massive "brain drain" among the higher educated part of society, which did include a bunch of hackers. Why live inside russia these days when you can move elsewhere and get paid better?

I was a Netflix DVD subscriber before they released a Wii streaming disc then started streaming Netflix back when it was glorious with all your favorite shows. Eventually I downgraded to the cheap $8 plan for a single user at 1080p resolution which was fine - my old television is still 1080p native resolution.

Then they quietly raised the price.... and dropped the resolution to 720p without telling me. Finally I had enough - after more than a decade I finally cancelled my Netflix account last year and haven't looked back.

I don't miss their "netflix originals" which only last for one or two seasons before getting canned because netflix needs more viewership to justify the investments.

Truth be told, I don't watch must television (or even youtube) in general - I have better things to do with my time than vegetating on a couch watching a tv screen.

Remember when downloads could not be paused/resumed. Back in the day if your download was interrupted, you'd have to restart the download. Then apps like Downloadzilla and other programs let you download large files and resume as needed which was critical for large downloads that took hours/days to complete.

Well, well, well, look who's defending their beloved billionaire. It's truly fascinating how some people can overlook glaring issues and defend questionable decisions. Let's dissect your defense, shall we?

Firstly, you claim that since Twitter is now in private hands, there's no need to paint a picture for the public. Ah, yes, because transparency and accountability are such outdated concepts, right? Who needs the public's trust when one person can make all the decisions behind closed doors? It's not like Twitter is a platform that millions of people rely on for news, communication, and information.

You also applaud the efforts to make the platform more economical, but conveniently ignore the consequences. Sure, reducing the team might save some money, but what about the impact on content moderation? By firing a significant number of content moderation staff, Twitter has allowed extremist content to flourish, tarnishing its reputation and driving away advertisers. But hey, who needs ad revenue when you have a billionaire at the helm, right?

Speaking of advertisers, you seem to brush off the importance of brand safety and the impact of hate speech on ad placements. Advertisers understandably don't want their brands associated with extremist views or hate speech. By failing to address this issue effectively, Musk has driven away advertisers, causing a significant loss of revenue for Twitter. It's not "childish" for people to criticize such negligence; it's simply holding a company accountable for its actions.

And let's not forget Musk's refusal to pay rent on Twitter's offices. It's truly admirable how he thinks he can just disregard contractual obligations and leave property owners high and dry. Such behavior shows a complete disregard for the law and basic decency.

Oh, and the whole bedroom installation in the San Francisco headquarters? That's just downright creepy. Who in their right mind thinks it's acceptable to convert a commercial space into a residential one without proper zoning? Musk's actions in this regard are not only inappropriate but also demonstrate a lack of respect for regulations and the communities in which his company operates.

While it's true that many billionaires own media outlets, that doesn't excuse Musk's questionable decisions and mismanagement. Controlling the narrative should never come at the expense of allowing hate speech and extremism to run rampant. Musk's actions on Twitter are not the signs of a genius businessman; they're the actions of someone more interested in their own ego and power.

So, before you rush to defend your beloved Musk, take a step back and consider the real consequences of his decisions. Twitter deserves better leadership and accountability, not blind adoration from its defenders.