I feel like they’ve had this for a while but maybe the specific situation is different. I might also be getting confused with Tapas.

Years ago I was reading “Extreme Dog Owner” while it was being released and was blocked out of latest episodes. So when the artist stopped the series it took a while before I realized the last few episodes would never get unlocked for me. Sounds like the same situation? Minus the huge piracy warnings.

Luckily I had a friend who bought it already then just read on their device.

Bad times tend to pass. I find myself forgetting in the moment sometimes and yeah, life is frequently enjoyable in lots of different ways, so I try to remember that.

I feel like QAnon keeps upping the ante on the term “unhinged”

Yeah, maybe some kind of situation where you turn it on for “training time” with access to only specified files and systems on the computer, no internet access, etc. At the same time though, I wonder how much an AI could really streamline things. Would it just pre-load my frequent files and programs? Make suggestions or reminders on tasks? I don’t think we’re anywhere near the level where it could actually be doing work for me yet.

Interesting possibilities, but I’m not sure how useful yet.

I hate this but I also get it.

A little while ago on the TWIT podcast one of the guests, or maybe Leo himself, was talking about how this is exactly what they want out of AI, for it to be able to know how they use their computer and just streamline everything. Some people are really excited about the possibilities, and yeah, the AI needs to track whatever you’re doing to know how to help you with your work flow.

That said, I don’t want Microsoft keeping track of everything I’m doing. They’ve already shown that they’re willing to sell our data and shove ads down our throats, so as much as they say we can filter out what we don’t want tracked, I’m not inclined to trust or believe them.

I see where people might think that if you’re just looking at the immediate context from the October 7th attacks, but I urge you to look into the conditions Palestinian people had been living under for decades, especially in Gaza. Rather than vengeance, when you look into the history, the October 7th attacks feel more like an excuse to go full throttle into carrying out what the Israeli government and hardcore Zionists already been trying to do for a while now.

Took my meme addled brain way too long to remember Chad is also a country

Truth. I was genuinely angry seeing how Spotify kept trying to buy up everything podcast related. Felt like I was screaming into the void about how platform exclusive podcasts are antithetical to the free and open nature of podcasts. I hope their billions of dollars invested into podcasts continue to bite them in the butts.

Somehow I think Podcasts will survive enshittification. The basis is just RSS and file hosting, so at its core, it’s possible to create and distribute podcasts without huge capital investment. There’s always gonna be some people trying to get their voices out and Podcasts still seems to be the easiest way to do that so until some better method comes out, podcasts will live on.

If you’re talking about Podcast networks, streaming services, ad networks, then yeah, those might face some kind of enshittification and destruction, but no matter what, I’m pretty confident some good podcasts, and some good ways to listen to them, will stick around.

I used to sail the seas like freakin Luffy, but Netflix and Steam (plus becoming a wage earning adult) got me on the straight and narrow for a good long while. Then when all the different services started to compete I started dipping my toes in the water again with some sense of guilt. But after various struggles getting Netflix running in different locations I frequent and my parents not being able to use my account anymore, I have no shame flying the Jolly Roger.

Finding closure of some kind I think. Keeping in mind why you broke up, why it didn’t work out, why there wasn’t a future in the relationship, etc.

The relationship before my current partner of over ten years was really intense, I thought she was really the one, she was what I had imagined my ideal type was for practically my whole adolescence. But a spot of long distance and her parents disapproval had us in a bit of on again off again, where during one drunk call to me, she admitted to kissing other guys (at the very least), and that was enough for me to just go, “oh, I think our expectations are too different”, and I was able to put a hard end to that. Yeah, I occasionally think of her, but more in the curious way you wonder about an old acquaintance.

I had a friend with a sort of similar situation to yours, he and his girlfriend mutually broke up when we were all graduating high school because her friends convinced her that long distance wouldn’t work out. It really messed both of them up, especially since they kind of stayed in contact. A lot of weird stories there, but not really mine to tell. But he talked a few times about all the “what-ifs” and it feels like that’s the hardest part in letting go of a relationship.

On the other hand, if you can convince yourself that the answer to “what if?” is basically “nothing good”, I think that can help. Though, easier said than done, it’s kinda like brainwashing yourself by focusing on all the negatives about them. Easy for me because of the cheating, but not so easy for my friend.

There’s a decent Legend of Korra game by Platinum. Simple, short beat-em-up in the style of something like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta

That’s exactly where I feel I’m at. I’m no tech expert but I’m the guy family calls to help with computer stuff and I know enough to realize I don’t like the direction Windows is going. I’ve gone as far as to install Linux on a single device I use but now I just use that device less cause I can’t be bothered to figure it out when I’ve already got other machines that I’ve got working just the way I like.

Feel like I’ve come to a wall that yeah, I could overcome and climb, but this side of the wall is still livable and I’m not even sure the other side will be much better.

But seriously, I do imagine they’ve been fed enough propaganda about “the enemy” willing to do anything that naked people with a white flag can still look like Hamas trying to trick them. Fucked up

I honestly hadn’t considered that eBook licensing data could be used in the way they describe in the article. EBooks becoming part of big data surveillance somehow feels especially disheartening to me.

Lately I feel like I’ve been duped for years since I used to believe strongly in the phrase “if you’re not paying for it, you’re the product” but it feels like with every paid product or service nowadays you’re STILL the product…

But a pirate is always free 🏴‍☠️

I’m all for CEOs and executives limiting their pay, ideally based on what they pay their regular employees, but of all the companies in the tech space to get mad at, they choose one that’s actually doing a significant public service?

And I know people are gonna say it’s the volunteers that do the real work but people still had to build and run things. I dunno, I respect them getting luxury pay more than anyone at Facebook at least.

I read AC as Animal Crossing first and was so confused, especially about the power fantasy part.

For any other idiots like me, I think it’s supposed to be Assassin’s Creed? Correct me if I’m wrong

Legit, why do simple apps like timers need updates? Makes me wonder what kind of bloat features (or spyware??) they’re adding.

It’s like we’re reverting to the days you would go to homestarrunner.com, illwillpress, etc to see content from people you actually wanted to see content from. Honestly looking forward to it

There are a lot of VPNs and a lot of opinions, so hard to recommend specific ones. There was a site I used a while back with a quiz that helped suggest VPNs, I think it was https://www.vpntierlist.com/ but I’m not sure. I seriously looked into ProtonVPN by whatever site it was’ recommendation, but I ended up just renewing NordVPN, which I was already using, because of a special offer I got for ending my subscription in the first place due to privacy concerns. In the end, despite NordVPN having some potentially fishy business connections, it still suits my general needs, and with their various discounts feels like good value to me at least.