JackA's recent activity
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Comment on Why US President Donald Trump's tariff chaos actually makes sense (big picture) in ~society
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Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk
JackA Link ParentYes to kiwis with the skin on! It adds a bit of tartness that totally changes the flavor balance too!Yes to kiwis with the skin on! It adds a bit of tartness that totally changes the flavor balance too!
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Comment on Denmark's state-run postal service is to end all letter deliveries at the end of 2025 – cites a 90% decline in letter volumes since the start of the century in ~news
JackA Link ParentJust as a counter example: I use a service to create completely separate emails for signing up for different accounts and such as well. I utilize multiple domains (public and ones I own) and...Just as a counter example: I use a service to create completely separate emails for signing up for different accounts and such as well. I utilize multiple domains (public and ones I own) and different patterns of email address.
Based on the spam those emails get I can attest that some bank, utilities, landlords, etc are indeed selling your email. Those that might not are still vulnerable to data leaks that can end up with your email in a spam database.
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Comment on Windows 11 cleanup/configuration script(s)? in ~comp
JackA LinkSuper quick thoughts before I go to bed: Most of those scripts/programs tend to fall to scope creep and end up breaking windows features or changing settings more based on the authors opinions...Super quick thoughts before I go to bed:
Most of those scripts/programs tend to fall to scope creep and end up breaking windows features or changing settings more based on the authors opinions than real "necessities". Assuming they're not a form of bloatware themselves as many are.
Working in IT and going down the same rabbit holes in the past, I've found the more I lean into "screw it I'll just use this how they want me to use it now" instead of clinging to old habits and customizations the happier I've been. When privacy specifically is a concern, I use OS's and software designed for privacy.
Takes about 20 minutes to make it through every top level Windows setting and know it's configured just how you like it, any settings buried further away often risk breaking things if you don't fully understand it or being reverted the next time you auto update without realizing it.
I've also used the website "Ninite" for quite a few years for downloading the newest version of common software on new PC's that I don't care to do custom installs on. Saves a good chunk of time.
Lastly, and I say this only in the context of my IT support experiences, please start using bookmarks and folders as intended instead of keeping tabs open forever lol. It will be better organized, greatly reduce your risk of data loss, and your computer will thank you. ;)
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Comment on Shorthorn Project - Run modern programs on Windows XP/2003 in ~comp
JackA Link ParentThe "Ported Drivers" module when you scroll down has "Lorem ipsum" placeholder text as well.The "Ported Drivers" module when you scroll down has "Lorem ipsum" placeholder text as well.
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Comment on Nepenthes: a tarpit intended to catch AI web crawlers in ~tech
JackA Link ParentGiven the current state of the world I'm not sure "developing class consciousness" has a great track record either to be fair.Given the current state of the world I'm not sure "developing class consciousness" has a great track record either to be fair.
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Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society
JackA Link ParentI think you should reflect on why in none of your replies have you addressed your dismissive tone, or acknowledged any areas where you could be communicating your argument in a way that is less...- Exemplary
I think you should reflect on why in none of your replies have you addressed your dismissive tone, or acknowledged any areas where you could be communicating your argument in a way that is less alienating to a person explicitly communicating that they feel unheard.
The "gotcha" style replies in this thread that don't attempt to seek understanding because you're already convinced you're 100% right are incredibly reddit-coded.
Their success at getting the most votes on this post regardless speaks to the validity of OP's feelings and how negative discourse perpetuates online.
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Comment on Wikipedia article blocked worldwide by Delhi high court in ~tech
JackA LinkJust a friendly and touchy reminder that these sort of laws need to be implemented with the utmost care if they are to be implemented at all. Else here is a real world example of them being...ANI argued that Wikipedia is a significant social media "intermediary" within the definition of Information Technology Act, 2000, and must therefore comply with the requirements of the Act, including taking down any content that the government or its agencies deem violative, or be personally liable for content published under its platform.
Just a friendly and touchy reminder that these sort of laws need to be implemented with the utmost care if they are to be implemented at all. Else here is a real world example of them being utilized by corporations and government officials to stifle information and force identification of anonymous dissidents.
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Comment on CloudFlare beats patent troll Sable, forcing them to dedicate all its patents to the public in ~tech
JackA Link ParentThis always turns into it's own massive debate every time it's brought up, but whether infrastructure providers should be policing content is a contentious enough issue that it can't be used as a...This always turns into it's own massive debate every time it's brought up, but whether infrastructure providers should be policing content is a contentious enough issue that it can't be used as a sole judge of whether a company is "good" or "bad".
Good people acting in good faith can fall on either side of that debate with justifications that are grounded in reality. It is not the sort of issue that can act as a litmus test.
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Comment on US President Joe Biden announces that he will not run for re-election in ~news
JackA Link ParentA frustrated tone isn't a problem, it's implying bad faith or ignorance in a generalized group of a people that you share this platform with, and then telling them to shut up. Take a breath before...A frustrated tone isn't a problem, it's implying bad faith or ignorance in a generalized group of a people that you share this platform with, and then telling them to shut up.
Take a breath before letting negative impulses out on here even if your feelings are valid. This is Tildes, not Reddit. Apologies don't make us lose an argument on here, they help us remember we're talking to and about real people.
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Comment on US President Joe Biden announces that he will not run for re-election in ~news
JackA Link ParentHold the name calling (and assumptions of disingenuousness?) when talking in spaces you know you share with the people you're talking about please. That's exactly the rhetoric we need to get past.Hold the name calling (and assumptions of disingenuousness?) when talking in spaces you know you share with the people you're talking about please.
That's exactly the rhetoric we need to get past.
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Comment on Any good auto or renters insurance companies? in ~finance
JackA LinkThey all kinda suck in their own ways, just quote them all out and see what fits your needs best. For me Progressive consistently gives me the lowest rates on very good insurance coverage...They all kinda suck in their own ways, just quote them all out and see what fits your needs best.
For me Progressive consistently gives me the lowest rates on very good insurance coverage (provided I request a new policy quote every 6 months instead of auto-renewing) with good loyalty rewards and excellent customer service.
I've never tried it myself, but I've also heard good things about private insurance brokers if you want to investigate in that direction.
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Comment on Proton is transitioning towards a non-profit structure in ~tech
JackA LinkI love Proton and this seems like a good step, but specifically OpenAI's very public corruption of values over the past couple of years under a similar model has me on edge. Can anyone enlighten...I love Proton and this seems like a good step, but specifically OpenAI's very public corruption of values over the past couple of years under a similar model has me on edge. Can anyone enlighten me as to how Proton's move here is or isn't different from OpenAI's split "non-profit" model that clearly failed it's core mission?
I believe there is value in developing structures that help fulfill a mission without relying on single individuals, however just based on real world examples the difference between "privately owned effective company with top down leadership that I can place my trust in" and "bureaucratic and unfocused machine vulnerable to cultural takeovers with nobody to hold accountable" seems to be pretty consistent.
Maybe it's just my paranoia, but I just hope there's still a steady hand on the wheel instead of a board of directors in the shadows that will surely be a major target for nation states or corporations to attempt to compromise as soon as possible to steer them off-course.
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Comment on How late is too late for a house party? in ~talk
JackA LinkI'll bite as the odd one out in this thread: Given the inherent risk of death and loss of freedom involved in ANY interaction with American police, I will never involve them for petty matters...I'll bite as the odd one out in this thread:
Given the inherent risk of death and loss of freedom involved in ANY interaction with American police, I will never involve them for petty matters without exhausting all alternatives first.
If it's not a regular occurrence and I haven't already reached out personally to speak with them, I won't be responsible for someone getting shot, a kid losing their scholarship for an underage drinking offense, a parent going to jail for letting their teenagers drink with friends safely at home, a bullshit drug possession charge, etc etc etc.
As someone aware that these things can happen as a result of simple petty noise call, I'd argue calling the police in America as a first reaction is horrifically irresponsible.
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Comment on Nebula strikes deal with Spotify to stream video content in ~tech
JackA LinkThis is particularly funny as it was announced right after PolyMatter released a video (YouTube Link) talking through exactly why Spotify keeps making these strange doomed to fail deals and...This is particularly funny as it was announced right after PolyMatter released a video (YouTube Link) talking through exactly why Spotify keeps making these strange doomed to fail deals and basically predicting a move exactly like this. Makes me wonder if as a Nebula creator he had inside information that this deal was coming and wanted to comment on Spotify's motivation behind it.
If it funnels some more money towards Nebula creators I'm all for it, but I really can't understand who wants to watch videos in the already bloated Spotify app.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life
JackA (edited )Link ParentOn the other hand though part of me dislikes any kind of selective enforcement. Allowing police to give verbal warnings to some while ticketing others inherently means their personal and societal...On the other hand though part of me dislikes any kind of selective enforcement. Allowing police to give verbal warnings to some while ticketing others inherently means their personal and societal biases become an institutional part of law enforcement.
I'm not sure I'm committed to this argument as I haven't fully thought it through, but it could be argued that police should never even be allowed to give verbal warning. They further discrimination and allow unjust laws to remain on the books because they don't get applied to the people in power or their supporters who always get off with warnings.
If tax dollars are going to be spent enforcing a law, shouldn't that enforcement always be subject to the laws we've enacted as a society through our democracy? If we currently think those laws are too harsh to apply to everybody, shouldn't they be rewritten to be more lenient instead of letting people be singled out for disproportionate punishments? They could be more explicit in what specific actions are worthy of a higher punishment, and codify a warning system through democratic law-making processes instead of hoping you don't catch a cop on a bad day.
Instead we outsource judicial powers to law enforcement via selective enforcement. Those laws never end up getting rewritten because they aren't applied to the people who can exert the political will to change them. Law enforcement's hold on selective enforcement powers almost reminds me of corporate self-regulation where they implement a half-solution for optics (that's still unjust) to avoid attracting enough ire for real regulation.
Obviously there's downsides and risks to making police into enforcement robots, but I think it would at least help towards getting people to actually utilize our democratic methods to fix systemic problems that could then be pinned down to specific laws instead of undocumented behavior. Frankly though I've lost so much faith in the American police already that I don't ever really trust their judgement simply by means of their choice to participate in the current system. Anything that makes us rely less on their judgement feels like it would be a win to me now.
Idk, I'm open to thoughts. I can certainly see this falling into the "doesn't work in practice" category that I'm a bit too blinded to see in my current mindset.
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Comment on Dune: Prophecy | Official teaser in ~tv
JackA Link ParentThat's where you lose me and I ask us to look in the mirror for a second about how we're thinking about what is objectively a form of art... Regardless, I'm also not sure the Dune movies can be...This is a money making venture, not an art peice
That's where you lose me and I ask us to look in the mirror for a second about how we're thinking about what is objectively a form of art...
Regardless, I'm also not sure the Dune movies can be categorized as a small portion of the zeitgeist anymore. For comparison, they've each made more money than the spider-verse films and so far Part 2 is the highest grossing movie of the year. Anecdotally at least in my circles the universe is all over social media and I've heard separate organic word of mouth from multiple different friend groups and at work. Maybe capitalizing on that hype will work out right now, but I truly think Dune relies on a lot of mystique that even a minor over-saturation of media could harm.
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Comment on Dune: Prophecy | Official teaser in ~tv
JackA LinkHonestly haven't even watched this teaser yet, but good lord can we at least finish the main adaptions before we start milking the IP for everything it's worth. Dune Part 2 just had a huge...Honestly haven't even watched this teaser yet, but good lord can we at least finish the main adaptions before we start milking the IP for everything it's worth.
Dune Part 2 just had a huge cultural moment, not letting it breath a bit seems like they're not learning any lessons from the franchise fatigue we just saw with Star Wars and Marvel. Although seeing now that it was ordered before Dune Part 1 even came out makes sense.
Maybe it'll be awesome, I'm just worried it'll strip away a lot of the unknowns that make Frank Herbert's original series so magical before we ever get to experience that wonder on the big screen with the characters we're already attached to.
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Comment on ‘TunnelVision’ attack leaves nearly all VPNs vulnerable to spying in ~tech
JackA Link ParentI think it's fair to acknowledge however that 99% of Android phones will never have a new operating system installed on them to extend their lifespan beyond the few years of security updates the...I think it's fair to acknowledge however that 99% of Android phones will never have a new operating system installed on them to extend their lifespan beyond the few years of security updates the original manufacturer provides. For the non-enthusiasts Android phones become bricks remarkably sooner than iPhones do. Or worse, continue being used for years without security updates because "it still works" and there's no central authority forcing them to upgrade for their own good.
Personally I don't mind Apple's controlling but utilitarian approach to security, it results in the average person having a secure phone for the entire reasonable lifespan of modern technology without having to think about it. It can at times frustrate me as an enthusiast, but the same simply cannot be said for most Android devices.
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Comment on ‘TunnelVision’ attack leaves nearly all VPNs vulnerable to spying in ~tech
JackA Link ParentA worthy thought, and thinking of your ISP as hostile is good practice, but I don't think it applies as a vulnerability in this case. The DHCP information your gateway receives from your ISP isn't...A worthy thought, and thinking of your ISP as hostile is good practice, but I don't think it applies as a vulnerability in this case. The DHCP information your gateway receives from your ISP isn't passed on to clients, it has it's own DHCP settings configured that apply to the LAN. So the clients will already be routing all of their traffic into the VPN tunnel on their own device before it ever hits the gateway's WAN port where any routing rule could do anything to try to bypass it.
Now if you're using an ISP supplied router that's incredibly locked down and pulls its entire config from your ISP (which already means you don't care about security/privacy), that could be a concern. But honestly I doubt they'd be bold enough to implement such a malicious and potentially discoverable exploit into people's home networks when most people don't use a VPN there regardless, it's not a large amount of data that corporations would stand to profit from compared to all the other data they get freely and aboveboard without risk of exposure. The nation states that could force their hand already have plenty of tracking mechanisms that work whether you're on a VPN or not that most people aren't aware of that they needn't bother with the potential exposure of this.
Despite the video containing criticisms, his choice to platform a title like this feels irresponsible right now given the potential impacts of these tariffs.