Microsoft's Euro-mandated File Explorer surgery shows 'less is more' is still a thing Windows File Explorer doesn't get much love, poor thing. It gets sworn at if a sought file cannot be found, or if some setting is hiding that needs to be shown. Mostly, it's the caretaker that lets you ride hard on that most essential data exchange component, the Downloads directory, or that part of the workflow where stuff is …
I don't agree that it shouldn't be used at all. The current situation should be fine (theoretically): we make legislation defining what software is and isn't allowed to do, and if they want to sell software to consumers they need to abide by those rules. Every vendor has to play by the same rules. That's how the free market works, and we need to protect free trade at any cost. If we simply ban specific software or software from specific countries, we'll keep playing banhammer whack-a-mole. (TikTok ban anyone? How long did it take for a different Chinese social media app revolving around short videos to pop up?). Of course enforcement isn't always easy, but not impossible either. (and a blanket ban won't be any easier to enforce either)
Businesses need to consider the risks for themselves, where the most important risks come down to not having control, and those are present for EU vendors too. This leaves using FOSS and "private cloud"-type situations. I reckon only large enterprises are going to consider this.
I do believe governments themselves should stop using third-party vendors in general. A lot of countries are taking steps, i believe some German councils are testing with FOSS stacks, and the Dutch government is currently building their own datacenters so they can move their cloud workloads off of Azure.
I'm not a fan of making MS illegal, but the EU should really consider avoiding US software for any government use, and for any mission critical use. Then inform the private sector so that businesses can understand the risks. Then if businesses want to be slave to Trump's whim, then it's their choice. Once Trump shuts them down with sanctions or tariffs, they'll go bankrupt and maybe other businesses that have invested in European resources and software (or in open source solutions) will take up their market.
The problem is that often the only solution which is approved for secure Government use is a Windows-based one, because it's the most common solution it's the one which has been tested & verified.
That's not to say that you couldn't use an alternative, but that it would cost so much in time and effort to get it approved that no one bothers to do so, so the cycle continues.
You're wrong!
The Communist control is only a means to a goal. What China aimed at is future-proofing their computing against any chance that US might twist their underwear. Now they have semiconductor chips, cloud technology, AI, OS and hardware. They are not the state of the art but what they have can't be taken away at a whim of a President of a hostile country.
However, you're right when you say EU will not do it. EU countries are too willing to comply with US demands (not to mention the presence of US military and CIA right in the middle of Europe).
Linux has plenty of contributors from all inhabited continents, and is not tied to any of them.
There is not a lot that the US government could do to make open source projects spy for uncle Sam - or it would be pretty noticeable (and easily fixed/disabled) if it did.
I agree with ditching US products but I see no reason to automatically trust EU (or UK) products more. The EU (and UK) have shown again and again that they don't care about fundamentals such as right to privacy and encryption (planned EU 'chat control', UK investigatory powers act) or freedom of speech and absence of censorship (EU digital services act, German NetzDG, UK online safety act).
The problem is: neither the US, nor the EU, nor CANZUK, nor Russia, nor China are "trustworthy". Maybe some smaller states like Switzerland or Iceland or Japan are looking good, but even if you think you found a trustworthy country it's not possible to get all of your hardware, software and digital services from that country.
No government is trustworthy when it comes to privacy, of course. Subjects must be spied on and controlled and kept under the heel, this is true for every government in the world.
But when it comes to being able to exist as a nation, and not being a slave to foreign nations, then there is a need for locally controller and sourced computing, in both software and hardware.
As a subject, I can only choose if I want to be screwed by my own or by someone else's government, of course. Well actually I can't even choose, I can only accept my destiny.
Elvis-ification?? SERIOUSLY?
A. Nobody understands WTF that is
B. You'll get laughed out of the room
C. Enshittification gets the point across in an instant, So much so, that I've seen it co-opted as "shitflation" in videos/articles discussing economics and food prices, where it's something distinguished from shrinkflation. Shrinkflation is when you pay the same for less of the item. Shitflation is where you pay the same for lower quality.
Yes, It's a bit rude when companies shit on their products then expect you to still pay for them.
Elvis-ification?
The following sequined reference gives a hint to the meaning of this neologism or recent coinage.
I would have chosen Liberace on that basis as Elvis is mostly considered dead, famous and frequently reputed to be leaving the building whereas Liberace only ticks the first box.
I would have thought it would need to be en-elvis-ification from the postulated verb "to enelvis" vt. to render st. or so. to superficially resemble Elvis Presley.
Probably some sense of gold plating shit too. Aurofæcallamination?
Arguably this already occurred some time ago with the widespread adoption of the Hamburger Menu button.
Worrying about how the word "shit" might go down in corporateland is a bit pointless when considering the language heard on a daily basis in any office where people have to deal with all the frustration that Windows forces on people.
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