Posts by localgeek 70 publicly visible posts • joined 15 Aug 2011
1999 called, and would like its dated Linux commentary back.
The biggest issue holding people back from using Linux today is application compatibility. Linux Mint, for example, is a highly polished and stable platform. Installation is done via a GUI, with hardware detection being flawless in most cases (certainly no worse than Windows 11).
I bought a Mitsubishi Mirage last fall, and that exact behavior drove me to distraction. I despise when devices do things I didn't expressly request.
If I'd last left the stereo set to Bluetooth, about 20-30 seconds after starting the car it would start blaring whatever music or podcast I'd been listening to on my phone. It didn't matter if I'd powered the stereo off before turning off the engine. I even checked with the stereo manufacturer (Alpine), and they confirmed there was no way to disable that behavior. The only workaround I found was to turn the volume way down so at least I wouldn't hear it.
In the end, I found a way to prevent the stereo from automatically turning on: I replaced the pricey head unit with an aftermarket JVC stereo. It stays off when powered off. Fortunately, nothing in the cars control functions required the touch screen. I did lose the backup camera (never had one in almost 4 decades of driving, so no loss there), and steering wheel stereo controls don't function. In return, I gained peace of mind. Plus, the stereo sounds great, especially with the Kenwood Excelon door speakers I installed to replace the wimpy OEM cone speakers.
Another simple workaround is to first compose it in something like Notepad++. Then copy and paste your text into the browser when you've finished massaging it. If your browser or the server glitches when you submit the form, you can easily recover. I generally follow this approach for any online form that requires more than a sentence or two.
Maybe Microsoft should consider — oh, I don't know — giving users the capability of sending actual file attachments in Teams, rather than making them inline shared files with all the attendant permissions problems they create?
This could be just a me problem, but trying to open shared documents in Teams using multiple user accounts (one privileged) via Firefox results in being denied access because FF guessed at the wrong user profile to access from that tab. I end up having to open a private browsing window, then copying and pasting the Teams document link into a new session so I can force the right account. It's a multi-step process to open some file that may or may not be important.
Thinking about your data as one horse is the wrong way to approach it, I think. Imagine instead that you have a barn filled with multiple stalls containing multiple horses. If one horse escapes, you wouldn't leave the door open so all the rest can also run away. If you have just one horse, it's likely you'll replace the animal - in which case you may take extra preventative measures to protect from future loss. Implement a mantrap (horsetrap) as a security tool, add surveillance measures to keep a close eye on the livestock, etc.
Protecting against stolen data should be looked at as an ongoing fight. Someone may steal all of your data today, but that doesn't mean you can't learn from those failures and take reasonable measures to prevent further incursions. It's not a zero sum game.
It's probable she realized that she'd already been busted, and was being graciously extended the opportunity to put a stop to it.
I worked as a hotel desk clerk years ago for a large chain. The computer that received reservations allowed for direct communication with other hotels, so desk clerks could exchange information about vacancies, guest questions, etc. The tech setting it up warned us about a case of clerks at different locations exchanging some steamy thoughts between sites. Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize that all of those "private" chats were logged.
You'd think that would be the case. Years ago, I noticed one of our older users always turned the mouse around. I can't recall having a specific conversation with her about it, but she had learned early on to operate a mouse upside down and it didn't appear to impact her health of productivity. She used the heel of her hand to select a button. I just got used to turning it around to the proper orientation whenever I needed to do something at her workstation.
This was before scroll wheels became commonplace, so I don't know how she would have adapted to that.
I don't see value in cynically dismissing the very notion of a fact checker. If there are facts to be discovered about specific claims, it makes sense to have people documenting them. As for who they are and who "appointed" them, the answers are wide-ranging. What they are not is a priestly class claiming to have Gnostic insight into realities us mortals can't begin to comprehend. That is the role of the conspiracy theory peddler who despises facts, and who would throw cold water on any criticism of their pet theories. Those are the gullible ones.
No, a fact checker is anyone who takes the time to research claims using well-documented and generally trustworthy sources. If you begin by presupposing that any factual claims that disagree with your pet theories are wrong, then there's little that can be done to change your mind. On the other hand, if you're willing to look at a range of unrelated sources that all align on key claims about a topic, then there is a much higher chance that the claims being made are factual.
Fact checkers aren't infallible, but any fact checker worth their salt is going to present multiple evidences that can be verified and taken into consideration. Better to have imperfect fact checkers than to be blinded by confirmation bias.
No argument from here on the very real issues preventing people from migrating fully to Linux. I mentioned some of my own in a comment above.
The one problem you raised that might be solvable is the monitor calibration problem. I don't know which calibration device you use for your monitor, but I have an older Spyder Pro 4. I used it recently with the free DisplayCal to calibrate my Linux Mint laptop display with great results.
Another "trick" I discovered is that you can copy the *.icc calibration from your Windows PC and import it in Linux. I upgraded the display on my primary Windows 11 PC, and moved the old one over to a Linux box I have in my office. I was feeling lazy, so I found the Spyder calibration file and copied it to my Linux machine. Instant calibration!
It always comes down to applications. If a user has fairly modest needs, then everything in the article applies.
I love Mint and have it running on a few PCs, but my main computer runs Windows. What keeps me there is the unavailability of certain programs that I use regularly - mainly for photo editing. I have played with all the open source editors commonly cited (GIMP, RawTherapee, darktable,etc). Most of them are packed with sliders whose function is totally opaque to me as a seasoned photographer. GIMP is comparatively user-friendly, but lacks features commercial software can perform without resorting to clunky plugins that haven't been updated since 2010. Try stitching multiple images together to create a panoramic photo in GIMP, as I attempted last weekend. That's a super easy task in Affinity Photo or Photoshop.
None of the image editing applications I use in Windows run (at least not their recent versions) under WINE. I've checked the database for all of them. I've even tried running some of them inside a Windows VM on Linux, and found that doesn't work well. Affinity Photo, for example, crashes just trying to open an image.
If we're going to advocate for Linux, we should make a point of asking people what they use their computers for. Linux isn't currently the answer for everyone.
I have a personal cell and a work issued iPhone. Nobody outside of management has my personal cell number, and when I clock out for the day I turn off the company iPhone. Fortunately, I'm not salaried, so anything that happens outside my scheduled hours is not normally my concern as I'm not on call.
I also mute my personal phone and leave it in my home office to charge at night.
I'm currently running a Pixel 6 Pro with GrapheneOS. I've installed Organic Maps and the voice synthesizer RHVoice - both open source, free apps - and it's served me fairly well for navigating on the road. I probably could run Google Maps, but that sort of undermines the whole reason for getting away from regular Android.
I did exactly that about 18 months ago. I bought a refurbished Dell Latitude laptop from a seller with good ratings on Amazon. It's a decently spec'ed business class machine (16 GB RAM), that set me back around $200. I replaced the tired battery and installed a faster NVMe for another $50 or so.
It's running Linux Mint like a champ, and still gets periodic BIOS updates. I've got Steam installed with a few older titles like Serious Sam and Half Life, which run more than acceptably. (I'm not a big gamer, so I haven't tried anything more resource intensive.)
Maybe a year ago, I stumbled upon the free FocusWriter word processor. I have it running on both a Windows and two Linux machines, and in each case have it configured to use a black background with amber text - just like my first monochrome monitor back in the mid-90s.
If you're looking for an unobtrusive program that just does what it's supposed to do without making constant unwanted suggestions, it's worth checking out.
I think of my phone as a backup for the times I can't use a desktop computer. Part of that is probably getting older in terms of my thought processes, plus the fact that I find staring at a tiny pocket computer screen tiring on my eyes. And despite using mobile devices since my early Droid, I still dislike touchscreens for typing more than a brief text.
Given a sufficiently powerful phone that you can dock with external displays and peripherals, I could get by with that.
We bought a 65" Sceptre TV when we moved into our current house 2 years ago. It may not be a high-end device, but it works well enough for our needs, and it's dumb as a brick - like a TV screen ought to be. I use it mainly to watch the occasional DVD. While we do have a Roku connected, Pi-Hole does a decent job blocking ads there.
I can confirm the accuracy of this statement. I once had the police called on me by a paranoid neighborhood watch captain. I was taking photos of random, innocuous things (not even people) in my own neighborhood with a vintage camera. They sent two officers to investigate my "suspicious" activity.
I read a recent report about hospitals, much like big oil companies, enjoying record profits of late. It doesn't appear those excess dollars are being reinvested in protecting their customers' private information, and the token year of credit monitoring after the fact is being treated as just another cost of doing business. Steep, mandatory payouts directly to affected patients might help their administrations re-prioritize cybersecurity.
I'm on the spectrum, and don't have problems making eye contact in most cases. I'm more likely to trigger concern by failing to break eye contact at normal intervals. While I do try to approximate "normal" breaks, I'm not always successful at it. My facial expressions don't always reflect typical behavior, either.
In any event, this process of weeding out applicants via an AI evaluation is bound to end poorly for a host of people, and for a host of reasons.
Another +1 for Affinity Photo. As a photographer, it does nearly everything I need for a standalone Photoshop replacement. I use it in conjunction with Alienskin's Exposure X4 software, which is a quite capable replacement for Lightroom. Between the two, I'm well covered for editing.
If I may be a bit pedantic here (and I'm not waiting for permission), I'm a bit nonplussed about the writer's use of "nonplussed" in this article. He writes: "If you're nonplussed about having to upgrade your trusty iPhone after two years, you may as well wait three." Why anyone should be surprised or confused about the upgrade process is beyond me.
More here: https://www.punctuationmatters.com/nonplussed-definition/
I had to take the current A+ test last week. CompTIA is still touting any phone from 5-7" as a "phablet." Given that nearly all smartphones are now larger than 5", I'm thinking it's time to retire the designation.
My LG V30 is already unreasonably large to squeeze into my pants pocket.
A really cheap and easy way to do offsite backups is to buy yourself a large-capacity external drive, and rent a small safety deposit box. It's surprisingly inexpensive. I update mine every few months, which is a bit of a nuisance, but worth the peace of mind as a last ditch option to recover the lion's share of my data in the event that my other backups should fail.
Alternatively, you might try keeping a drive at the home of a friend of family member. This worked out pretty well for me until the in-laws lost my previous drive (encrypted, naturally).
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