Re: Schneier, Data and Goliath: no hope for privacy

On Wed, 19 Feb 2025, Salvador Mirzo wrote:

D <nospam@example.net> writes:
>
[...]
>

Quite mysteriously, all sorts of otherwise respectable open-source
software developers are happy to use GitHub even though it's owned
by M$. So even having ditched their software long ago, M$ are now
very hard to avoid online if, ironically, you want to use, and
especially work on, open-source software. I find that truely
unfathomable, but others barely seem to see my problem with it.

>
This is a great mystery to me! I have no clue how so many open source
users can be so clueless! =( They also loooooove slck and
discord. That's revolting! IRC works percectly fine, and if you need
blinken lights, you can just add some of the numerous web IRC programs
out there, or at least use matrix or xmpp.

>
Lol---well said.  (I call Discord a Christmas Tree.  And Slack is no
different.)  Quite right.  And USENET, which is way more appropriate for
technical discussion than IRC.

It is strange that usenet has disappeared from the common mind. I find it
excellent! Especially since google disconnected it got even better!
There is a challenge though. In todays reincarnation, I find the nr of posts
more than manageable. But if I think of a scenario where the nr of posts would
increase tenfold, there would be no chance of catching up, except using the
narrowest of the narrow sorting based on author and subject line.
Today, I can casually browse and glance at most posts, but with 10x the nr of
posts, that would not be feasible.
I think there is a limit where the usenet model breaks down for most users who
are not into cli clients.

I think the reason must be that many open source users are young and
naive and do not remembre how M$ tried to close down linux decades
ago.

>
That's very likely part of the reason.
>

When I teach, I make it a point to bring up these things. Sadly the
students then go on to work, and get stuck in github and various
proprietary tools. But such is life! We must continue to fight the
good fight. =)

>
Teaching can only go so far.

In every class of about 35, there's always 4-9 or so that "get it" and become
completely obsessed with the terminal, self-hosting, they buy numerous raspberry
pis, they stay awake until 5 in the morning tinkering.
Those guys go on the become rock stars!
The rest go to the office at 09 and leave at 17, and that's about it.