I always dreamed to use gold plated batteries.

In other words: WTF with that price?

Rule 5 may apply here, maybe you should look for a more support/how to minded community?

How have you chosen to deal with it?

Moving back to analog wherever I could, re-learn and re-use the old ways as much as possible. And also taking back control, and ownership, over my tech.

I’ve been using a computer since the early 80s and have been online regularly probably somewhere around the late 80s, first through BBS. Luckily for me, while I was self-learning that new computer and digital stuff, I was also taught the classic ‘analog’ ways of doing things. Things like writing longhand, or using snail mail. So, the moment I realized I could not trust nor agree with techs, I started:

• Using physical and/or low-tech objects wherever and whenever I can.
• I got rid of all streaming and subs, an always growing, always less privacy friendly (and more expensive) list of services and apps.
• After years mostly reading ebooks, I moved back to reading actual print books, and using physical media for music and movies (discs).
• Relying less on a computer on my everyday life. Doing math in my head instead of needing that high-tech crutch that is a calculator. Using an actual dictionary to lookup for a definition (a paper dictionary does not track what word I’m checking, like no print book is reporting back what I’m actually reading), Stopped relying on a spellchecker (aka, improve my writing skills and also learn to be fine with doing as few mistakes as I can even more so in foreign languages like English). Small things like that.
• Use older tech (more repairable, sustainable, less connected) wherever I can. See, I recently purchased a 90s digital voice recorder that uses good old AA batteries (that last for months, plural), that requires no Internet connection to operate and no subscription either (so there is no tracking going on, no constant updates or security threats, and there is no ads). Sure, it doesn’t have the latest and greatest AI summarizing tool but… I don’t care. And I certainly don’t want AI to feast on my own voice, nor on my most personal notes, doing god knows what with them.
• Use Free Libre software instead of the most widely known proprietary ones. Apps and tools that respect my privacy and my rights as a user.
  After 40+ years being an Apple user, a few years ago I fully switched to GNU/LInux and to Libre software. My only regret? I should have switched years earlier.
• Last but certainly not least, I barely use my phone at all. On mine, there is only a handful of apps I need to have access to (finance/security/pro stuff). There is nothing personal, not even ebooks or music, and certainly no social or games. The phone is the least trustworthy of all the ‘digital’ device I own, so it’s the one I use the less.

There is a slight difference between a weapon, and a nuke. One doesn’t need a nuke to defend oneself and there is no ‘what if’, imho.

But if you insist that there was a ‘what if’, then I would tell you there would be no humanity left. We’re already happily killing one another, using almost direct descent of stone age tools (a knife or a hammer), for the pettiest reasons (things like money or a bad look, come to mind) not even for imperative needs, like survival. So, the second the average people gets access to nuke power(even more today, seeing how poorly educated they’re and how unable to handle the slightest emotion/contrariety), the entire planet will be blown away, say, because some neighbor dared listening to music too loud (or music one doesn’t appreciate) or because their dog peed on their lawn.

“Yeah, but a single nuke won’t blow the planet away!” Sure. But we will. One nuke after the other in as little time as it takes for enough of us to say ‘they’re the bad guy, they deserve to pay the price, where is my big red button?’ (hint: we’re all the bad guy for someone else, somewhere.)

End of humanity.

As someone who eats very little meat myself, I must say I’ve never managed to figure out that need for hating on people who do.

Well, I do understand it for what it is: a lazy and very cheap way to get the illusion of being somewhat better than ‘the enemy’, since it’s a quasi religious war they’re raising, whomever that ‘enemy’ might be as this trend toward hate is certainly not exclusive to vegans. But I cannot understand how it’s possible for so many people to not realize what they’re doing by playing that cheap game, what type of society they’re actively contributing to build. Which is the real sad thing.

But hey, at least it’s quite easy to block the most invasive specimens, and to filter out those annoying words they so much like to (ab)use.

Reddit acting even more like a dick. That was a few years ago and, as far as I can see, things over there things have not changed in anyway making me willing to go back. Which is kinda sad, there were quite a few sub I enjoyed a lot, and a few users as well.

How painful is the Linux to Mac transition?

it’s expensive. This may sound obvious but since you mentioned cost, it’s worth mentioning. Also, as an ex lifelong Apple customer (started in the early 80s and quit some 7/8 years ago) I’ve seen how it went from being not cheap to being really expensive (non upgradable hardware is not cheap).

It’s also not Linux nor Gnome despite macOS being unix-based. macOS is more and more like iOS (aka, limited/controlled). Some like that, I did not.

The Mac also don’t like to communicate with non-Apple hardware. The experience is great between anything Apple, like incredibly and most likely uniquely smooth, but with Linux… not so much.

Edit: why not purchase a used laptop (say a Thinkpad that should work wonder with Linux) or even one of the Framework new model (they’re not as expensive as Mac)?

Games are meant to be played, not collected.

I’m not a gamer myself (the only game I ever purchased are a few chessboards ;) but as a book reader I know many people do buy books they will never ever read. They just collect dust on their bookshelves. It may be sad they don’t get to enjoy the content, but it’s their choice and there is nothing wrong with that.

Not to mention the lack of feedback of just my story ideas is….depressing. Like I’m invisible.

I’m not sure to understand your question, but if you’re wondering why people don’t notice your ‘story ideas’, it’s most likely because ideas are cheap.

Like mentioned already, most stories stem from an idea that is true. But the idea itself doesn’t matter that much, it doesn’t make any story worth reading.

We all get ideas. On a typical day, I will get at least 2 or 3 ideas I will want to write down just in case I could use them, and that is ignoring the many more I will ignore because they’re obviously worthless. Of those 2 or 3 daily, most will never turn into anything… or only years later.

Ideas are cheap. Stories are not. Stories are a lot of work. Days, weeks, sometimes months, if not years worth of work… And I think that’s the main reason why so many people who would like to write (or I should say who would love to publish) a story will never do it: it’s just too much work to finish writing an actual story. They have an idea they like, they think they just have to write it down to get a cools story and then they quickly realize they were wrong.

If you don’t believe me (good on you to not believe some random dude saying random shit), you can make a simple test by answering those questions all by yourself: what is the latest fiction (novel, short story) you enjoyed reading? Did you just read the blurb (which tells the story main idea in as few words as possible) and put the book back? Or did you enjoy reading the whole story even after reading said blurb? And what did you enjoy, then?

See? Ideas are not what make a good story ;)

Le sujet de la discussion? Ca veut dire à peu près ceci en anglais: ‘let’s talk about anything and nothing in particular’. C’est le sujet quotidien “libre”, une façon d’essayer d’apporter un peu de dynamisme dans la communautré FR qui, étant très petite, manque de contenu et de participants.

In summary: you’re more than welcome to discuss about anything, and that would include asking questions regarding French language ;)

I see it everywhere. At first I thought these people were just paranoid, afraid that people would interpret a naked clothesline as “my owner doesn’t even use me. Take me!”

You mean, take the… clothesline? Like steal it?

But maybe it’s a trend? I don’t know.

Or maybe you noticed more people doing their laundry? Also, when the weather gets better they may feel more tempted to use it to dry their laundry ;)

Just in case: you can join the French communities you were suggested in another thread of yours without needing a French instance/Piefed, wherever they are hosted. I’m French, and I just use piefed.social ;)

https://lichess.org/ is great even on a computer, not just on a phone. I don’t play on my phone, but I do like to play from time to time on lichess :)

I leave it in my pocket or in my messenger bag, unused safe when I really need it.

Instead, I will either read a book, look/walk around for something or some scene to sketch, or will spend time talking with people.

And, yes, I consider myself ‘most normal people’ ;)

Papers in all its forms is fascinating (and amazing) :)

Even more so when one start realizing how many forms it can take and has taken (animal skin ‘paper’, anyone?). Happy to know people showed up to listen to the talk!

• Not a purchased by me, but the mechanical watch my grandfather gave to me some 40+ years ago. It was his watch, and was already used when he gave it to me, but it still works great today.
• A good stack of quality paper (don’t get me started on watercolor paper).
• The humble pencil, B2 or B4. This may sound like a joke but despite its age and it being so low-tech the pencil is still an unrivaled piece of technology that even Apple can only try to mimic with its expensive Apple Pencil.
• My most recent purchase, and a lot more ‘high’ tech than the pencil: a pocket Sony voice recorder, from the 90s. It uses standard AA batteries (that will last for weeks if not months), it needs no monthly subscription, and no online access, it fully respects my privacy, there is no ads in it, it uses MP3 and can record on either its internal memory or use SD cards, and it… works great with Linux. I love it.

Nearing my 60s and I still wonder too.

We’ve been together 30 years and counting. One gets used to some snoring. When it’s too loud or too annoying (and it’s not just me, she too can snore :p) we nudge the other, even when they wake up they almost instantly fall asleep without the snoring.

Walk is my main kind of exercise. Daily walks. But I also wear orthopedic soles. As for real exercises I do some my osteopath taught me… The guy I was sent to by another doctor who I told when I sat in front of him: what I know of your practice makes me very doubtful you can achieve anything serious. I was wrong. So wrong.

Exactly. It’s fine to build up flawless versions of people in your mind and to try to emulate those imaginary heroes or draw inspiration from their strengths.

Indeed. And even without looking for heroes, or role models. Try to be the best version of yourself does not mean you have to be perfect, nor that other people should be.

We’re all filled with flaws. No matter how amazing we’ve been told we are, or how amazing we think we are, or even how amazing we can indeed be (lucky you).

Doesn’t mean you need to accept the unacceptable, just be realistic. Don’t you ever fart in bed? Don’t you ever pick your nose? Don’t you like to eat some crap from time to time? Don’t you like to watch/listen to/read and actually do some real stupid shit, from time to time? I do!

Me? I’m the sum of countless flaws plus a few scarce qualities. I know it and so does my spouse, which is also filled with her own flaws btw, the person who I love today at least as much as I have been loving her for the last 30 years or so we’ve been together… and counting.

That said, many really really awesome people do exist.

Yes! They’re all around us. They’re just not perfect and they’ve not been waiting for us to debark in their life.

So, when we’re dismissing them because of their perceived flaws/imperfections, or because of something/someone they like we don’t like… we’re missing out on their qualities and maybe on getting to meet an amazing friend/partner/someone to spend time with.