mechoman444
@mechoman444@lemmy.world
I am live.
- Comment on WHERE THE FUCK IS THE CURSOR? 1 week ago:
spamming ctrl
- Comment on Age checks creep into Linux as systemd gets a DOB field 1 week ago:
I am 100% right. The system is open source. The kernel can be edited literally by anyone if they so choose to.
They’re cannot and will not be a law that says you can’t edit a Linux kernel.
Why are all of you just not acknowledging this?!?
- Comment on Age checks creep into Linux as systemd gets a DOB field 1 week ago:
Yes, you are correct. Those of you who are concerned about this are not wrong to question it.
However, the point that keeps being ignored is that laws like this have very limited enforceability when it comes to platforms like Linux and other open-source software.
The reason is simple, anyone can modify the source code. There is no practical way to permanently embed restrictions like age verification into something that can be freely forked and redistributed. If a Linux distribution introduces age verification, a fork removing it will appear almost immediately. That is not hypothetical, that is how the open-source ecosystem functions.
Even if you personally install a version that includes such a feature, it is often trivial to bypass or remove it through system-level access.
Yes, the laws themselves are poorly conceived. They attempt to impose control in an environment that does not respond well to centralized regulation. But focusing on something like a birthday field in a Linux distribution misses the point. In that context, it is effectively meaningless and not something that warrants serious concern.
- Comment on Age checks creep into Linux as systemd gets a DOB field 1 week ago:
Dawg. That’s what I’m saying. There’s nothing to fight against. The fundamental architecture of Linux prohibits age verification completely.
The devs adding in the birthday field was the simplest way to placate this new law. They know there’s going to be a fork where it is removed.
In this instance the new law will destroy itself. I doubt there will even be any enforcement of it.
We’re worrying about the wrong thing dude. This is a non-issue.
- Comment on Age checks creep into Linux as systemd gets a DOB field 2 weeks ago:
Commentary like this is exactly what grinds my gears.
This isn’t analysis, it’s implication, conjecture, and conspiracy framed as insight.
The age verification laws are objectively bad. They do nothing meaningful to protect children, degrade the quality of the internet, and hand more authority to a government that already has too much.
But your line of argument is also flawed. I’ve already stated my position clearly. Repeating “it’s probably worse” adds nothing of substance.
More importantly, the fundamental architecture of Linux makes this entire premise irrelevant. It is open source and inherently resistant to centralized control. Governments can pass whatever laws they want; they cannot meaningfully enforce them at the system level in an ecosystem designed to be forked, modified, and redistributed at will.
- Comment on Age checks creep into Linux as systemd gets a DOB field 2 weeks ago:
The motive is mass government surveillance obviously.
But like with many things in our government federally and statewide, these people don’t actually understand how the technology functions. They can make all the laws that they want and Linux will still remain an open source software.
- Comment on Age checks creep into Linux as systemd gets a DOB field 2 weeks ago:
This is getting blown way out of proportion.
What’s being described right now is just an optional date-of-birth field. It doesn’t block installation, it doesn’t require verification, and it doesn’t change how the OS actually works. It just exists, and you can ignore it entirely.
The leap to “this is step one toward needing a passport to install an OS” is a classic slippery slope. It jumps from a harmless, non-enforced field straight to full identity verification with no actual mechanism connecting the two.
More importantly, this ignores how Linux works at a fundamental level.
Linux is open source, which means the code is public and can be modified by anyone. If any distribution ever tried to enforce something invasive like identity checks, that code would be stripped out almost immediately and redistributed as a fork. People already fork distributions over far smaller disagreements than this, and users would migrate just as quickly.
For this scenario people are worried about to actually happen, the entire ecosystem would have to move in lockstep and the community would have to abandon one of its core principles overnight. That’s not a realistic outcome.
Being skeptical of regulation is reasonable. Treating this like the beginning of mandatory identity verification at the OS level, especially in the Linux world, just isn’t grounded in how the technology or the community actually operates.
- Comment on If you found out your cousin was a billionaire (non-famous) and the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, how would you react? Would you be mad he didn’t tell you? 2 weeks ago:
Exactly. I totally agree.
I think a really good way to avoid crap like this is to make a rule not allowing hypotheticals on the sub.
- Comment on If you found out your cousin was a billionaire (non-famous) and the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, how would you react? Would you be mad he didn’t tell you? 2 weeks ago:
No, as a matter of fact, the subject of this particular post fits the sub exactly. It is a stupid question.
It is incredibly stupid. There is no real way to answer it, and any answer would be superficial because it is such a massive hypothetical that the answer itself does not actually matter.
Although, as stated above, it technically fits the sub, it violates the spirit of what this is supposed to be.
- Comment on If you found out your cousin was a billionaire (non-famous) and the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, how would you react? Would you be mad he didn’t tell you? 2 weeks ago:
This sub needs better moderation.
- Comment on where? 2 weeks ago:
That is the only clear choice.
- Comment on The difference is real 2 weeks ago:
It is incredible to me how they’re willing to bend and break so many rules and laws of this country, including the most fundamental tenets of our constitution. But indicting the president is the one thing they’re not going to do. That’s the one law that is sacred above all else.
- Comment on Elon Musk to Owe Billions After Jury Finds He Misled Twitter Investors Before Takeover 2 weeks ago:
This scheme is called “buy, borrow, die.” It’s legal. The stocks are typically not sold off, so capital gains taxes are avoided. Loans and debt are not taxable. It’s effectively profit with relatively low risk. The point is that the level of entry is extremely high. One must already have large amounts of money to qualify for these kinds of loans.
The problem, of course, is that if you start taxing debt, like people taking out loans, it’s not just going to be millionaires, as you called them “parasites,” paying those taxes. It will be everybody taking out a loan, including the poor and the middle class.
The proposed solution is to tax people based on net worth. If you’re worth above a certain amount, then you get taxed at a very high percentage.
With that being said, if that were the case and Elon Musk were taxed like this, he would only pay around $12–$13 billion out of the roughly $800 billion he already has. In essence, it would still be pocket change to him.
At this point, wealthy people not paying taxes has become a kind of game, who can pay the least.
- Comment on IYKYK 2 weeks ago:
Correct… 🧐
- Comment on IYKYK 2 weeks ago:
The reason I responded at all was because I looked up what he was talking about because anytime someone makes a wild claim supported by a poor source it tends to raise a few red flags.
I don’t mince words and I don’t play it soft.
It is a clear sign of the times when clear pushback on a wild ass claim is met with “your comment is so extreme.” It should be so as to ensure the validity of what I’m trying to say.
If there was more “extreme” out there my country wouldn’t be the utter maga shit hole it is now.
- Comment on IYKYK 2 weeks ago:
In addition to my first comment response.
What you’re calling “extreme” is simply direct pushback without the usual padding people have come to expect. That padding, hedging, soft language, pretending both sides might have a point, is exactly why misinformation keeps spreading unchecked. It creates the illusion that facts are negotiable.
Now, if the goal is to gently reassure everyone and avoid discomfort, then yes, a softer tone would be more appropriate. But that approach routinely fails to correct anything. It prioritizes feelings over accuracy.
If the goal is to actually challenge bad information in a way that’s unambiguous and difficult to misinterpret, then a firmer tone is not only justified, it’s necessary. You don’t have to like the delivery. But dismissing it as “extreme” avoids engaging with the actual issue, whether the claim being challenged holds up. If it doesn’t, then tone becomes a secondary concern.
- Comment on Elon Musk to Owe Billions After Jury Finds He Misled Twitter Investors Before Takeover 2 weeks ago:
- Comment on IYKYK 2 weeks ago:
Every single retail store in the known first world does this. They have cameras in their stores that record video and audio. They collate data about sales and if you have an account they’ll link it to your name.
I don’t know what part of the world you’re from but here in the states we have a chain called Kroger and if you want discounts you got to put your phone number into their system. That tracks everything that you do for marketing purposes.
This has been going on since the dawn of retail.
What the person above is describing isn’t that.
- Comment on IYKYK 2 weeks ago:
You’re mixing a real issue with a bunch of claims you can’t back up.
Yes, Home Depot uses Flock ALPR cameras. That part is true. They scan license plates and log vehicles in parking lots. And yes, that data can be shared with local law enforcement. That’s all documented.
But “tracking you” like some kind of live surveillance grid? Not really. It’s point-in-time plate reads. It can be aggregated into movement patterns, which is where the privacy concern actually exists, but that’s not the same thing as constant tracking.
Now the bigger problem, where are you getting that they “sell the data to advertisers or highest bidders”? There’s no credible reporting supporting that. Flock’s entire business model is selling the system and access, not dumping raw data on the open market. If you have a source, post it.
Same with “given to cops and feds for free.” It’s not that simple. Local police can access or integrate with these systems, sure. And federal agencies might get data indirectly through them. But that’s very different from Home Depot just handing it out freely to anyone with a badge.
So yeah, there’s a legitimate surveillance concern here. But when you start throwing in unsupported claims, it just weakens the argument. If you’ve got actual sources for the “advertisers” or “highest bidders” part, let’s see them. Otherwise, you’re overstating it.
What the privacy statement actually says
Where Do We Collect It From?
Directly from you or the devices you use to access digital services, such as websites, mobile applications, and applications for connected devices.
Other customers that may provide us with your information to recommend a product or service, ship products to you, or list you as a recipient of products or services.
Companies that provide services on our behalf (e.g., installers and others that may communicate with you about products or projects).
Security and fraud prevention services that help us confirm that transactions are valid and otherwise help us protect our assets and you.
Marketing companies that help us learn about our customers and the devices they use to access digital content.
Companies that supplement our customer records with additional information.
Shipping providers that update address information.
Social media platforms.
Advertising companies and content publishers that present you with our ads.
Payment and transaction processors.
Communications and mailing vendors.
The signals emitted by your mobile devices when you travel through our stores
I don’t like you or what you do. I’ve seen your posts before, and you keep making declarative claims backed by weak sources that don’t actually explain anything. On top of that, you’re clearly making things up and framing it as some grand conspiracy about people being tracked.
Yes, tracking exists to a degree, but you strip out all nuance and turn it into fear-mongering. It’s not useful, it’s not informative, and it’s not a service to anyone. Just stop.
- Comment on Elon Musk to Owe Billions After Jury Finds He Misled Twitter Investors Before Takeover 2 weeks ago:
I don’t understand why these courts charge a set fine for stuff like this. This is clearly an extremely unique case. The man is 20% to being a trillionaire.
Or needs to be done is they need to charge a percentage of his profits. Say 20 to 30%?
- Comment on HP realizes that mandatory 15-minute support call wait times isn’t good support 2 weeks ago:
HP is one of those companies whose products you can easily avoid. I don’t understand their dominance in the printer market, or why people continue to buy their products when many of them are objectively poor. I also don’t recall a time when HP had a particularly strong reputation to begin with.
At this point, most competitors offer better alternatives than HP.
- Comment on Windows 11's free video editor Clipchamp now requires OneDrive 2 weeks ago:
I will never ever never ever use one drive. I’ll raise my kids never to use it.
I WILL NEVER USE ONE DRIVE!
- Comment on If I were to go out steal 34 cars. And charged with 34 felonies. One per each car. Could I not use the presidents case in defense of my own? Why or why not? 2 weeks ago:
You’re right, I was overgeneralizing.
I assumed most legal systems relied on precedent, but that’s not accurate globally. The majority of countries follow civil law systems, like France and Germany, where precedent isn’t binding in the same way.
Where I was coming from is that many of the largest and most economically influential countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and India do use precedent-based systems, which probably skewed my perception. So yeah, globally I was wrong, but I can see why I thought that.
- Comment on If I were to go out steal 34 cars. And charged with 34 felonies. One per each car. Could I not use the presidents case in defense of my own? Why or why not? 2 weeks ago:
Your argument and answer: U.S. law, and most other modern judicial systems, rely on something called precedent. If a judge makes a ruling that creates such precedent, another judge handling a similar case cannot simply ignore it.
There was no new ruling in any of the cases Donald Trump was involved in; therefore, no new precedent was established.
When it comes to sentencing, a judge can and oftentimes does, have leeway to impose punishment as leniently or as harshly as they see fit.
If you commit a crime and are convicted, you could argue at sentencing that, since Trump received leniency, you should also receive a similarly light sentence. Unfortunately when it comes to sentencing a court is not obligated to take into consideration how other criminals were sentenced.
- Comment on Why are public school teachers so underpaid in the US? 3 weeks ago:
Simple. Education isn’t the goal. The US doesn’t need well informed and educated people. They need drones that’ll follow orders from the oligarchs.
They need workers ok with $7.25 an hour. Work 6 days a week then church on Sunday.
- Comment on Google Fiber will be sold to private equity firm and merge with cable company 3 weeks ago:
There are essentially only three major cable providers in the United States. They have blocked Google Fiber at nearly every turn. I have been unable to get Google Fiber at any address I’ve lived at since it launched.
It is oddly entertaining to watch monopolies that the federal government failed to break up, largely due to their own lobbying, fight each other in an attempt to prevent the others from becoming even more monopolized.
- Comment on Is this accurate, Canadians? 3 weeks ago:
🤔… Fairly accurate.
- Comment on PC upgrade woes 3 weeks ago:
The data centers are insane. I agree. A flagship LLM model requires 1tb of ram to perform. A Mid-Tier mm model needs 140gb. In contrast a top end gaming rig only needs 64gb at most. The vast majority get away with 16gb.
Aside for driving profits for demand of LLM use these data centers are an environmental disaster.
I was just pointing out these centers are a result of that demand.
- Comment on PC upgrade woes 3 weeks ago:
Idk man, my electricity bill doesn’t care whether the data center powering ChatGPT was “speculatively built” or not. 500 million people actively using these tools daily is not fake demand, that’s just… demand. The money flowing into infrastructure is large and fast and messy, sure, but acting like the entire thing is vapor because the ROI timeline is uncertain is the same logic people used to say Amazon was a scam in 2001. Sometimes the buildout comes before the profit model and that’s just how new infrastructure works. The RAM price sucks though, not gonna lie.
- Comment on An 18-year-old woman in Queensland faces two years in jail for wearing a shirt that says "from the river to the sea." 3 weeks ago:
I’m going to take a shower now.
