reallyzen

reallyzen, 1 month ago

Disclaimer: Linux user through-and-through ; I have a modern “m” mac for some work specific applications.

Setting up a macbook today doesn’t require an apple id or even an email address. My warranty is with the non-apple authorized retailer I bought the computer from, I don’t use the software store (but I think it would work) nor do I use any apple services like itunes, or, without the apple id, I don’t have icloud backups. And I don’t/can’t buy anything from the store, of course.

I am able to update the os, I have just one notification in the settings about setting up the account but no showstopper at all.

So what does apple get from me? I’d guess crude location (from my vpn), hardware/OS version and maybe installed software? That’s not much, and since it’s a work machine it’s offline all the time, I can’t see that device doing much behind my back.

If apple is indeed looking deep into that laptop, then I guess they’ll see I also have Asahi on it. And maybe they are really really intrusive and notice I’m using that Asahi partition 80% of the time (;

Joking aside, if you need macos, it is possible to use macos. With some limitations: handle your own backups, get your software from the vendors and… And that’s it.

reallyzen, 1 month ago

There’s a difference here that I describe as “pro” meaning specialized, complex software targeted at big businesses vs individual tools of the trade: Vectorworks is gonna get paid for happily by companies needing support and relying on it for critical output, while your next door young architect will run an outdated, cracked version of AutoCAD because it’s just too expensive - that kid could (and should) run Qcad.

Where I see pirated software surviving is also as a form of legacy support: if you run old hardware (i.e. 32bits), that’s where “pro” software is gonna suck & leave you dry, while torrents are still out there.

In gaming or media, cracking looks like a sport, I feel people just want to have fun blowing restrictions to pieces. It’s heartwarming!

Back to the 'tools of the trade" category, I am happy to pay a moderate price to support a talented dev (Isadora, D::Light) but get understandably annoyed at huge businesses practicing insufferable licensing schemes. I wish people start looking, and using then supporting more alternatives out there - but isn’t photoshop still crack-able because it helps it dominate the market where The Gimp would do if it was the standard?

reallyzen, 1 month ago

[??Uh, you’re getting downvoted for asking a straight question? WTF lemmies??]

reallyzen, 1 month ago

Lifa has a lot to offer beyond screens

Yarr, mateys, all sails to the Public Library! We’ll drop anchor at the secondhand bookshop on our way back! And drop all that electronic ballast, it’s only slowing us down…

You are absolutely right; I hadn’t thought of it this way but a post-piracy world should be a frugal one, could be a quiet one. A planet-friendly one.

reallyzen, 1 month ago

OP’s premises may be not wrong on the first point, is in need of some realignment on the second, and I have no idea about the third.

The idea of a post-piracy world can still be envisioned and discussed; will it be full of FOSS and CC-BY-SA? Will it leaves us with only secondhand pulp comics while our roku devices blast 23h out of 24 of ads? Who knows?

reallyzen, 1 month ago

You wonderfully deviated this conversation towards the real threats we are facing in the near future, and right now. That was very well said, thank you.

reallyzen, 1 month ago

Révolutionnaires à 2 balles, ils ont même pas pensé à exploser le genre sur leurs cartes, là, bonjour les réacs.

reallyzen, 1 month ago

And alcohol.

reallyzen, 1 month ago

No yt ads, no tracking, no algorithmic shit suggestion feed pushed down your throat (NewPipe)

reallyzen, 1 month ago

I use NewPipe ; I appreciate that the YT ads are removed but not the content creator sponsor segment - I respect the right of a creator to choose to have their channel supported through advertisement.

I also like that my “feed” is only the channels I subscribe to, not the terrible crap yt thinks is going to “engage” me, and this without having a logged account.

Add in the many customizable defaults, the tab organization, and NewPipe on my phone is the only way I ever watch yt, ever.

reallyzen, 1 month ago

It needs to have two things, and not have one thing:

• slippers
• books
• deadlines

reallyzen, 1 month ago

French: “neige” is used. Yes, it means snow.

reallyzen, 1 month ago

Great piece, impressive work; Fedora now ships widevine by default - and it’s not working anymore. I have a recent Asahi install, netflix won’t play (used to work at the time of this blog post).

reallyzen, 1 month ago

Annoying. I am more and more disappointed as I progress through my year plan ; I don’t think I will renew.

reallyzen, 2 months ago

Dropping The List here because answering in detail would take …a very, very long time.

reallyzen, 2 months ago

I do not use a kindle for the same reason. Amazon allows you to create a user email adress attached to mobile-enabled kindles to exchange docs by simply firing an email to that address ; it may not be on current models but 3G Paperwhites had them.

reallyzen, 2 months ago

Uh, you’re outputing 52 DMX universes straight from USB? I have questions!

• What software are you using, and is qlcplus really able to do that?
• Have you ever heard the words ArtNet? SACN?

reallyzen, 2 months ago

Oh, here I thought you was running a fancy dancefloor or something! TIL the creator of that chip was a prick.

reallyzen, 2 months ago

Jean Martin

reallyzen, 2 months ago

DRM-free ebooks. I make a point of buying them, of thanking the publisher… And not sharing it on the usual piracy channels.

reallyzen, 2 months ago

Moi j’avais l’impression de scroller un mur de rectangles noirs sur mon téléphone, en quantité disproportionnée (adblock DNS)

Je suis sur Connect. Mises à jour fréquentes, support via buy-me-a-coffee, pas de chichis ni de tralala et tout ce qu’il faut au lurker modeste.

reallyzen, 2 months ago

Ce qui devrait être résolu depuis exactement ce mois-ci en Europe, merci à notre si décriée bureaucratie bruxelloise !

reallyzen, 2 months ago

C’est (en principe) ouvert à present, mais Apple se comporte vraiment comme un cochon dans ce cas-ci, beurk.

reallyzen, 2 months ago

Ou les génies : reporter la charge de la maintenance de deux produits sur le producteur est plus que vache, c’est pervers. Et là l’UE ne va sans doute pas pouvoir y faire grand chose. Le département Légal de apple doit être encore sous la table à se rouler par terre de rire.

Les saligauds.