I could be wrong, but if I remember correctly, the Thinkpad x61 was the last version to ship without Intel ME, and I assumed the meme was a nod to that.

Tower’s explanation of blobs is kind of strange and not really correct. In a general sense a binary blob is just a situation where you have open-source software that is combined with proprietary components.

Most relevant example to the meme is that the Linux kernel is open-source, but can sometimes contain drivers that are proprietary and don’t have source code available. Those proprietary drivers would be the blobs.

As a counter-example, the linux-libre kernel that devfuuu linked to, is a version of the Linux kernel that has had all the blobs removed.

The Snowden docs proved that the NSA was intentionally weakening some encryption standards to make them amenable for cracking.

Then there’s also the constant pressure from the FBI to make it law that encryption technologies must have backdoors. These are both public record.

Use a long series of spaces as your password. At least that way they’ll have to do a double take when they crack the hash.

Fragile masculinity.

I do find it weird there’s been this resurgence of fixation on superficial motifs being associated with masculinity, but the guys who parrot these views all have an appearance that screams, “I want to blend in and be invisible!”

Nothing masculine about tepid conformity.

👀

Whoa, what are all those things you have?

Don’t forget the copies sealed in faraday containers.

Thanks for reminding me about this.

What is that?

My rationale with Debian is that distros are kind of like portals to entire compendiums of free and open-source software. With the increasing attacks on vpns in particular right now, I’m concerned there are any number of programs we take for granted that we might not have access to soon.

The internet is already deeply enshittified. There is a real possibility that it will no longer be a free and open web in any capacity soon. So it’s past time to make archives, and start setting up meshnets.

Nothing in particular that I’m aware of, just a growing recognition that things are very much not well in the US these days.

Curious about the mindset of the one (so far) person who has downvoted this post. What is there to dislike about archiving Linux and Wikipedia? 🤔

I never did fully go through with installing gentoo. I should give it a try for fun one of these days.

That is the unfortunate thing, it is clearly a very well designed controller. Even just the form factor - unlike any other controller I’ve had, the Xbox one has a just right feel to it. And it has by far the best dpad I’ve used (albeit loud).

Although I’ve always grown up with Sony controllers, so for me the ideal would be something like the Xbox controller, but with both analogs either on bottom or top (like the Wii U Pro controller).

Yeah after some searches it sounded like updating the controller might fix the bootloop issue. Running the accessories app for the controller through Linux seemed like a no-go, so for me the path of least resistance was putting Windows on an old laptop I don’t generally use anymore.

Updating fixed the bootloop issue, until it didn’t. The lesson I’m taking from all of this is to not buy Xbox controllers anymore. Currently the DualSense is my main, but I’m looking at the Gulikit ES Pro at some point.

If I ever find a controller that has a companion app that natively runs on Linux, that’s what I will prefer. But really, controllers needing to be updated is dumb to begin with.

Yeah I check in on React OS every few months. Maybe someday I’ll give it a try, but it’s still so much in alpha status.

Cool, I will try that out.

I used to work a food service job that had computerized touchscreen scales for weighing out products and printing out labels for them.

I learned that particular model was running an OS vaguely labeled as “Linux”, and it was on an ARM-based system. My biggest regret in that job was abstaining from trying to get Doom running on it.

Please bypass work restrictions.