dejected_warp_core

the use of language as a means of control [...] well may have been his most prescient point.

While I think Orwell's "newspeak" was contrived, it did illustrate the point in strong relief as something unfamiliar... at least at first. But I don't think he was predicting the future. Instead, I think he was warning the reader of what dangers are already with us.

Honestly, I think this has always been a thing. The spoken word is often inexact as a form of communication efficiency; if the other party has the same ideas in their head as you, pronouns, idioms, recalling past events, are all powerful ways to compress dialogue. However, that same inexactness leaves the door open for doublespeak, dogwhistles, and suggestion in place of fact. Language as a means of control is just in how you use it; the underlying mechanisms were always there.

Oooh, savagely destroying bad projects from last year? Why didn't I think of this?!

I applaud your adherence to the scientific method. Amusingly, this is probably a lot closer to how science is conducted out in the professional world.

Science fairs have always had this "World's Fair" like undercurrent. You're supposed to do actual science and be judged for that. But you can usually get very far with a clickbait-worthy hypothesis like "is it possible to..." or "what is the outcome of..." and ride on pure novelty and wow-factor. I've done both at the same time: eye-popping visuals with a provocative hypothesis, but with real R&D to back it up.

I know this person and, honestly, it's a thing of majesty. These discs have presence, heft, and are valuable. They're collectors items on some level - every last one of them. So what if we're watching "Jaws" or "Aliens" for the 400th time. We're having a real, visceral experience here.

Yeah. I'm starting to think the misspelling is not deliberate, but ironic - it's one thing to have guns and a written warning saying you will use them. It's another to loudly convey that you're this dumb and also have guns.

Oof. Thanks. I hate it.

For those that may need it:

1. Right click and select "inspect"
2. A new panel will open, and the text <img ... will be highlighted. Right click that.
3. Select "Delete Node."
4. Impress your friends with your new hacker skills.

imagine what an ex-KGB agent with unlimited resources can do.

Oh, there's no need to imagine: I'm on the internet right now. I'm probably staring at this kind of state-actor bullshit on a daily basis without even knowing it.

Put any distro in front of me and provided I don't need to master it, I'm good. Ubuntu is fine. Debian is fine. RedHat is fine. Fedora is fine. I even have a tiny low-end system that is using Bohdi. Whatever. We're all using mostly the same kernel anyway.

90% of what I do is in a container anyway so it almost doesn't matter; half the time that means Alpine, but not really. That includes both consuming products from upstream as well as software development. I also practically live in the terminal, so I couldn't care less what GUI subsystem is in play, even while I'm using it.

The only time I've encountered people that care a little too much about what distro is being used, is right after having transitioned to Linux; the sheer liberating potential of the thing can make you lose your head.

I've come across a lot of professional bias about Linux distros, but that's usually due to real-world experience with tough or bad projects. Some times, decisions are made that make a given distro the villain or even the hero of the story. In the end, you'll hear a lot of praise and hate, but context absolutely matters.

There's also the very natural tendency to seek external validation for your actions/decisions. But some people just can't self-actualize in a way that's healthy. Sprinkle a little personal insecurity into the mix and presto: "someone is getting on great with that other Linux I don't use, so Imma get big mad."

Most Americans in such a situation would wind up defying their ancestors in similar ways. A lot of families in the USA can trace their lineage back to people that fled religious persecution, racial injustice, famine, war, and tyrannical government. Migrating to a dictatorship that is currently drafting/conscripting their populace straight into a shooting war is a monstrous step back from all that.

Nevermind that the Russians have/had nuclear stockpiles aimed at our heads. And the USA has Russia targeted in return. Come to think of it, choosing to be down range of the US is not a good idea in general.