There’s another way to think about it which I actually use. Look in the empty bin and say “zero”, then move an apple and say “one”.

That would be wrong in every technical sense. You’re saying that .first() would skip the 0th item.

First = leftmost.

I thought it was. What a missed opportunity.

You did get me there.

On the other hand, you can make identification difficult.

Use a root app that disables all network hardware while the device is locked, and randomize your MAC on public networks. Also use a carrier (if available) that purports to be ethical.

There are various issues with my statements: your SIM identifies you, there are ways to identify people across different networks even if their MAC is randomized, and even “ethical” carriers still use towers from other providers, which can of course triangulate your position.

That said though, if you take the proper precautions using a smart phone would be no worse than a flip phone.

Actual, undeniable issues? Sure! However, and you may have heard this before, a tool is just a tool. Technology is neither good nor bad–it depends entirely upon how you use it.

Demonstrably inferior? This is simply and objectively untrue. They are not inferior in any ways whatsoever. How healthy they are, for the user, is not the only metric to consider. There is also the productivity side.

They make phone calls, they make texts, and then on top of the basics, you have access to much of mankind’s collective knowledge catalogued at your fingertips. Whether or not that knowledge is actually correct is a judgment call. Whether or not you use your phone for video games, YouTube shorts, TikTok, and porn, is up to the individual user, and is indicative of the lifestyle that they choose to live. It has nothing to do with the tool that was put in their hands, and much more to do with the morality of the companies that serve the content that provides them gratification–and the ability of the individual to resist temptation.

As for tracking, if you are reasonably educated about the technology that you use on a daily basis, it is easy to circumvent the tracking and spying that happens. An example of this would be Calyx OS. Yes, you’ll be putting in more maintenance, but do you do your own car repairs? Maybe it’s time to advocate for ourselves and make an industry of privacy conscious smartphones.

Addendum: As for mobile UI, yes, it sucks, and companies keep hiring terrible developers that use the wrong tools for the job. That’s what happens when you’re mostly focused on your bottom line and don’t want to pay for the skill that is actually required to make decent software.

Ok Grandpa

Mine are the serial numbers of Star ships.

Why not LTSC?

I don’t understand how this is possible, two parents that use Linux and he thinks Windows is the way to go? Kids in school are actually idiots.

That said, I can’t get any of my family to use Linux. My friend tried for a while but asked me to put Windows 10 LTSC on it instead, because he wanted to click “Install” on Steam without worrying about messing with Proton settings and checking ProtonDB, which is reasonable. Some just don’t want to do the extra work, I hope some day that operating systems on our favorite kernel make it easy for plebians to use.