About Time
Microsoft and Google have ruined computing and the internet for me! After twenty years of using Google and thirty years of using Microsoft, both of these companies have pushed me to make radical changes.
This comes on the heels of my getting back to a more analog-friendly lifestyle anyway. I should have made these changes a long time ago. In fact, I did try to switch to Linux about twenty-five years ago. I think it was the Kali distro (I think). It ended in tears since I had no idea what I was doing and I went running back to Microsoft. Not this time. The copilot AI nonsense, keylogging from the OS, constant ads, and the constant surveillance of these companies on their users, and there are plenty of other bad actors who are part of this surveillance, it is enough! I’ve had it! Microsoft won’t even allow its new distro, Windows 11, on to computers that lack the certain brand new AI chip requirements, bringing the hated forced obsolescence to mind, something I railed against years ago when I was still on Blogger.
I thought about rolling back to Windows Vista, my favorite Windows, or Windows 7, but the security issues make me nervous. Microsft is no longer supporting these versions, especially not Vista. Vista was the most beautiful version of Microsoft and I loved it and 7 is a close second. But given that Linux has made great strides in making distros for non-technical users, and is well known for giving users more privacy, I decided on Linux and I won’t be using Google search anymore. I’m also migrating from Gmail. I will alert subscribers of my new email soon. There shouldn’t be any changes subscribers have to make on their end. Later this year I’ll be getting a de-googled phone. I’m excited by this!
Lately, I’ve been getting more into physical books (naturally, as a writer) old stereos, record players, records, old radios, CDs, DVDs and all manner of physical media. After all, I’m a child of the 70’s and 80’s. I grew up with analog stuff. I’m even looking into shortwave radio. More on that later this year. Anything to fight what Shoshana Zuboff called The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, the name of a very good book, which of course, she is the author. Leaving some of this stuff behind has given me more time to be more productive and it has increased my happiness overall. when ads and social media posts aren’t making you feel inadequate as a human being and driving you crazy trying to keep up with everything, you can relax and find better things to do. Like I’ve said, this should have been done years ago. Well, the next best time to do it is now.
