I do that too but only because it’s much easier to help my relatives with Linux than those with Windows.

I even “convert” some people because Llinux is easier for them if I just manage it. I had a neighbor that was using Window on a very old computer, it was slow and choking under the weight of simple updates. Plus, she was always asking me why her computer kept rebooting by itself while it was obviously Windows update. So I installed Mint and all the problems went away.

Anyway I don’t want to have to deal with Microsoft accounts, licenses, office365, the general bloat, the ads, the new versions of Windows… I have enough at work, so if I am going to help on my free time, it has to be on the OS I find easier to deal with.

Le singe est sur la branche.

As long as the tech or the software doesn’t become obsolete, or the company doesn’t go bankrupt.

You know about the blind people that were able to see for a while but the company making their implants went bankrupt, leaving them blind once more, as their their implants will eventually all stop working?

Yet in 2020, Byland had to find out secondhand that the company had abandoned the technology and was on the verge of going bankrupt. While his two-implant system is still working, he doesn’t know how long that will be the case. “As long as nothing goes wrong, I’m fine,” he says. “But if something does go wrong with it, well, I’m screwed. Because there’s no way of getting it fixed.”

https://spectrum.ieee.org/bionic-eye-obsolete

It’s obviously understandable to want to try something, anything, to help with a disability, but relying on private for profit companies for experimental medical devices is far from ideal.

Addendum: Also, disabled people are unfortunately often used as an excuse to push agendas. “We can’t have a bike lane there! Think about handicapped people using their car!” Or like "Tesla’s FSD will help disabled people get around No need to fund dirty dangerous public transit!! " Or again “Neuralink is going to help disabled people so they must have good intentions and obviously not plan on selling these to the general public eventuality. It’s purely for the embiggening of society!”

FSD is soooo full self driving that blind people can’t use it as it requires constant babysitting, and more importantly, a driver’s license and thr ability to drive a car… for a car that’s supposed to drive itself.

Anything coming from Musk is obviously a scam. He’s a con artist. He will say anything to convince people. He keeps promising his shit is always just on the verge of revolution but it’s mainly just empty words for hype.

Helping the disabled is probably just an afterthought for Neuralink. People are so desperate, they will try anything, and Neuralink will be the creep profiting off them.

I was 15 during the 1998 ice storm.

It’s obviously not as dangerous as a tornado or an earthquake or a flood, but it’s still a natural disaster, and disrupted society in the region for weeks and months.

At first it was difficult to realize the size of the catastrophe but then millions went without power, the infrastructure crumbled under the ice and roads became impracticable. The magnitude of the disaster became apparent when the army had to come and help.

Luckily I lived in a rural area at the time and we relied on a wood furnace for heat and hot water. We also shared a generator with other family members so I had power a few hours a day. Compared to people without heat water, food or electricity, it went ok for my family.

It took about 10 days for my region to have power back, while others had to wait for up to 30 days.

This left its mark on me and now I try to be prepared, have batteries charged, solar panels, water reserves, food for a few days, a camping stove, ways to keep warm, etc., just in case.

This reminds me of the efforts made against tobacco and for cleaner air in certain areas, but it also reminds me how we do this for other things too.

Radium toothpaste, lead paint and asbestos curtains.

So, as someone that sees cars as a significant source of pollution, from exhausts, brake pads and tires, I find it ironic that some places are banning outdoor smoking in public areas while it’s perfectly acceptable to drive a gas guzzler around and among those places.

Like, I’m so grateful nobody can smoke around me on that restaurant’s terrace, this way I can fully enjoy breathing the pollution from the thousand of cars around.