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I agree with all of those. More things that are harder now: * Finding honest product impressions/reviews. * When looking for a configuration setting or tip to

I agree with all of those. More things that are harder now: * Finding honest product impressions/reviews. * When looking for a configuration setting or tip to use any piece of software, find a one minute article with clear bullet points instead of an 11 minute YouTube video with a personal backstory and a VPN sponsorship. * Finding a cooking recipe that isn’t padded with SEO nonsense. * When finding an online discussion or blog article in a search result, being able to read it straight in the (mobile) browser without hostile prompts to make an account and/or download an app. * (Europeans only.) Publish a simple website without worrying that the hosting provider you choose doesn’t perfectly conform to privacy laws that even lawyers won’t explain to you and you’re personally liable for ridiculous damages. * Run software developed by hobby programmers on machines you own. * Connect devices like speakers, keyboards and mice to computers. (Edit: You mention that.) And, completely disagreeing with the article on this one point, this is also harder: * Writing cross-platform UIs. As someone with a lot of hate for Java from back in the day, this is painful to write, but: Java Swing might not have produced the nicest GUIs, but the stack was so much simpler than Electron+Node+Express+Webpack+React+TypeScript (substitute Svelte, Vite or whatever you want), it’s not even funny.

sofixa 5y ago
> * (Europeans only.) Publish a simple website without worrying that the hosting provider you choose doesn’t perfectly conform to privacy laws that even lawyers won’t explain to you and you’re personally liable for ridiculous damages. I'm sorry but that's just FUD. GDPR fines are only for serious infractions with intent, most violators get off with a warning. Furthermore, access logs are OK because they're a legitimate purpose, as long as there's rotation.
- codeflo 5y ago
  Yes, I’m specifically in fear, uncertainty and doubt. To be clear, I’m fully onboard with the intent of the GDPR, but I have no idea how to follow it. And “you’ll be okay, the fines are probably small” is exactly the kind if statement that causes anxiety. I’ve recently tried to figure out if it’s okay to use something like Cloudflare Pages to host a blog. That’s not an esoteric question, but I was unable to get an answer. They’re not based in Europe, the log retention policy is a bit unclear, regulators seem to be disagreeing on whether even their CDN is okay (and Pages is built on top of the CDN). And in Germany, the real danger isn’t a regulator fining you, it’s a private lawyer sending you an “Abmahnung”. Which they will do for any trivial infraction, often using automated platforms.
  - sdoering 5y ago
    Are you located in Germany? If so - welcome to the boat. From experience I personally would not host on CF pages. But, depending on the content and intended audience CF pages could clearly be argued under legitimate interest. You would/should probably have a TIA in place and state that in the privacy part of the site. I know people arguing legitimate interest when using Webflow. Also clearly PD being transmitted towards a non EU country there. As said. Personally I would go with something like uberspace.de as I just like their offering and the fact that I always have a human replying and being helpful when something breaks because I fatfingered it.
  - cabraca 5y ago
    Yeah, Cloudflare Pages is out, same as Github/Gitlab Pages, Netlify and all the other free offerings Hosted by a US Company. Social Login Buttons are probably a problem too, if they automatically redirect. Could be considered a transmission of IP. Game Servers that connect to Steam on client connect are probably a problem too. I like the idea behind GDPR but the implementation is a fucking shitshow.
- sdoering 5y ago
  Agreed. To add to that I would say that publishing a website (if you yourself don't do tracking, advertising, affiliate and all that) is in no way impacted. A simple web site without cookies and not transferring user data elsewhere but the hosting webserver is not impacted at all. At least when hosting with an European host. One needs an imprint and data privacy page. But both is easy (except in specific cases like for MDs that need to add just a little bit of information in the imprint). I support small businesses with their web activities. It did not get overly complicated through GDPR.
  - Tijdreiziger 5y ago
    > One needs an imprint and data privacy page. Really? I have a small personal website with no tracking; I guess my hosting provider collects server logs, but do I really need a privacy page for that? An imprint is something I've only seen on German websites (I recall reading somewhere that those are required by law there).
    - sdoering 5y ago
      In Germany every site that collects, stores and/or processes personal data (PD) is required to have a data privacy explanation that is easily reachable from every page and explains to the user what data is being received, stored, processed and also explain the user's rights (for example the right to be informed, to correct data and so on). At first glance, a "private" page does not directly process personal data and would therefore not require a privacy policy. So if you don't use contact forms, advertising banners, social media plugins, etc., you should be on the safe side. What most don't see: The server on which pages are located (hosted) collects personal data in the background in the form of server log files. These log files contain IP addresses, these addresses are personal data. So yes. Even if the server doesn't log the IP to logfiles as it still receives the IP every site needs a privacy page. There are good privacy page generators, though. Free of cost.
      - Tijdreiziger 5y ago
        > In Germany Well, I'm not in Germany... you didn't mention in your original comment that it only applies to German websites!
- cabraca 5y ago
  Oh boy you have no idea how horrible it is. Check out the latest rulings in that regard. Google Fonts is a big no now. Everything that "transmits PII (including your IP address)" is problematic. Its just a matter of time until all those free static site hosters (github/gitlab pages, netlify, etc) are targeted, cloudflare probably too. Our legal council already told us to "at least add some notification that people are leaving the site" if they click on the social login buttons ... because it could be considered transmission of the IP because of the redirect.
  - tester756 5y ago
    Ain't it Google specific?
PaulDavisThe1st 5y ago
"cross platform" isn't well defined these days, since it may or maynot include mobile and/or browser platforms. That said, Qt is much better to use than Swing ever was, and really no more complex until you want to do things you could not do in Swing anyway. Gtkmm too, from my personal (21+ years) experience.
EdwardDiego 5y ago
Recipes: finding a recipe that doesn't start with 1000 words on why this dish makes the author cry because it reminds them of their dearly departed Nana, followed by anecdotes about Nana.

sofixa 5y ago

> * (Europeans only.) Publish a simple website without worrying that the hosting provider you choose doesn’t perfectly conform to privacy laws that even lawyers won’t explain to you and you’re personally liable for ridiculous damages. I'm sorry but that's just FUD. GDPR fines are only for serious infractions with intent, most violators get off with a warning. Furthermore, access logs are OK because they're a legitimate purpose, as long as there's rotation.

codeflo 5y ago
Yes, I’m specifically in fear, uncertainty and doubt. To be clear, I’m fully onboard with the intent of the GDPR, but I have no idea how to follow it. And “you’ll be okay, the fines are probably small” is exactly the kind if statement that causes anxiety. I’ve recently tried to figure out if it’s okay to use something like Cloudflare Pages to host a blog. That’s not an esoteric question, but I was unable to get an answer. They’re not based in Europe, the log retention policy is a bit unclear, regulators seem to be disagreeing on whether even their CDN is okay (and Pages is built on top of the CDN). And in Germany, the real danger isn’t a regulator fining you, it’s a private lawyer sending you an “Abmahnung”. Which they will do for any trivial infraction, often using automated platforms.
- sdoering 5y ago
  Are you located in Germany? If so - welcome to the boat. From experience I personally would not host on CF pages. But, depending on the content and intended audience CF pages could clearly be argued under legitimate interest. You would/should probably have a TIA in place and state that in the privacy part of the site. I know people arguing legitimate interest when using Webflow. Also clearly PD being transmitted towards a non EU country there. As said. Personally I would go with something like uberspace.de as I just like their offering and the fact that I always have a human replying and being helpful when something breaks because I fatfingered it.
- cabraca 5y ago
  Yeah, Cloudflare Pages is out, same as Github/Gitlab Pages, Netlify and all the other free offerings Hosted by a US Company. Social Login Buttons are probably a problem too, if they automatically redirect. Could be considered a transmission of IP. Game Servers that connect to Steam on client connect are probably a problem too. I like the idea behind GDPR but the implementation is a fucking shitshow.
sdoering 5y ago
Agreed. To add to that I would say that publishing a website (if you yourself don't do tracking, advertising, affiliate and all that) is in no way impacted. A simple web site without cookies and not transferring user data elsewhere but the hosting webserver is not impacted at all. At least when hosting with an European host. One needs an imprint and data privacy page. But both is easy (except in specific cases like for MDs that need to add just a little bit of information in the imprint). I support small businesses with their web activities. It did not get overly complicated through GDPR.
- Tijdreiziger 5y ago
  > One needs an imprint and data privacy page. Really? I have a small personal website with no tracking; I guess my hosting provider collects server logs, but do I really need a privacy page for that? An imprint is something I've only seen on German websites (I recall reading somewhere that those are required by law there).
  - sdoering 5y ago
    In Germany every site that collects, stores and/or processes personal data (PD) is required to have a data privacy explanation that is easily reachable from every page and explains to the user what data is being received, stored, processed and also explain the user's rights (for example the right to be informed, to correct data and so on). At first glance, a "private" page does not directly process personal data and would therefore not require a privacy policy. So if you don't use contact forms, advertising banners, social media plugins, etc., you should be on the safe side. What most don't see: The server on which pages are located (hosted) collects personal data in the background in the form of server log files. These log files contain IP addresses, these addresses are personal data. So yes. Even if the server doesn't log the IP to logfiles as it still receives the IP every site needs a privacy page. There are good privacy page generators, though. Free of cost.
    - Tijdreiziger 5y ago
      > In Germany Well, I'm not in Germany... you didn't mention in your original comment that it only applies to German websites!
cabraca 5y ago
Oh boy you have no idea how horrible it is. Check out the latest rulings in that regard. Google Fonts is a big no now. Everything that "transmits PII (including your IP address)" is problematic. Its just a matter of time until all those free static site hosters (github/gitlab pages, netlify, etc) are targeted, cloudflare probably too. Our legal council already told us to "at least add some notification that people are leaving the site" if they click on the social login buttons ... because it could be considered transmission of the IP because of the redirect.
- tester756 5y ago
  Ain't it Google specific?

PaulDavisThe1st 5y ago

"cross platform" isn't well defined these days, since it may or maynot include mobile and/or browser platforms. That said, Qt is much better to use than Swing ever was, and really no more complex until you want to do things you could not do in Swing anyway. Gtkmm too, from my personal (21+ years) experience.

EdwardDiego 5y ago

Recipes: finding a recipe that doesn't start with 1000 words on why this dish makes the author cry because it reminds them of their dearly departed Nana, followed by anecdotes about Nana.