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>> Those were the days when we actually had control over our computing equipment. It's tragic they're now gone. << Not at all. Switch to Linux (I did, 20+ yea

>> Those were the days when we actually had control over our computing equipment. It's tragic they're now gone. << Not at all. Switch to Linux (I did, 20+ years ago) and decline to use anything with "smart" in the name, much less give money every month any company that is furthering that perception. Be in control. Encourage others to do the same.

phendrenad2 4y ago
Linux gives you more control, but it's a far cry from a CP/M or DOS environment. For one thing, those computing systems were much simpler, so small changes went a long way. You can still accomplish the same level of control by only using the Linux terminal. To the average user, Linux is just another opinionated, effectively non-modular, effectively source-available stack. Control over your environment is handed over to the collective, instead of a corporation.
- hilbert42 4y ago
  Agreed. See my comment in reply to wlindley.
bogantech 4y ago
Software is only half of the equation
bitwize 4y ago
Even when running Linux, people don't understand let alone control their machines anymore. There are components of your computer which, by design, allow third parties to seize control of it irrespective of the OS you run. The last understandable practical computer was probably the Amiga. And AmigaOS was better understood than Linux despite being closed source, so open source was never a sine qua non in the Amiga community the way it is in the Linux community.
- hilbert42 4y ago
  "Even when running Linux, people don't understand let alone control their machines anymore." Very true. This fact was encompassed in my comment abeit not specifically stated - see my reply to wlindley. Also, the fact is that Linux is now so big and complex that I doubt if any one person fully understands it - not even Linus. This is a far cry from Assembler on an S-100 system where the 'chicken & egg' problem was common. If you couldn't compile the source you couldn't get a 'C:>' to edit the source or run the compiler. By the time one had solved these problems one knew one was actually in control of one's system and not vice versa! :-)
hilbert42 4y ago
I too use Linux and have done so for at least as long as you. I use it for everything from servers, the desktop and Raspberry Pi computers, etc. Why wouldn't I? After getting one's hands dirty with Assembler, S-100 and embedded systems there's little other option. I was speaking metaphorically about the computing industry generally and the way that almost every aspect of it has become proprietary and closed. Yes, we've open software but I'm constantly reminded of the problem whenever people come to me for help with their PCs and laptops running Windows and I find myself of limited use due to the closed nature of both their hardware and software - not to mention the lack of documentation. The same goes for my phones: having to root every phone I get to de-Google it and make it private is no longer fun but an annoying chore. At least we're able to do it, unfortunately most of the population isn't in our fortunate position to do so. Edit: I take your point about encouraging others to do so and I've been doing that for years but I've had limited success outside a select group within the tech community. Even within this group I've found considerable reticence to make the change. It's not as if they're not up to the task but rather it's too much trouble - acquiescing is much easier, especially so when they considerer that they've more important things to do. The fact is it's often hard to make the change and it often involves a great deal of effort. Linux doesn't help either - when I ask my technical colleagues why they don't move to Linux more often than not they'll reply that it's just too different to Windows in every way and that they haven't the time or commitment to do so along with the rider that they'd also have to change everything including their software and set-ups.

phendrenad2 4y ago

Linux gives you more control, but it's a far cry from a CP/M or DOS environment. For one thing, those computing systems were much simpler, so small changes went a long way. You can still accomplish the same level of control by only using the Linux terminal. To the average user, Linux is just another opinionated, effectively non-modular, effectively source-available stack. Control over your environment is handed over to the collective, instead of a corporation.

hilbert42 4y ago
Agreed. See my comment in reply to wlindley.

bogantech 4y ago

Software is only half of the equation

bitwize 4y ago

Even when running Linux, people don't understand let alone control their machines anymore. There are components of your computer which, by design, allow third parties to seize control of it irrespective of the OS you run. The last understandable practical computer was probably the Amiga. And AmigaOS was better understood than Linux despite being closed source, so open source was never a sine qua non in the Amiga community the way it is in the Linux community.

hilbert42 4y ago
"Even when running Linux, people don't understand let alone control their machines anymore." Very true. This fact was encompassed in my comment abeit not specifically stated - see my reply to wlindley. Also, the fact is that Linux is now so big and complex that I doubt if any one person fully understands it - not even Linus. This is a far cry from Assembler on an S-100 system where the 'chicken & egg' problem was common. If you couldn't compile the source you couldn't get a 'C:>' to edit the source or run the compiler. By the time one had solved these problems one knew one was actually in control of one's system and not vice versa! :-)

hilbert42 4y ago

I too use Linux and have done so for at least as long as you. I use it for everything from servers, the desktop and Raspberry Pi computers, etc. Why wouldn't I? After getting one's hands dirty with Assembler, S-100 and embedded systems there's little other option. I was speaking metaphorically about the computing industry generally and the way that almost every aspect of it has become proprietary and closed. Yes, we've open software but I'm constantly reminded of the problem whenever people come to me for help with their PCs and laptops running Windows and I find myself of limited use due to the closed nature of both their hardware and software - not to mention the lack of documentation. The same goes for my phones: having to root every phone I get to de-Google it and make it private is no longer fun but an annoying chore. At least we're able to do it, unfortunately most of the population isn't in our fortunate position to do so. Edit: I take your point about encouraging others to do so and I've been doing that for years but I've had limited success outside a select group within the tech community. Even within this group I've found considerable reticence to make the change. It's not as if they're not up to the task but rather it's too much trouble - acquiescing is much easier, especially so when they considerer that they've more important things to do. The fact is it's often hard to make the change and it often involves a great deal of effort. Linux doesn't help either - when I ask my technical colleagues why they don't move to Linux more often than not they'll reply that it's just too different to Windows in every way and that they haven't the time or commitment to do so along with the rider that they'd also have to change everything including their software and set-ups.