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I have a hard time squaring the push of this, with the rise of the embedded VSCode in github to edit in your browser. Actually, really just the damned browser.

by taeric 3y ago

I have a hard time squaring the push of this, with the rise of the embedded VSCode in github to edit in your browser. Actually, really just the damned browser. It has been both a god send for software delivery and by far the biggest mistake/road block in building local software. I remember in college I commented that I used a web browser based email provider because it was easily accessible, and one of the old guard chided that telnet was more accessible. I honestly felt properly chided and didn't understand why I was more inclined to think the web would be available. Fast forward to today, and I don't know many people at all that don't use a browser based email system. We certainly exist, but not in meaningful numbers. Then there is the sheer idiocy of keeping up with home storage options. It isn't that a terabyte drive is expensive. It is that keeping it indexed with the latest search friendly media is. Why do that when you can offload the idea to someone else? (There are certainly reasons, but they are niche.) Worse, we're a generation or three removed from people that built giant media collections that become liabilities more than anything else. I literally have a stack of records behind me with no record player. I have a few CDs that aren't available on streaming platforms behind me, and I don't really have a CD player anymore. Mountains of books that make me happy to have, but I'd be a liar if I claimed they were wise purchases. Most, if I'm honest, were hoarder indulgences that I should have kept closer tabs on by using a library. In the modern world, I can donate to authors easily enough. So, I'd love for some of this story to be true. I just don't see it.

YurgenJurgensen 3y ago
Is a physical media collection any more of a liability than a streaming service? If whoever you're paying wants to double their prices, throw in ads, pull your favourite series, replace your favourite book with one that's been "updated for modern audiences", ban you because they think your doorbell is racist, ban you because they automatically detected an infringing performance of 4'33" in your cloud storage or stop supporting your device because they want you to rent their own, they can say "We have altered the deal, pray we do not alter it any further." and there's nothing you can do. Trusting your data or anything you care about to someone else's computer is the real liability.
- taeric 3y ago
  For different definitions of "liability?" Losing access to media sorta sucks, but is honestly not that big of a deal for the vast majority of it folks have. Consider that the vast majority of consumed media forever has been radio and broadcast/cable. And until very recently, you either saw the show live, or you missed it. Really isn't much different and you don't typically feel a loss that you can't watch last year's show. Same goes for newspapers or any other physical thing you can get delivered. I have some magazines that I do keep in good condition as they made me happy to have them on a book shelf. I cannot justify that in any way that doesn't ultimately lead to hoarding, though. I think these should be available and preserved, but I see little benefit in having everyone preserve their own movie collection. To get sad on it, go look at any estate sale and see how many VHS tapes many older generations collected.
  - YurgenJurgensen 3y ago
    Who is doing the preservation in your world if not 'everyone'? Every individual party has things they'd rather not exist, so the only way to ensure media is preserved is to just make lots of copies among lots of parties.
    - taeric 3y ago
      I appreciate the idea, but I assure you that the vast majority of media that people hold on to are tossed when they die. To that end, I'm very much in favor of enabling and strengthening libraries. Note that I'm also not against letting people build up these collections. I don't share in the romanticizing of building up giant collections of media that you still don't own. Yes, you can sell the media to someone else. No, you don't have any real ownership of the story or contents. And with how hard preserving digital media actually is, few are doing a good job preserving those.

by taeric 3y ago

YurgenJurgensen 3y ago

Is a physical media collection any more of a liability than a streaming service? If whoever you're paying wants to double their prices, throw in ads, pull your favourite series, replace your favourite book with one that's been "updated for modern audiences", ban you because they think your doorbell is racist, ban you because they automatically detected an infringing performance of 4'33" in your cloud storage or stop supporting your device because they want you to rent their own, they can say "We have altered the deal, pray we do not alter it any further." and there's nothing you can do. Trusting your data or anything you care about to someone else's computer is the real liability.

taeric 3y ago
For different definitions of "liability?" Losing access to media sorta sucks, but is honestly not that big of a deal for the vast majority of it folks have. Consider that the vast majority of consumed media forever has been radio and broadcast/cable. And until very recently, you either saw the show live, or you missed it. Really isn't much different and you don't typically feel a loss that you can't watch last year's show. Same goes for newspapers or any other physical thing you can get delivered. I have some magazines that I do keep in good condition as they made me happy to have them on a book shelf. I cannot justify that in any way that doesn't ultimately lead to hoarding, though. I think these should be available and preserved, but I see little benefit in having everyone preserve their own movie collection. To get sad on it, go look at any estate sale and see how many VHS tapes many older generations collected.
- YurgenJurgensen 3y ago
  Who is doing the preservation in your world if not 'everyone'? Every individual party has things they'd rather not exist, so the only way to ensure media is preserved is to just make lots of copies among lots of parties.
  - taeric 3y ago
    I appreciate the idea, but I assure you that the vast majority of media that people hold on to are tossed when they die. To that end, I'm very much in favor of enabling and strengthening libraries. Note that I'm also not against letting people build up these collections. I don't share in the romanticizing of building up giant collections of media that you still don't own. Yes, you can sell the media to someone else. No, you don't have any real ownership of the story or contents. And with how hard preserving digital media actually is, few are doing a good job preserving those.