my methods for downloading content for offline perusal that interests me evolve constantly. some of us have been doing for this song and dance for decades, and \
if you want to know how to distribute controversial antifascist content, ask a porn addict
That jumped out to me as well. Even using something like Thunderbird with GMail (even though you really should try moving somewhere that respects your privacy) has such a better feel to it.
Yes, exactly. I'm still in that intermediate position myself. I'm using Thunderbird and K9-Mail as clients for my Hotmail Account (Microsoft).
It's seems like so much work to move away from the email account I signed up for some 20 years ago, so I've still shied away from doing it so far. At least I started using a password manager a few years ago, so by now I have a list of services, that would require updating.
Realize that you have an ordered there in a while and you moved since the last time you ordered, you updated your billing address but it didn't update the shipping address product is now headed toward your old house.
I remember back in the day we had a popup blocker. Now we are bombarded by popups, but inside the website instead of new windows. The most annoying part is the times delay on them. When the page is loaded, you want to click on a link, but a fraction of a second before you click a promotion pops up and you click on that. Or the Google ads when searching. Click result.... Oh no, the ads loaded in, I clicked on an ad instead. Fuck you.
The amount of effort you need to put in to get the info you want. So annoying! They try so hard to keep you on their website as well. When I want to know a shortcut in excel:
search for the shortcut
missclick an ad
try again
find page with info
close cookies
close promotion
need to login for info, go back to Google and try again
close cookies
close promotion
start reading...
info about what excel is used for
history of excel
story about the many shortcuts excel has
close popup for newsletter
story about different key on keaybord for windows and Apple
story about why you would need this action you're searching for
buildup to explanation what the actual shortcut is
We have driver's licence as an app in norway. I was on my way into a pub where I was asked by a bouncer to show ID. I forgot my physical wallet with physical ID, so the dance started:
Unlock phone.
Find app.
App requires national login. Enter personal number (Norwegian SSN)
National login has 2FA via another app. Open that to confirm.
National login requires password. My password is in a password manager, so I open that.
Password manager requires password.
and 2FA.
Acquire password and scramble back to the app that required password for national log on.
Complete login so I can show that I am 33 years old, which is over the required age of 18.
In reality, the bouncer just gave up on me at around step 5 and let me in.
In Norway, it has been a long tradition to do as many drinks as possible at home before heading to the bars, due to steep prices in bars. So I was pretty "beautiful" at that point, which does not help with running passwords and 2FAs
Yesterday, I was on the train and the lady checking the tickets at first walked past me without checking mine. After more people had gotten on, she made her route back down the train, when she asked me, if she had checked mine – hmm, she must've checked mine – so, she was already about to walk on and out of reflex, I said that she had actually skipped me before.
Felt a bit silly to then get out my ticket and show it to her, since I clearly wouldn't have told her to ckeck me, if I didn't have a valid ticket. Kind of same energy as with your bouncer, like you wouldn't have all this stuff on your phone and spend the time trying to get into it, if it won't lead to anything.
Either he was being a dick (fairly likely all bounces are) or you have a really good moisturizing regimen because there's no way that a 33-year-old would look like they're under 18.
I definitely do not look like an 18-year old. But I was entering with a group consisting of a variety of looks, so it was just a thing to check everyone.
Cookie dismisser extension, bitwarden for passwords and 2FA codes, uBlock origin for annoying popups that can't be removed with DNS blocker directly.
There are ways to reduce the pain somewhat, but they shouldn't be necessary in first place.
(Well, hoomans and passwords are an issue that can't be solved easily, but the push for passkeys has been a nice nudge in a more secure and more usable alternative.)
What browser are you using? Chrome pushed it's new extension requirements and killed ublock. Firefox just dropped a bomb about selling personal info I think.
I like to tell people that using uBlock origin means the computer doesn't have to render images and text in adds, so it is actually more environmentally friendly to have it installed than running the browser raw.
It's a thin argument, but I'm happy to see that some people have jumped on because of it.
Missed the step towards the end were you have to switch browser and restart the whole process because "Firefox not supported" or you've an extension that's a bit overzealous on blocking the checkout popup window.
Sure, at step 17 you are certain it's showing ngwt14 but it fails then takes you to an almost twenty year old "identify the motorcycles" with 8 pictures of a partial wheel... or is it a bicycle? And do they mean plural as in for the whole thing or in each image?
The latest one is where they show you a picture of it deformed owl and ask you to find all other deformed owls. It's great because humans are really good identifying pictures of distorted animals, it's definitely something we evolve to do.
26: unsubscribe from the email promos that the site automatically signed you up to even though you didn't check the Subscribe to newsletter box, which requires you to log into the site and find and uncheck all the boxes in the "contact settings".
26a: Note that they will simply add more categories over time and helpfully subscribe you to each of the new ones whether you ever visit the site again or not.
Unsubscribe is for real suckers only. When someone clicks that I always imagine some goon elbowing the guy next to him and saying something like, "look Keith we got another" unsubscriber" over here! With a big goofy grin on his face.
How people can deal with internet without adblockers like uBlock is just baffling. Not only ads, but also all the cookie banners and phone app popups and other crap. uBlock will filter all this shit out so you just use the website without junk and annoyances.
I've used the original Windscribe back when it was still a regular x86 app that acted like a local proxy and would filter out ads and banners. That was early 2000s iirc. Even back then I couldn't stand all this crap. Today I can't imagine browsing without uBlock or at minimum with DNS filtering which can't apply cosmetic filters or more advanced rules.
Just want to post this here for anyone not aware... uBlock "medium" mode.
Kind of an unadvertised feature that has to be enabled in a strangely obscure way (I think they want to make sure you're not a complete idiot).
Still, pretty easy to set up, and much more protection than the default (but also not nearly as frustrating as "hard" mode or whatever they call it). Basically, most sites you visit are going to be broken the first time you go, but you enable elements you need for the site to load, then save those settings for that domain. Takes about 30 seconds or so once you know what you're doing and you only need to do it once per domain. Basically, I keep 1st and 3rd-party scripts off completely most of the time. It's relatively rare that I absolutely need to enable 1st party scripts on a page for it to load.
It's kind of like uBlock + noscript learning mode. The element zapper is clutch as well, but that's not unique to medium mode or anything.
DNS level ad blocks have been a huge game changer for me. When I play games at home, no ads. Then when I go out and play those games, I forget that they have ads.
Don’t forget that it saved all of your credit card info except for the secret code. then you search for the card and find the stupid code and enter it and then it tells you that there was an unknown error and to try a new card.
you forgot that you need to select more options, scroll down, read every box carefully to make sure on doesnt mean off and off doesnt mean on, make sure you dont hit the button that ignores your choices and turns everything on anyways......
Step 4 is a bit optimistic. Usually when I search something there are 30 products of what I specifically don't want before finding the single listing of what I do want.
Recent example. Needed a 8v 1A transformer
Searched AC to AC 8v 1A
Every listing on the first 3 pages were universal AC to DC adaptors that didn't have an 8v setting. the dials all went 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12.
Yes, e commerce sites which want revenue, developed a search that worked and then broke it to give you less relevant results, hoping you will go to the competition.
It is well known that companies have revenue. Line must not go up!
I had one the other day, choose to login with password or the magic email link. I know my password, let me in fucker. Oh no, you still have to go to your email and click on some link to verify it’s really you.
2 seems simple, but every site uses a slightly different variation for opt-in, but every variant is based on your lizard brain being tempted to click accept. The sites that make you scroll through 938 'legitimate interest" partners to get the "reject all" option are particularly shit.
I know that 2FA is not that convenient, but it greatly improves security. Especially for users who use the same email password combination for multiple accounts
Actually last time, I clicked on the wrong button on Amazon and the item have been ordered in one click. Obviously that wasn't what I wanted to do and needed to cancel it which wasn't a one click action.
I'm pretty sure we could make this into a satirical puzzle game.
You would defuse a connected bomb by remotely shutting it down through an awful mobile app.
I hate Amazon as much as everyone but they win because they make it easy and have good return policies and shipping. People care more about things being easy than being the cheapest.