> Personally I'm going to move out of the country as soon as it forbids the cash transactions
Which country is it? In many jurisdictions cash transactions are already illegal above certain threshold. It might be that you won't have too many places to go.
I absolutely should not anthropomorphise LLMs, but I can't get rid of the feelling that "it" was writing this answer with a mischievous smirk, and was having a lot of fun in the process.
Don't take me wrong, but it certainly sounds that your mom needs some Linux in her life. Pick a stable distro, set things up once, leave them be. For basic stuff like web browsing Linux is stable, reliable and won't do any surprises for you.
She has Ubuntu for a long time and it was really good. I forgot why I left Windows in the new machine, but I think she’s dependent on Zoom at least, maybe a couple of other apps. I may give Ubuntu or Mint another go when I’m visiting next time.
In either case, it’s insane that it’s come to the point where Linux is recommended on the basis of UX for non-savvy people. I wish vendors has these options and support, but people who don’t have a savvy friend or family member will probably never even have a chance to consider it.
If what Google does - closely observing us, collecting the data for further analysis, often without our knowledge or permission - is not surveillance, then what it is? Which word should we use to describe these activities?
I would say a "data-driven business model". Google is not "closely observing us" in the sense that a policeman surveilles a criminal. And it's not without our knowledge or permission. Google won't learn much about you unless you volunteer the information. At worse, it might learn that a certain browser visited X or Y website (until the browser cookies are cleared). Plus, they collect data to improve their services and serve relevant ads, not to put people in jail.
An honest question from someone without a car or a driving license: why exactly were you renting/borrowing these SUVs and trucks? Where does the need come from, what were you transporting?
Home Depot will rent you a Ford 250 for an 75 minutes for $19. I've done this a few times and it's a great option for the once or twice a year you actually need to haul something heavy.
€3k today is a price of an expensive laptop or an expensive bicycle (e.g. a bakfiets). €3k in ten years will be the price of a normal laptop or a normal bicycle.
How not being able to buy a laptop or a bicycle without asking permission from third parties is a good thing?
The point isn't that nothing costs €3k, but that regular working people rarely have €3k physical cash on hand. Money goes into their bank accounts via direct deposit and they spend it digitally.
In my opinion it's not unthinkable that an older person, someone without a bank account, or someone who works odd-jobs, might save cash in a drawer (regardless of whether that's advisable) for a long time for a larger purchase, like a used car bought in-person directly from someone else. Should we ban that?
Is it possible to have no bank account in the Netherlands? Don't you need one to pay taxes? (I think it's a right to have one and banks must offer a free option.)
Your online banking will stop working on your unapproved software, just like your baking app stopped working on your rooted/old Android phone some 3-5 years ago.
> Since I've been hosting Tor Nodes since I was 14
Honest question: why do people host exit nodes when they aren't 14 anymore?
Given how dangerous it is to host one, and how little personal benefit one gets from it, I kinda assumed most exit nodes are hosted by three-letter agencies from various countries. Is that so? If not, how so?
At whom? You, your friends and family are the ones who chose to make this the method. If most people didn't have Facebook accounts, it wouldn't be the default for these things.
Which country is it? In many jurisdictions cash transactions are already illegal above certain threshold. It might be that you won't have too many places to go.