distributions started out with solving the problem that most developers at that time didn't even bother to build ready to run packages. they couldn't, because there were to many different architectures that not everyone had access to. so developers had to rely on users to build the applications for themselves. distributions then organized around that to make this easier for users. that's how the port system in BSD came about. linux distributions went a step further and built distributable binaries.

the problem was to not predict that developers would want more control over the build of their applications, which, thanks to architectures consolidating, became easier because now a single binary will reach the majority of your userbase. and the need to support multiple versions of the same library or app in the package manager. that support should have been there from the start, and now its difficult to fix that.

so it's unfair to say distros are wrong. yes, it's not an ideal design, but this is more of an accident of history, some lack of foresight, and the desire to keep things simple by having only the newest version of each package.

there is a conflict between the complexity of supporting multiple package versions vs the complexity of getting applications to work with the specific library versions the distro supports. when distros started out it looked like the latter would be better for everyone. distributions tended to have the latest versions of libraries and fixing apps to work with those benefited the apps in most cases.

the threat here is not "cloud losing your data". the threat is "cloud denying access to your data". it's like when someone breaks up with you and you still have stuff at their house. good luck getting that back.

the way i understand it is that the law says decisions must be reviewed by a human (and i am guessing should also be overrideable), but this still leaves the question how the review is done and what information the human has to make the review.

exactly this. FOSS was always driven by those who could code and did so driven by their own intrinsic motivation. those people won't disappear. there may be less people because some are more driven by quick results and while in the past they had to code to get there, now they don't, which means they won't discover the joy of coding.

but for others coding will become an art and craft like woodworking or other hobbies that require mastery.

People wrote code in the hopes that others would read it think positive about them and maybe improve things. Those projects are going away

having been involved with FOSS for more than 30 years, i never came across that sentiment. not that it didn't exist, but i'd guess it is a small minority. people who write code to feel good about themselves likely don't make good project leaders anyways. they won't be missed.

People write code for a variety of reasons but the ones who stop coding and spend time trying to publicize their project generally want people's attention. They find pleasure in sharing.

People will still write code for a variety of reasons but why bother sharing if no one is listening.

i am paying for my privacy. or, i am refusing to sell out my privacy for any amount of money. and i disagree that it is expensive. the difference can't be more than 10-20%. that's worth it for me.

It's not clear you're actually buying any privacy. The cameras they have in stores will be used for tracking customers soon anyway, and not having a tracking identifier associated with your transactions make you stick out like a sore thumb.

camera tracking is illegal in many places, and while my shopping may stick out, it still can't easily be tied to my identity. i only pay with cash too. the only place where i use cards is on ATMs.

yeah, i'd like to know that too. i have a oneplus nord running /e/OS and i am quite happy with it. in fact it's probably the best phone i had so far performance wise (i got it refurbished at a very good price which may have something to do with that though)

are all starlink connections routed through the US?

don't they do local downlinks? at least for countries they have an agreement with or where the infrastructure is available?

What does it matter where they are routed through? You think your Starlink service in Germany is beyond the control of Musk or the US government?

i misread the parent. i read it as depending on the US internet but they meant depending on US regulations. so yes, it doesn't matter for the latter.

I think Musk cares about revenue more than pissing off some random customer in Germany. As long as you don't stand out from the crowd, he'd rather have your $40. Use a VPN to be sure.

Until the us government says to withhold service or to tap the line.

Musk is a subject of the US president. Like all American CEO’s he has to pay his tribute and jump when the president’s law enforcement says to.

If you don't stand out, and use a VPN, they can get nothing. If they cut your service, well, you can switch back to DT, crap as it is.

No. My endpoint is in Berlin. Which implies there is a EU based major downlink somewhere.

Who owns and controls starlink? A local downlink dish or a US defense contractor?

is there any FOSS based webmail and/or IMAP that supports tagging instead of folders?

i use supmua (which inspired notmuch) which like gmail uses tags instead of folders. i could not go back to a folder based system. but i am really missing a webmail interface that works with tags.

what's your exit strategy? if i got a letter like that i'd either be out switching jobs at the first opportunity, or i'd ignore it until i get fired for refusing to comply, while hoping that disaster strikes before that happens, or maybe just hoping that noone notices.

it very much depends on how prepared the parents are. if you or your partner grew up with a lot of siblings you have plenty of examples from your own childhood to draw on that make things easier.

i didn't have that, so i struggled, especially in the beginning, not because it felt hard, but simply because i didn't know what to do. the mechanics are easy to learn, feeding, changing, sleep, etc, but beyond that i simply had no examples to draw on. but i was able to compensate that with continuously being aware that this is what i wanted. i chose this adventure, and i was not going to despair over making that choice, nor would i regret it.

but we were also lucky, and our kids were not fussy and slept well. they got plenty of breastfeeding because nobody told my wife when or how to stop and she didn't complain, so she stopped when the kids were ready on their own.