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daemonhxckergrrl · 2 years

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Getting Linux-y (for Windows refugees)

a casual users' GUIDE to the basics

Linux ? isn't that for nerds ??

yes. no. we're breaking down stereotypes here !! this post is aimed at casual users who care about freedom + privacy, are sick of the direction Windows is heading, or just curious c:

i'm talking social media, email, web browsing, online shopping, pdfs, document writing, funny meme edits, youtube/netflix/plex, spotify, dvds + cds + mp3s etc.

i'll mention gaming and running specific Windows-only software briefly, but that's outside the casual scope i'm going for d:

Arm thyself ! and decipher !! arcane secrets be upon ye !!

it's key knowledge time !! ^w^

Linux isn't Windows, but it's not completely alien :o

much like Tumblr, one curates their Linux experience. there are flavours of Linux (terminology: distribution/distro) aimed at power users who like to DIY, and there's ones aimed at normal folk that are ready to go. for the sake of this GUIDE i'm recommending Linux Mint:

its interface is similar to Windows,

it's popular as a user-friendly choice

and it has both excellent support and software

(note: i ran Mint for years, and when coming back to Linux i chose it for my gaming pc because it's easy to set up and well-supported)

key information:

Linux doesn't use drive letters :o

your C: drive is / (terminology: root directory)

your personal files (C:\Users\Username) live under /home/username (terminology: home directory)

other drives (internal and USB drives) live under /mnt/drive-label or /media/username/drive-label (terminology: mount point)

Technical Note: all hard drives and SSDs, before they get a mount point, are referred to as /dev/sdX (eg /dev/sda, /dev/sdb etc.) for HDDs and SATA SSDs (partitions are /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2 etc.), and /dev/nvmeXn1 (/dev/nvme0n1, /dev/nvme1n1 etc.) for NVMe drives (partitions are /dev/nvme0n1p1, /dev/nvme0n1p2)

however, Mint manages all this for us and stuff just shows up in your File Manager much like they do in Windows Explorer c:

Software is typically managed similar to the way App Stores work; Mint has Software Manager that lets you install common programs

the only wrinkle here is Mint supports both Mint-specific sources and a thing called Flatpak, which is like a universal App Store for all Linux distros

the Update Manager keeps both your core system and your programs up-to-date. unlike Windows, by default it will only update when you tell it to ! no more rebooting into Windows Update and waiting 10 years ^w^

it's possible to have both Linux and Windows on the same laptop (terminology: dual-booting); you choose which one each time you turn your laptop on

the Linux Mint Forums are a good place to ask questions, seek advice, and maybe even offer your own !!

additional places: Official Community Website, community-maintained subreddit, community-maintained Discord Server, Official Troubleshooting Guide

i think that's the basic info taken care of.

Let's start with the preparation, or PRE-paration

for this GUIDE you'll need:

a USB drive (4GB+)

Linux Mint ISO file

Balena Etcher (to put the ISO file on the USB drive)

i recommend reading through the info on the Mint homepage and following their installation guide for good step-by-step guide w/ screenshots ^^'

we're gonna make a 'Live Image' on our USB drive - this means we can testdrive the system before we install it. try before you buy !! wait, it's free -- uhh.. walk before you run ??

Download the ISO file using the above link. i recommend the Cinnamon Edition, unless you have a very old PC, in which case pick XFCE

Download Balena Etcher

Plug in your USB drive and open Etcher

Follow the onscreen prompts to select the ISO file and your USB drive

Alright, let's fire her up ! ^u^

now we have our USB drive it's time to boot it. because Windows is, well, Windows, you may need to disable Fast Boot in order to access the BIOS/UEFI. :c you may also have to disable Secure Boot in the BIOS/UEFI depending on your computer. this is usually found in the Boot, Security, or Authentication tab.

now we're ready !!

Power on your computer and press F1/F2/F6/F10/F12/DEL to access your BIOS or Boot Menu

Select your USB drive

A screen will come up where you can select Linux Mint (or will say Automatic Boot in X seconds)

You shall be greeted by a desktop that looks something like this

have a look around !! there's a menu in the bottom left that has programs and system settings and logout/reboot/shutdown options. the taskbar at the bottom displays icons of running apps (and pinned ones). the bottom right has your clock and system tray w/ network, audio etc.

this is a great time to get a feel for how everything works ! open some programs !! investigate the System Settings. connect to your WiFi (in the system tray next to the sound and clock).

when you're ready, double-click the "Install Linux Mint" icon on the desktop. the installer will walk you through setting everything up. i recommend following the official installation guide's walkthrough as it explains everything from setting your timezone to installing Mint by itself or alongside Windows, with screenshots showing each step. it also has an important section on installing drivers. the slideshow during installation also does a good job at showcasing the available software.

Welcome Screen

after installing and rebooting, a Welcome Screen pops up that offers a nice interface for picking a system theme/colour, installing drivers, and setting up backups etc.

Let's talk software !! :D

Mint comes with some software pre-installed. these are probably the main ones:

Archive Manager (like 7-Zip or WinRAR)

Celluloid (a video player; VLC is available to install if you prefer)

Drawing (an image editor similar to Paint)

Document Viewer (PDF viewer)

Firefox (Tumblr's favourite web browser)

LibreOffice (like MS Office - it even supports MS Office file format !)

Rhythmbox (like Windows Media Player or iTunes)

Software Manager (like the Microsoft Store/App Store; GET OTHER PROGRAMS HERE !)

System Monitor (like Task Manager)

System Settings (like Control Panel)

Terminal (like Powershell/Command Prompt; outside the scope of this post but good to have)

Text Editor (like Notepad)

Timeshift (like System Restore points, or macOS Time Machine)

Web Apps (similar to an old iOS feature - make Netflix.com into an app etc.)

Update Manager (manages updates)

Available in Software Manager:

Audacity

Discord

DOSbox

Dropbox

OBS

Spotify

Transmission (torrent client)

VLC

and much more ! these are all official apps !

How's that checklist ?

i mentioned some casual tasks at the start of this post. let's work through them !

Social Media, Online Shopping, Youtube/Netflix/Plex and general Web Browsing

Difficulty: easy Windows Similarity: identical Method: open Firefox. browse to your_site.com. note: i recommend the web version of Plex as the app can be buggy

Difficulty: easy (webmail), medium (mail client) Windows Similarity: identical (webmail) or similar (mail client) Method: webmail - open Firefox. browse to your_email_site.com. sign in client - open Software Manager. search for Geary (similar to Mac Mail), Evolution (similar to Outlook), or Thunderbird (same as on Windows). click Install. open Geary/Evolution/Thunderbird, follow the first-time setup.

PDFs

Difficulty: easy Windows Similarity: similar Method: open Document Viewer from the application menu. File -> Open, browse for your PDF. OR, open File Browser, browse for your PDF, double-click to open

Document Writing

Difficulty: easy Windows Similarity: similar Method: open LibreOffice Writer from the application menu. on first launch it may ask if you want a traditional (Office 2003) or Ribbon (Office 2007 onwards) layout. use it as you would MS Word. there's also Calc (Excel), Impress (Powerpoint), Draw (Publisher) and Base (Access)

Funny Meme Edits (aka MS Paint level of image editing)

Difficulty: medium Windows Similarity: similar Method: open Drawing from the application menu. File -> Open for your image. the left toolbar provides options to resize, add text, crop etc. pro tip: remember to click the tick button on the bottom right when you do anything !

Spotify

Difficulty: easy Windows Similarity: identical Method: open Software Manager, search for Spotify, click Install. then open it from the application menu.

DVDs

Difficulty: easy Windows Similarity: similar Method: insert your DVD. Mint may ask what you want to do (choose play/open with Celluloid). if it doesn't, then open Celluloid from the application menu, click the + icon in the top left, click "Open Disc" and choose the DVD you inserted.

CDs and MP3s

Difficulty: easy Windows Similarity: similar Method: CDs - insert your CD. Mint may ask what you want to do (choose play/open with Rhythmbox). if it doesn't, then open Rhythmbox from the application menu. it should automatically see your CD. MP3s - double-click your MP3 file.

Gaming and Windows-only programs

i said i'd briefly mention this (probably good bc the post is getting loonnggggggg), so here we go.

gaming on Linux has come a long way. Steam can be installed from Software Manager and supports a few titles natively, as well as the option to run some Windows-only games using compatibility software called Proton. the website ProtonDB is very handy for looking up compatibility for specific games. i'll drop a proper GUIDE on Linux gaming another time.

Windows-only programs. sometimes you need specific software and it only has a Windows version. it happens. there's similar compatibility software that allows eg Photoshop to run, called WINE (Proton is actually based on this). again, this is outside the casual scope of this post, but i'll drop a GUIDE on this too (as i use the same software to manage both my Windows-only programs and my Windows-only games).

Finale !! FINI !! Fuck me that's a lotta words !!

okay, we got to the end ! you should have Linux Mint installed, you should have your basic programs ready to rock (and know where to get more !!), and know where to get help from official Linux Mint sources as well as community-run ones <3

please drop any questions in the notes, or as an ask. i shall tag those asks #DATA_REQUESTS/GUIDES/LINUX in addition to my usual #DATA_REQUEST tag

i'll also provide the following GUIDEs/REPOs as i have time:

Flatpak (that universal App Store i mentioned earlier)

Gaming (including using Proton + Bottles for Windows games)

Windows software (using WINE + Bottles)

and if there are any specific GUIDEs (eg terminal basics, how to configure xyz in System Settings etc.) or REPOs (eg links to other people's GUIDEs, software recs, screenshot galleries etc.) i'm happy to provide those as and when i have the time !! have fun !!~

#daemon.md #GUIDES #GUIDES/LINUX #linux mint #linux #free software #foss #open source #this post is like 5x the length i expected it to be bc brevity ain't my style #oopsie #i know i should provide more screenshots but i'm tired after writing this #so i'll include some in a reblog ??

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jewtastic · 8 months

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I have nothing, I repeat, NOTHING, against stealing from large big box companies, but I do have three main complaints about all the positivity and encouragement I'm seeing circulated all the time.

Please remember that you can always get caught. No one is perfect, and being caught will result in actual, criminal charges. These charges can ruin your fucking life. Colleges can expel you, jobs can fire you without notice, and it can keep you from getting future jobs. You can even be denied for loans or credit cards. And don't forget, if you're a POC, they WILL throw the book at you. The "justice" system always comes down harder on non-white people, queer people, and non-xtians. You will face high fines, probation under unfair and expensive restrictions and conditions. And you may even face heavy jail time. Be aware of these dangers. Not only that, but as someone who's worked with and in asset protection, a lot of stores do know you're stealing. They're keeping a tally. Stores like WalMart purposely wait until they have proof you stole over a certain monetary limit so that they can press higher charges over you. From misdemeanor to burglary charges in my home state, often. This allows them to then sue you for damages and not only get their money back, but more, including court costs and the cost of the hours/employee wages that were used to follow and document your crimes. Never assume you've gotten away scott-free just because you got out of the store. Don't make a habit of stealing from the exact same location regularly. Small, infrequent hits.

Mom and Pop stores are NOT big box stores. They are often barely making ends meet in this current economy. Don't steal from small businesses, period. Don't file charge-backs on artists, don't fuck over sex workers, don't fuck with that small convenience store run by a single family. Shoplifting is moral and good- against large corporations and evil ass megabrands.

DO NOT POST YOUR SCORES ONLINE. JFC. I have seen so many posts of "theft hauls" and "look what I stole" posts. These can literally and will be used against you in court. It is not unheard of for police to track social media posts back to their owners and proceed with charges from there. In fact, it's even used by the IRS to audit families that flash a lot of cash or goods they aren't claiming in their taxes. If you're committing a crime, shut the fuck up. Don't state things outright online. Don't take pics of your stolen goods. Don't brag about the security holes in the stores you're robbing.

#shop lifting #lifting tips #shoplifting #be smart and shut the fuck up

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fictional-seviper · 2 months

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For those who haven't been paying attention to the Switch modding scene lately, I wanted to point out the existence of two new products:

MIG Switch cart: Stores Switch ROMs on its micro SD card to play on official hardware

MIG Switch dumper: Backs up physical Switch cartridges to a computer in a file format useable with the MIG Switch cart

What's the problem?

It's important to know about these new items for a couple reasons. First, they might be of interest to anyone with a large, physical Switch collection to back up games without installing custom firmware to a Switch. Second, they have the potential to make buying used Switch games a lot riskier.

With the MIG Switch being the first reproduction Switch cartridge with a ton of public attention, there's a good likelihood someone will reuse the tech to develop similar cartridges for single games. If that happens, the used Switch game market is likely to become similar to the used DS game market, where listings have to be read carefully to avoid knockoffs and low prices could be a bad sign.

Even if reproduction carts never get made, there's also the issue of how the MIG Switch cart works. To function with official hardware, the cartridge requires an extra key from a dumped cartridge to bypass the security of card slot. Each key is unique to an individual cartridge. If one console goes online with the MIG Switch using that key while another console goes online with the original game, there's a good chance the accounts on both consoles will get banned. Unfortunately, this means that if someone bought a game, dumped it with the dumper, and resold it. They're only one simultaneous internet connection away from getting their buyer banned.

We still have some time before we find out if either of these potential problems will take place. However, I've been on more than a few message boards and seen more than a few people claiming that they at least intend to buy, dump, and resell games.

What can you do?

All of this is fairly problematic, and (truthfully) now that both the cartridge and dumper are in folks' hands, it's a matter of when someone will experience an issue not if.

That's why knowledge is import in this situation. If you're someone looking for official cartridges or to avoid potential resells, you have three options at the moment:

Buy new. New games from reputable stores won't have had the chance to be messed with and will undoubtedly be the real deal.

Read listings closely. If a price online from a secondhand retailer seems too good to be true, you'll want to triple check the listing's details and provided images.

Scrutinize the cartridges. Official Switch cartridges have a very specific look, feel, taste, and quality to them. If you buy a cartridge that looks even slightly "off," there's no harm in returning it.

Ultimately, it comes down to all of us being attentive shoppers and pointing out any listings or resellers that might be problematic.

#I meant to make this post a while ago #but for the longest time it seemed like the dumper was going to be vaporware #it's also the reason I bought 10+ physical switch games in the past month or so #Switch #nintendo #video games #mig switch

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mariacallous · 1 year

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A doctors’ organization at the center of the ongoing legal fight over the abortion drug mifepristone has suffered a significant data breach. A link to an unsecured Google Drive published on the group’s website pointed users last week to a large cache of sensitive documents, including financial and tax records, membership rolls, and email exchanges spanning over a decade. The more than 10,000 documents lay bare the outsize influence of a small conservative organization working to lend a veneer of medical science to evangelical beliefs on parenting, sex, procreation, and gender.

The American College of Pediatricians, which has fought to deprive gay couples of their parental rights and encouraged public schools to treat LGBTQ youth as if they were mentally ill, is one of a handful of conservative think tanks leading the charge against abortion in the United States. A federal lawsuit filed by the College and its partners against the US Food and Drug Administration seeks to limit nationwide access to what is now the most common form of abortion. The case is now on a trajectory for the US Supreme Court, which not even a year ago declared abortion the purview of America’s elected state representatives.

The leaked records, first reported by WIRED, offer an unprecedented look at the groups and personnel central to that campaign. They also describe an organization that has benefited greatly by exaggerating its own power, even as it has struggled quietly for two decades to grow in size and gain respect. The records show how the College, which the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) describes as a hate group, managed to introduce fringe beliefs into the mainstream simply by being, as the founder of Fox News once put it, “the loudest voice in the room.”

The Leak

A WIRED review of the exposed data found that the unsecured Google Drive stored nearly 10,000 files, some of which are compressed zip files containing additional documents. These records detail highly sensitive internal information about the College’s donors and taxes, social security numbers of board members, staff resignation letters, budgetary and fundraising concerns, and the usernames and passwords of more than 100 online accounts. The files include Powerpoint presentations, Quickbooks accounting documents, and at least 388 spreadsheets.

One spreadsheet appears to be an export of an internal database containing information on 1,200 past and current members. It contains intimate personal information about each member, including various contact details, as well as where they were educated, how they heard of the group, and when membership dues were paid. The records show past and current members are mostly male and, on average, over 50 years old. As of spring 2022, the College counted slightly more than 700 members, according to another document reviewed by WIRED.

The breach exposes some material dating back to the group’s origin. It includes mailing lists gathered by the group of thousands of “conservative physicians” across the country. (One document outlining recruitment efforts states in bold, red letters: “TARGET CHRISTIAN MDs.”) The ongoing recruitment of doctors and medical school students seen as holding Christian views has long been its top priority. The leaked records indicate that more than 10,000 mailers were sent to physicians between 2013 and 2017 alone.

While the group’s membership rolls are not public, the leak has outed most if not all of its members. A cursory review of the member lists surfaced one name of note: a recent commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, who after joining in 2019 asked that his membership with the group remain a secret. (WIRED was unable to reach the official for comment in time for publication.)

The SPLC’s “hate group” designation, which the College forcefully disputes, haunted its fundraising efforts, records reveal. A barrage of emails in 2014 show that the label cost the group the chance to benefit from an Amazon program that would eventually distribute $450 million to charities across the globe. Amazon would deny the College’s application, stating that it relied on the SPLC to determine which charities fall into certain ineligible categories.

A strategy document would later refer to a “unified plan” among the College and its allies to “continue discrediting the SPLC,” which included a campaign aimed at lowering its rating at Charity Navigator, one of the web’s most influential nonprofit evaluators. One of the group’s admins noted that despite SPLC’s label, another charity monitor, GuideStar, listed the College as being in “good standing.”

The College’s GuideStar page no longer says this and appears to have been defaced. It now reads, “AMERICAN COLLEGE OF doodoo fartheads,” with a mission statement saying: “we are evil and hate gays :(((”

The Google Drive containing the documents was taken offline soon after WIRED contacted the American College of Pediatricians. The College did not respond to a request for comment.

The Talk

Leaked communications between members of the group and minutes taken at board meetings over the course of several years speak loudly about the challenges the group faced in pursuing its deeply unpopular agenda: returning America to a time when the laws and social mores around family squared neatly with evangelical Christian beliefs.

Many of the College’s most radical views target transgender people, and in particular, transgender youth. The leak, which had been indexed by Google, includes volumes of literature crafted specifically to influence relationships between practicing pediatricians, parents, and their children. It includes reams of marketing material the College aims to distribute widely among public school officials. This includes pushing schools to adopt junk science painting transgender youth as carriers of a pathological disorder, one that’s capable of spontaneously causing others–à la the dancing plague–to adopt similar thoughts and behaviors.

This is one of the group’s most dubious claims. While unsupported by medical science, it is routinely and incuriously propagated through literature targeted at schools and medical offices around the US. The primary source for this claim is a research paper drafted in 2017 by Lisa Littman, a Brown University scholar who, while a medical doctor, had not specialized in mental health. The goal of the paper was to introduce, conceptually, “rapid onset gender dysphoria”—a hypothetical disorder, as was later clarified by the journal that published it. Littman would also clarify personally that her research “does not validate the phenomenon” she’d hypothesized, since no clinicians, nor individuals identifying as trans, had participated in the study.

The paper explains that its subjects were instead all parents who had been recruited from a handful of websites known for opposing gender-affirmative care and “telling parents not to believe their child is transgender.” A review of one of the sites from the period shows parents congregating to foster paranoia about whether there’s a “conspiracy of silence” around “anime culture” that was brainwashing boys into behaving like girls; insights plucked in some cases straight from another, more notorious forum (widely known for reveling in the suicides of the people it has bullied).

A 2021 prospectus describing the group’s focus, ideology, and lobbying efforts encapsulates a wide range of “educational resources” destined for the inboxes of physicians and medical school students. The materials include links to a website instructing doctors on how to speak to children in a variety of scenarios about a multitude of topics surrounding sex, including in the absence of their parents. Practice scripts of conversations between doctors and patients advise, among other things, ways to elicit a child’s thoughts on sex with the help of an imaginative metaphor.

While the material is not expressly religious, it is clearly aimed at painting same-sex marriage as aberrant and immoral behavior. Physicians lobbied by the group are also told to urge patients to purchase Christian-based parenting guides, including one designed to help parents broach the topic of sex with their 11- and 12-year-old kids. The College suggests telling parents to plan a “special overnight trip,” a pretext for instilling in their children sexual norms in line with evangelical practice. The group suggests telling parents to buy a tool called a “getaway kit,” a series of workbooks that run around $54 online. The workbooks methodically walk the parents through the process of springing the topic, but only after a day-long charade of impromptu gift-giving and play.

These books are full of games and puzzles for the parent and child to cooperatively take on. Throughout the process, the child slowly digests a concept of “sexual purity,” lessons aided by oversimplified scripture and well-trodden Bible school parables.

Another document the group shared with its members contains a script for appointments with pregnant minors. Its purpose is made evidently clear: The advice is engineered specifically to reduce the odds of minors coming into contact with medical professionals not strictly opposed to abortion. A practice script recommends the doctor inform the minor that they “strongly recommend against” abortion, adding “the procedure not only kills the infant you carry, but is also a danger to you.” (Medically, the term “fetus” and “infant” are not interchangeable, the latter referring to a newborn baby less than one year old.)

The doctors are urged to recommend that the minor visit a website that, like the aforementioned website, is not expressly religious but will only direct visitors to Catholic-run “crisis pregnancy centers,” which strictly reject abortion. The same site is widely promoted by anti-abortion groups such as National Right to Life, which last year held that it should be illegal to terminate the pregnancy of a 10-year-old rape victim.

The Professionals

The effort to ban mifepristone, legislation the Supreme Court paused last month pending further review, faces significant legal hurdles but could ultimately benefit from the appellate court’s disproportionately conservative makeup. Most of the legal power in the fight was supplied by a much older and better funded group, the Alliance Defending Freedom, which has established ties with some of the country’s most elite political figures—former vice president Mike Pence and Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett among them.

A contract in the leaked documents dated April 2021 shows the ADF agreeing to legally represent the College free of charge. It stipulates that ADF’s ability to subsidize expenses incurred during lawsuits would be limited by ethical guidelines; however, it could still forgive any lingering costs simply by declaring the College “indigent.”

In contrast to the College’s some 700 members, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)–the organization from which the College’s founders split 20 years ago–has roughly 67,000. The rupture between the two groups was a direct result of a statement issued by the AAP in 2002. Modern research, the AAP said, had conclusively shown that the sexual orientation of parents had an imperceptible impact on the well-being of children, so long as they were raised in caring, supportive families.

The College would gain notoriety early on by assailing the positions of the AAP. In 2005, a Boston Globe reporter noted how common it had become for the American College of Pediatricians “to be quoted as a counterpoint” to anything said by the AAP. The institution, he wrote, had a rather “august-sounding name” for being run by a “single employee.”

Internal documents show that the group’s directors quickly encountered hurdles operating on the fringe of accepted science. Some claimed to be oppressed. Most of the College’s research had been “written by one person,” according to minutes from a 2006 meeting, which were included in the leak. The College was failing to make a splash. In the future, one director suggested, papers rejected by medical journals “should be published on the web.” The vote to do so was unanimous (though the board decided the term “not published” was nicer than “rejected”).

A second director put forth a motion to create a separate “scientific section” on the group’s website, strictly for linking to articles published in medical journals. The motion was quashed after it dawned on the board that they didn’t “have enough articles” to make the page “look professional.”

The College struggled to identify the root cause of its runtedness. “To get enough clout,” one director said, “it would take substantial numbers, maybe 10,000.” (The College’s recruitment efforts would yield fewer than 7 percent of this goal in the following 17 years.) Yet another said the marketing department advised that “the College needs to pick a fight with the AAP and get on Larry King Live.” Another, the notes say, felt the organization was too busy trying to “walk the fence” by neglecting to acknowledge that “we are conservative and religious.”

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temporarilyunstable · 2 years

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Psycho-Pass 10th Anniversary Project

There's a LOT of stuff going on in the next few months!! Here's a GT version of the events! Please support the staff & production! Full details & link here!

Radio Show PSYCHO-PASS Radio Public Security Bureau Criminal Division 24:00 Revival

Distribution: Internet Radio & Spotify every 2nd Friday of the month starting September 2022

Psycho-Pass Fanclub Psycho Box - 10th Anniversary Special Goods

Fanclub member exclusive illustration/merchandise

Limited Edition Wallpaper & Clear File

Noitamina Shop & Cafe Theater

Deployment period: September 3, 2022 (Saturday) to August 31, 2023 (Thursday) with new + old goods to be released

Collaboration menu at the Noitamina Cafe

Re-screening of old Psycho-Pass episodes every Saturday and Sunday at the theater inside the cafe

Birthday Event Revival

Psycho Pass Radio Shop Limited Corner - Sep 3, 2022 - Aug 31, 2023

Psycho-Tour in Loft

Nationwide Sales event in Loft stores (selected cities) November 2, 2022 - June 2023

PSYCHO-PASS Online Exhibition

Pre-opening: December 2nd (Friday) to December 16th (Friday), 2022

Grand opening: December 19th (Monday), 2022 to February 28th (Tuesday), 2023

Link: https://exhibition.anique.jp/lp/psycho-pass

PSYCHO-PASS PROVIDENCE

Key visual (release date TBA)

For more info, visit psycho-pass.com !

#psycho pass #psycho-pass #pp #akane tsunemori #kogami shinya #ginoza nobuchika #mika shimotsuki #hinakawa sho #shion karanomori #yayoi kunizuka #teppei sugo #frederica hanashiro #saiga jouji

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mysisypheannightmare · 1 year

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Stress Dreams

Word Count: 4480

Warnings: Stress/stressful situations, anxiety, financial discussions (it's a trigger for me, so just in case), deadlines/time-sensitive events, negative thinking, not exactly unsympathetic sides but no one is being nice to each other here (save for c!Thomas, he's fine), emotional/mental breakdown, unhealthy coping mechanisms

–

Another stressful day, another daunting responsibility to attend to.

Logan was summoned early in the morning, finding Thomas already on the verge of panic, insisting that he'd completely forgotten to get his internet bill paid a few weeks ago, even though Logan had him set multiple reminders because Thomas had managed to forget about it last month, too.

They were going to be filming later today, so if he still wanted to have working wifi for all his necessary equipment, that meant he needed to check over his funds, get everything he needed allocated into one account, contact the internet provider over the phone because he knew the late payment wouldn't process through the website per the company's inane policy, and then transfer the funds with the attached late fee over, all before the provider turned off his service.

And, of course, Thomas was too stressed to think straight and would need Logan to do all that for him, but what else was new?

Logan kept his frustration over the ordeal to himself. There was no need to upset or guilt Thomas any further and it wouldn't help matters anyway. He did tell Thomas to set another reminder in his phone as he sank out, just so that this didn't happen yet again and continue to stress him out.

Logan could only hope he'd take his suggestion into consideration.

Back in his room, Logan got right to work, aware of the looming deadline.

First, he checked to see if he could ascertain the payment amount needed, including the late fee. But when Logan checked, it was clear Thomas did not have this knowledge in his short-term memory.

Great.

He added another task to the list, with the alternative option at the ready of simply making a phone call to the internet provider to verify the amount first, then calling back again once the proper amount had been moved to an accessible account for processing the payment.

Easy enough, even if it was more time-consuming than necessary.

Moving on, Logan verified which bank accounts were accessible. Thomas only had so many, but there was a big difference between a bank and a payment service, plus Thomas had yet to get around to connecting all his online accounts to direct deposit to his checking or savings account, despite Logan's consistent reminders.

Logan verified Thomas had plenty of funds available on his PayPal account, but he'd need to transfer to one of his bank accounts to process the payment over the phone. At least, that's how it was supposed to work, so he followed the same procedure he used last time this happened.

And, of course, when Logan checked if Thomas remembered his password to get into his debit account, he found no such information in the short-term memory. Again.

Sighing, Logan added it to the list.

While he was glad Thomas wasn't using old passwords or writing them on sticky notes to get around remembering them as they were changed, he had to wonder if his financial security was truly safe with how often Thomas had to reset his passwords due to his forgetfulness.

And, really, his forgetting was likely Logan's fault. Maybe Logan should start storing some of the long-term memory files in his room for easier access? Short-term memory didn't take up too much space, even if he really wished he could get rid of the enormous stack of files currently dedicated only to names of various Pokemon. Because that is clearly such important information, as opposed to the password for Thomas' goddamn bank account.

Logan took a breath. No need to get worked up over it. There was no point in emotions, anyway.

He glanced around his room for a moment, wondering why he hadn't thought to adjust those files earlier. This had happened before, so why hadn't he addressed this particular issue then? It couldn't have been all that long ago…

He checked the clock. In a little while, he'd just need to have Thomas contact the internet provider, ask for the exact amount, then transfer that amount to his bank account, then call back to pay that amount, and then verify the service was still working properly before they started filming.

Easy, simple, shouldn't be too stressful.

He got up, ducking into long-term memory storage - or what he often referred to as The Library - and looking around to see if he could locate the bank account password before the calling hours started.

Storage was never the most organized, as Thomas would store information very randomly at times, and Logan only had so much time and energy each day to attempt to make sense of it all, categorizing what he could.

Thankfully, he had established a file cabinet for miscellaneous passwords and headed there.

He flipped through the different folders, seemingly for much longer than he thought would be necessary, but eventually finding one filled with various bank accounts. Old ones, new ones... Ah, there it is!

He opted to just take the file with him and headed back to his room. Easier access that way, right?

He returned to his desk and tried the password on the bank account...but it didn't work. He verified the spelling and number order and tried again, but it still didn't work.

The error message was vague, not explaining what was wrong about the entered password at all, and Logan tried not to feel frustrated.

Okay, clearly Thomas had updated the password more recently than when the file was made. Understandable. He could just reset it again and add the new information to the file since it was already there, right? Right.

The call-in hours for the internet provider had arrived, but he was sure Thomas could wait a few minutes to reset his account password first. He went through the steps, authenticating through Thomas' phone and email, then set the new password - something secure but simple enough to remember this time. Hopefully, anyway.

He marked it down on the bottom of the open file on his desk, and added the date next to it for good measure.

Finally, he was able to access the account. Everything was in order and he wouldn't have any delay in the PayPal transfer once he knew the exact amount needed for payment.

He pushed down the feeling of relief. He was just doing what he was supposed to; there was no need for emotions here.

He sank out to join Thomas in his living room, knowing he'd need to guide him through the first and second call, just like last time.

Thomas was nervous but handled the hold music and robotic operator voices just fine. Virgil didn't show up to add to the chaos, so Logan figured that meant he was doing a well-enough job keeping Thomas calm and collected. Once the representative picked up, Thomas gave his information and was able to retrieve the balance. However, the representative informed Thomas that if the payment wasn't made shortly, they would be shutting the service off and it may take hours to have a technician come out to his house to turn it back on. Logan was aware this was mainly a tactic used to rush customers into a decision and pay unnecessary fees to prevent the service being stopped, but he assured Thomas they had everything ready to go and to tell the agent they would be calling back very soon to complete the payment.

They were right on track with very few issues.

Logan was satisfied, despite the process taking so long.

Thomas hung up the phone and Logan asked him to wait while he returned to his room to finish the fund transfer that would be needed next.

It wouldn't take long, though it wasn't always as instant of a transfer as the service liked to boast. But, given it was considered a marvel of technology to be able to confirm through multiple servers the existence of imaginary numbers in only seconds, he couldn't exactly complain. At least people didn't have to actually go to the bank anymore or, god forbid, write out a check. He was honestly rather grateful that Thomas never had to do that, as it'd probably be a nightmare to teach him while also balancing the other sides' input on the matter. It was Logan's least favorite part of any mundane task, really.

Logan shook his head, clearing his thoughts. This wasn't the time for that.

Once the transfer was complete and Logan verified the funds were available in the account, he sank back out to return to where he'd left Thomas.

He was surprised to find multiple sides occupying the living room area once he rose up.

"If you don't decide on this right now, the whole date could be in jeopardy!" He heard Roman shout.

Oh, wonderful. Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. They were fussing over Thomas' date with Nico later tonight, as if there was any reason to worry about that at 9 o' clock in the morning...

"We wouldn't want a repeat of last time," Patton agreed. "If you pick something now, you won't have to worry about it later."

Logan stepped forward and attempted to use the spare moment of silence to his advantage.

"Unfortunately, Patton, Thomas has some other, more pressing matters to attend to at the moment, so it will indeed have to wait until later."

He turned to Thomas, ready to instruct him on the second phone call to complete the transaction and fix the problem at hand, but he felt Roman's hand on his shoulder and suddenly, he was being pushed back.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Roman jeered, his face leaning in far too close for comfort. "We got here first, Mister Know-It-All. You don't get to just waltz in here and decide what's more important, alright?"

Logan frowned, unimpressed.

"Actually," he replied, "I was already in the process of completing--"

Roman shoved a hand over his mouth.

"Don't care, didn't ask."

Logan grimaced and stepped back, getting away from Roman. He glanced down at his watch. They were still technically making good time. He could probably salvage this if he could just convince Thomas to finish his task first.

"Thomas," he called out, stepping around Roman this time, "if we could continue where we left off--"

This time, Patton cut him off, literally stepping into his path with a smile.

"Logan, you understand how important this is. Once we've taken care of this, you can go on with your little project, okay?"

Logan's eye twitched and it took nearly all his willpower to keep himself from balling his hands into fists. Patton's condescending tone, especially when he had no idea what Logan was talking about and therefore no precedence to downplay his commitments and duties to Thomas like that, was one of the most infuriating things he ever had to hear.

Patton only ever seemed to use it to mock Logan, as if he knew better. If only someone had bothered to tell Patton that embodying someone's morality does not make you just and above others.

Logan swallowed dryly, his eyes feeling hot. It was fine. This was fine. He couldn't lose his cool here. It wouldn't be appropriate nor productive to the task at hand.

He took a deep breath and resolutely ignored Patton, stepping around him, as well.

What he honestly hadn't expected was for Virgil to get in his way next.

He wanted to roll his eyes. How much more ridiculous and time-consuming did this have to be? He just wanted to get this last call done and the transaction over with so he could move onto his next daunting task of handling all the checks for the filming equipment before they started today's shoot.

Was that really so much to ask?

He wanted to peer back down at his watch, as it felt like this was taking far too long. For some reason, he didn't, though,he just stared at Virgil, waiting for whatever nonsensical excuse for why their mission was so much more important than his. But as time continued to pass, Virgil said nothing.

Annoyed but still trying to hide it, he asked Virgil rather bluntly,

"Surely you know what I'm trying to get done here, Virgil. Are you not concerned about the service getting cut before the shoot?"

Virgil grimaced, wringing his hands in front of him.

"Thomas can live without wi-fi for a couple hours. What he can't live with is Nico dumping him all because he dresses like a fourth-grader!"

Logan blinked a few times before finally just burying his face in his hands. That's what this nonsense was about?! Thomas' dress code for his date later that night?

This was the absolute wrong time to be having such an inane discussion! Why did they always have to choose the worst times for these things?!

"I would...very much appreciate it," Logan spoke from behind his hands, trying not to sound angry, even as the feeling seemed to boil and bubble up in his chest, "if you all could let me finish this task…so we can remain on schedule...for the day."

He heard Roman laugh and it took everything he had not to immediately pull his hands down to glare at the other side.

"We're not gonna stop just so you can do some stupid nerd business first thing in the morning, Four Eyes."

Logan gritted his teeth, pulling his hands down anyway.

"This is not--!" he stopped and tried to collect himself again. Stay calm. Don't get upset.

He took a breath and tried again.

"We have a shoot later today. Don't you prefer our equipment to be functional and working properly enough to get the job done?"

Surely Roman would understand the importance of completing the episodes on time, since they were such a high priority.

"Functional?" Roman mocked. "Since when does that matter? You're not functional and yet you still get the job done, right?"

It was far from a funny joke, but Roman seemed to find it amusing anyway, laughing away.

Logan hated that he could feel it. Each chuckle seemed to match searing shots of heat and pain under his skin.

He couldn't lose it here. He needed to remain in control. Maybe if he backed down a little bit, they would stop long enough for him to get Thomas back on track?

It was worth a shot.

"While your statement seems rather contradictory, I won't refute it," Logan conceded, ignoring the pangs in his chest at his own words. He continued, speaking as concisely as possible,

"But in order to keep things running smoothly for the rest of the day, I need to complete this task with Thomas first. So, if you'll allow me…"

He stepped forward again, to try to get past the others and back to Thomas.

Predictably, he was stopped again.

A hand shot out to pull him back by his shoulder and he turned to see Janus standing there. A surprise, considering Logan hadn't noticed him there just moments ago.

"I'm afraid we won't be…" Janus told him with a smirk. He dropped his hand and hastily added, "Allowing you, that is."

Logan huffed in response. What was the purpose of constantly keeping him from such a time-sensitive task? And especially when all the rest of them cared about was something that could easily wait until later?

It wasn't like he didn't recognize why they were trying to prevent an issue for Thomas later, but could it really not wait another five minutes? At least until he could get Thomas' pressing issue handled and under control? He had specifically asked Logan for help, and there were already so few opportunities for Logan to prove his reliability to Thomas as it were. He couldn't fail here just because the others were so preoccupied with something frankly unnecessary and not worth their fretting at all!

Janus stared at him, or perhaps through him, and smirked again as he stood in his way.

"Just because it's what needs to be done doesn't mean it's what Thomas wants to get done," Janus offered. "You know that better than anyone, don't you?"

Logan glared at him. Was their concern for Thomas at this moment only targeted to piss Logan off somehow? It seemed preposterous to consider such a notion, but with phrasing like that, it sure seemed as though this had all been planned.

He quickly looked away, trying not to let his anger overwhelm him.

It was fine. Most likely, he was overthinking their actions. It wasn't as though this hadn't happened in the past, far more times than he cared to count. They were only doing what they all believed best for Thomas, which meant it had nothing to do with Logan personally, because it never did.

Really, that was the issue he was having here - their collective inconsideration for what he was trying to do for Thomas.

"I want to help, just the same as all of you," he said through gritted teeth.

He clenched his fists at his sides, trying in vain to stay calm.

Through mocking laughter and sarcastic remarks that broke out from many of the sides surrounding him now, he could hear yet another voice chime in, saying,

"Help with what? Putting Thomas in an early grave?"

Remus.

So the gang's all here, then, huh?

Logan opened his mouth to reply, but nothing but silence fell out.

This had been such a waste of time! He could have completed the task by now with ease, if only the others would just listen to him, for once!

Why did it always come to this? Why did they always insist they knew better?

It felt like fire was leaping up his throat, attempting to escape from within. He clamped his jaw shut, trying to not react, to not feel anything.

The others continued to laugh and he turned around to locate Thomas, but couldn't see him behind the others anymore. Where was Thomas? They still had to make that second call!

Oh, no. Had he taken too long that Thomas forgot and went off to do something else? But this could still affect the shoot later! Didn't he remember how distraught he'd gotten last time this happened? Didn't he want to prevent that from happening again?

If he had just listened to Logan in the first place, this wouldn't have happened again, either, but he couldn't exactly hold that against Thomas when it was far easier to point the blame at all the other sides continuing to laugh and speak to each other loudly and obnoxiously as he turned to try to get away yet again.

He turned towards Virgil, thinking he could squeeze by, but he stepped in front of him again.

They never liked his ideas, despite the piles of proof to his merit and efficacy in his methods.

He turned back towards Roman, thinking to dodge around him, but Roman stepped towards him, backing him right into Patton.

They hated when he showed up to any discussion, as though his mere presence soured any mood.

Patton grabbed his shoulders and Logan jerked away, only to be stopped by Janus, giving him that smug expression from earlier.

They despised his function, his necessity to Thomas, something he had absolutely no control over, and for what?

His eyes felt hot. His skin felt tinged with heat, burning from the inside and rolling over and over through him, painful, uncontrollable.

The more he pushed, the metaphorical finish line practically within sight, the more pushback he received in turn, their mockery and vitriol coming out for such a pointless venture. What did they gain in preventing the completion of his task? Did emotions really render them so incapable of reason?

He couldn't take it anymore!

"Uh-oh! Looks like someone's about to lose his trademark cool!" Remus chided, still laughing.

Yes, in fact, he was, but this wasn't even about that! Apparently, it had nothing to do with Logan at all! All he wanted, all he ever hoped to do was to help Thomas. For once, he just wanted to be useful!

But he couldn't do that! And it was all their damn fault!

He wanted to scream, but he knew - he just Knew - that the moment he opened his mouth, his words would be laced in that fire. He wouldn't be able to take it back.

He suddenly found he didn't care. To hell with it, right? Maybe they'd finally fucking listen to him if it hurt them to hear it?

His head felt hazy for a moment, but he opened his mouth, ready.

It was silent.

The fire still burned in his throat, his eyes and skin seemed to pulse with this unending heat, yet he couldn't speak. He couldn't get this rage out, it was still locked inside.

Why? Why now? He has this moment and he can't even use it?

The tears running down his face sting as they fall.

Was this how it would always be? Was this how it always has been?

–

Logan jolted awake, eyes immediately wide as he panted loudly into the silence of his dark room. His hands clenched tightly around his blanket, he slowly became aware of himself.

His eyes barely adjusted, everything he could see was a blur.

He was covered in sweat, his body felt overheated, and it was far too warm in his room.

He threw the blanket off him and reached out blindly for his glasses, only to quickly put them on as soon as he found them.

His room was empty. Dark. It was clearly the middle of the night.

He tried to slow his breathing and recall what had just happened. He had the urge to rush over to his computer and verify Thomas' payments, but he already knew…

He…had been asleep. That wasn't real. None of it was.

It took a moment, but once reality caught back up with him, his mind quickly assured him - that incident had never happened. The original one about Thomas' power going out hadn't even happened, either.

He'd had that damn dream repeatedly over the past few months, in a few different variations, any time he managed to get more than four hours of sleep in one night.

He peered over at his alarm clock. 5:16 AM.

There it was. He'd gone to bed just before midnight, so that explained it all.

His breathing started to slow and even back out. It took longer than necessary to calm down and he hated that.

That was always the worst part of those stupid stress dreams. They got him all emotionally worked-up, until he felt like he was going to explode.

It always felt awful.

Whatever had happened at the end of this last dream, though, had stoppered the explosion, but it felt worse than the dreams where he did let it out, where he ranted and screamed and kicked in any attempt to get his way.

Stopping it from happening felt…unfulfilling.

But, shouldn't that have been a good thing? To stop it?

He sighed and stood up.

There was no point dwelling on events that would never happen. If he was awake, he might as well make himself useful and get ready for the day.

#logan sanders #logan angst #ts Logan #sanders sides #fanfiction #patton sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #remus sanders #janus sanders #c!thomas #long post #this one is way too detailed in the wrong ways so sorry about that

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managedserversus · 11 months

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Professional Website Hosting and Management Services

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for any business or organization. A well-designed website serves as a virtual storefront, allowing you to reach a global audience and showcase your products, services, or ideas. However, creating and maintaining a website requires technical expertise, time, and resources that not everyone possesses. That’s where professional website hosting and management services come into play.

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Ensure that the hosting provider has a proven track record of reliability and offers an uptime guarantee of at least 99%. You don’t want your website to be inaccessible due to server issues or maintenance downtime.

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Consider the scalability options offered by the hosting provider. Can they accommodate your website’s growth and handle sudden traffic spikes? A flexible hosting solution is crucial to ensure your website performs well under varying loads.

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balkanradfem · 1 year

Note

Re: Information from photos: The metadata stored in a photo depends on what device you took it with. With some phone and digital camera settings there may for example be your name set as author, and the location, if the phone's location is enabled and the camera is allowed to use it. You can view, edit and delete the metadata in your phone gallery under "details", or on your computer in file explorer (right click/properties/details). Smartphones w/ default settings = data security nightmares :(

Oh thank you so much!

I got so worried because I do publish a lot of photos I take. But my phone is extremely old, doesn't have location on ever, doesn't have my name in it, and is like, barely a smartphone.

I checked the details now, and it doesn't have any of this information.

Ladies please check you photos by right-clicking them, going to properties and looking at 'details'! All of that info can be accessed if you publish it online!

I will be safe with my old phone. Thank you so much for expanding on this!

#internet safety

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raracool04 · 2 years

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A lot of us do want to use freeware and stuff but it’s always a major risk given how polluted the internet is with jerks who corrupt files/downloads and mess up our computers. Many of us don’t have the resources to mitigate every infection or loss :(

I think you're mixing up freeware and free and open source software. Freeware is monetarily free software, usually proprietary and closed source. Free and open source software (FOSS) is free (as in freedom from telemetry usually, but most of the time monetarily free too) is software that has published its code online for others to view, change, and make variations on. This causes it to be more secure since more eyes are on the code.

Always download from the original developers, which usually starts on GitHub. Here are a few links to the open source software I use every day.

OBS Studio - Good for recording and streaming footage, including screen recordings, includes plugin support, and people upload new plugins to their site constantly.

Ubuntu - I think I recommended Linux in the post you're coming from, and while switching from Windows or macOS is hard, one of the best introductions to Linux is Ubuntu or some Ubuntu based distribution, like Linux Mint.

Krita or GIMP - Part of what inspired me to make the initial post was the news about Clip Studio Paint fucking over the people who buy perpetual licenses. Krita and GIMP are FOSS and will always be free, I find that Krita is great for illustration whereas GIMP has a great background removal tool for manipulating photography.

Jellyfin - I initially recommended Plex as an alternative in the tags of the original post, I just realised that Plex is not actually open source. Jellyfin lets you store your own movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks and even playback live TV with a PC that can be as low power as a Raspberry Pi. This is to move away from streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max and Spotify that continually fuck over creators and consumers. There's even a demo of the Jellyfin UI on their website.

Firefox - This is one that probably doesn't need an introduction. The issue affecting web browsers right now is that all mainstream browsers, barring Firefox and Safari, run on Chromium, which means that Google has a massive say in how the internet is run, since developing websites for Chromium is the highest priority for a web developer. This problem has worsened with the looming Chromium update essentially disabling all adblock extensions, affecting all Chromium browsers. By using Firefox, not only do you retain adblock features, you also work against Chromium's steady march towards becoming a monopoly of the entire internet.

And finally, I want to address your claim that "many of us don't have the resources to mitigate every infection or loss". I am absolutely empathic to data loss thanks to malware, it almost happened to me a few days ago. The one thing I disagree with is the idea that unless you have a good computer, there is no way to prevent or fix data loss. If you choose to stay on Windows, be sure to frequently make system restore points in case your PC becomes unstable, and to avoid data loss, use virtual machines to test out software you don't trust before using it on your main PC. As general security advice on Windows, most antivirus is unnecessary. Windows Defender is quite good at catching malware and removing it, and installing third party antivirus more often than not just slows down your PC and tracks you.

I really hope this helps. There is a small amount of research to find good FOSS alternatives to your everyday software, and there is of course a learning curve to the more advanced software, but in general I would rate them as more secure to install than most closed source alternatives, and I believe it will benefit you and our general technology usage by a lot. If you want more open source alternatives to the software you use every day, I would recommend looking it up on alternativeto.net. I understand this was a long ass post but your concerns are frequent and valid and I wanted to just set the record straight. Ask again if you have any more questions.

#open source #foss #obs studio #linux #ubuntu #windows #krita #gimp #clip studio paint #jellyfin #netflix #hbo max #firefox #google chrome #chromium #privacy

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the-sleepy-archivist · 7 months

Text

Online Privacy and Security Tips

I am a firm believer that people should be able to be anonymous and secure online. Over a lifetime of trial and error, I've slowly learned the best ways to protect myself, and I'd like to pass on that knowledge to anyone who wants to hear it.

Last updated Jan 2024 (added note about 1Password checking HIBP for leaked passwords)

Switch to Firefox for your main browser on Windows and Android

Avoid any browser based on the Chromium project (like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome), as Google has a major conflict of interest that prevents it from truly having users' privacy interests at heart. It makes ~70-80% of its revenue from its highly targeted advertising business, for which it must collect as much information about you as possible. That means that no matter how badly certain parts of Google want to build privacy into the browser, business interests and pressure will always supersede them, or at least force a compromise that still enables some tracking. Firefox is owned and maintained by a non-profit, so it does not have that same conflict, and it shows in the features it builds (and does not build) and the way it treats its users.

I made a list of my favorite Firefox extensions if you want to make your internet experience more pleasant and/or more secure!

Note: on iOS (i.e. iPhones), Firefox' functionality is limited by Apple restrictions and I do not recommend it - using Safari with Extensions like Adguard or 1Blocker is more secure and will give you a better experience. I made a list of my favorite iOS Safari extensions too!

Use a reputable password manager

I suggest 1Password (avoid LastPass and all of the password managers built into browsers, they're not safe). A good password manager increases your online safety by:

Helping you avoid password reuse (a common cause of account hacking)

Generating complex passwords that are difficult to guess or decrypt, and

Allowing you to keep records of all the different sites you have accounts on (so you can quickly change passwords in the event of a breach or delete your accounts on them when they outlive their usefulness)

Delete old accounts you no longer need

If your data has been deleted, no one can steal and leak it if they manage to hack the company.

This allows you to quickly change your password, hopefully before anyone is able to decrypt it (if it wasn't stored properly) or use it (if it was easy to guess). If you have reused that password on other sites, be sure to change your password on those sites either.

Note that some leaks don’t actually have any info about what website they were stolen from; if criminals just dump a huge text file onto a hacking forum that has your username and an accompanying password in it, HIBP doesn’t necessarily know what site they hacked to get that info. This is where a password manager like 1Password will come in handy, because 1P can actually use HIBP’s API to check each of your passwords and see if any of them have been leaked before. It will alert you if you need to change a specific password, even if you weren’t aware that site had been hacked.

Note: 1P only sends the first 5 characters of the password hashes to HIBP, not the passwords themselves. You can read more about the feature and how it preserves your privacy here.

Assume all profile pictures on any site are public, and avoid using your face for them if possible

New AI-powered sites like PimEyes can take an image of you, identify your face, and search for it in other, unrelated images around the internet. I searched for myself using a recent image that had never been posted to the internet before, and it immediately identified me in completely separate images I was using as my profile pictures on Facebook and LinkedIn and provided links to my accounts there. In this new AI era, assume anyone who snaps a picture of you can link you to your identity on any website where you have publicly posted your face before. Note: for what it's worth, you can submit an opt-out request to PimEyes if you are worried about someone using it to find your accounts online.

Never post the same (original) image on two accounts that you do want to keep separate

Even a simple reverse image search can allow someone to link your different sites together (i.e. don't post the same vacation photo on both Facebook and Tumblr because anyone can use that to link those sites together. Even if your Facebook or Instagram images are private, a friend of yours could still find the Tumblr you are not comfortable sharing with anyone. Marking your Tumblr as hidden only discourages search engines from indexing it; shady companies can and will ignore that and index it anyway.

#internet privacy #data privacy #digital privacy #firefox #adguard #1blocker #pimeyes #mine #long post

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