Goaty McGoatFaceJul 17
nixCraft 🐧

Back in my day, we bought things once and actually owned them. Imagine that! You'd get a CD, a movie, a game, or a piece of software, it was a tangible item with a set price that was all yours. No strings attached.

Now? Everything's a fucking subscription. It's like renting your life, but somehow it ends up being way more expensive in the long run. Go figure.

This is why open source matters a lot. It still gives you freedom and whenever possible please support your favourite FLOSS app 👍

Jul 17 at 8:36amWeb
Show threadnixCraft 🐧Jul 17
> How do you support FLOSS?
There are many ways you can donate money so that it helps the developer, maybe volunteer your time to fix bugs or documentation, if possible. You can even spread the word about your favourite apps on social media. Got a blog? Write about it. You can send a thank you note or hire a FLOSS developer for your project if possible.
Show threadStefanie Janine StöltingJul 17
@nixCraft And there's more, you can support open source conferences in organization and CfP committees.
You can share your knowledge by giving talks at these conferences and/or user group meetings.
You can share your knowledge by answering questions in forums, Telegram groups, Slack groups, and whatever platform suits you.
You can write extensions for software that does support them.
You can free computers in your neighborhood from an OS that's reaching it's end of service and the new version does not support the hardware.
Show threadBeastfellowJul 17
@nixCraft what is FLOSS? I heard about FOSS. What’s L stand for?
Show threadDavid PJul 17

@beastfellow @nixCraft

Lousy?

Loud?

Loose?

Longboard?

Show threadUdo B.Jul 17
@beastfellow @nixCraft Free/Libre ... :-)
Show threadJoe VinegarJul 17
@beastfellow @nixCraft the L in FLOSS stands for Libre, to clarify the liberty/freedom aspect, not to be confused with the lack of monetary compensation.
Show threadDavid Chisnall (*Now with 50% more sarcasm!*)Jul 17

@beastfellow @nixCraft

Free
Libre
Open
Source
Software

Show threadPaul Chambers🚧Jul 17

@nixCraft I nearly flipped my lid when I read they are making car features not connected to the web, like OnStar, "subscriptions," but hardware already fitted to the vehicle, subscriptions. 😡

BMW was going to do it with heated seats... But dropped it after people were outraged. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alistaircharlton/2023/09/07/bmw-drops-controversial-heated-seats-subscription-to-refocus-on-software-services/

https://www.motortrend.com/features/car-subscriptions-why-pay-for-features-services

https://www.axios.com/2023/09/07/car-subscription-fees-unlock-features-new-cars

BMW Drops Controversial Heated Seats Subscription Service

BMW has made a U-turn on a controversial subscription service that saw drivers pay a fee to activate the heated seats fitted to their car.

Forbes
Show threadBez LightyearJul 17

@paul @nixCraft
"It looks like you are attempting an emergency stop. Please tap the screen to subscribe to our 'enhanced braking package' at an extra €50/month to improve your stopping power"

"You seem to be having a collision. Upgrade to our 'executive protection mode' at €120/m to deploy all 25: airbags, 'silver protection' at €75/m for 5 airbags or 'standard' at €40/m for one airbag"

Show threadUkeleleEricJul 17
@paul @nixCraft There's so much nowadays where people are not actually buying a product anymore, but renting it, with the manufacturer able to stop it working when they decide they want you to upgrade or replace it. Goes for numerous software and hardware items now, including the majority of 'smart' devices, consumer electronics, and even things like kettles and radios. If I don't want the latest device because my one still works, it shouldn't be that a device or function can be removed.
Show threadPaul Chambers🚧Jul 17

@UkeleleEric I'm trying to avoid buying tech that requires third party websites to work, like security cams.

@nixCraft

Show threadDibsJul 17

@nixCraft (I feel like this is a common misconception. In most cases, you only ever bought a license with specific terms of use. You never owned the music, the movie or software. So, to me, subscriptions for those things makes way more sense.)

What pisses me off is that, if I buy a license to a work, let's say a movie, it's linked to the format, rather than the work itself. That makes no sense. If I buy a license to a movie or game, I should be able to watch or play it independent of format.

Show threadLibero MuredduJul 17
@dtwx @nixCraft but at least in music you owned the physical - including digital download - copy (and not the intellectual property). However, one cannot own a stream.
Show threadenoch_exe_incJul 17

@dtwx @nixCraft Really? I was never under that impression. Also, since the media content is mine and the license is an intangible legal right that doesn’t exist in the real world outside the ivory tower of lawyers, it’s mine to do with what I will all the way up until said lawyers decide to use the power of the state to threaten me to do otherwise.

That’s just how I see it, though. It’s generally understood that once you release something to the public, it’s out of your control—forever.

Show threadAriadna VigoJul 17

@dtwx @nixCraft Yeah, but with physical media, no matter what happens, you always have a backup you physically own. I think that's the point of the post.

To some extent, this also applies for digital files on your systems, but if and only if those systems are FOSS and won't go on a rampage deleting "unauthorized" files (new versions of Windows are known to do that in the name of "security" with a very specific kind of media).

Yeah, a multiformat single license would be the way to go, but of course they don't want you to have that.

Show thread💀andrzej💀Jul 17
@dtwx @nixCraft thing is, if the terms of that license were enforceable, you wouldn't even be able to have friends around for a movie night or play your CD at a house party. What's changed with streaming is the enforceability.
Show threadLeelooJul 17

@nixCraft
I can still buy DVDs. Or blurays, but I don't have a BD player. But I have a trick: i suspect most of them are bought as presents, because they end up in second hand stores, where I can buy them for no more than it used to cost to rent a movie for 24 hours.

And if it turns out a movie wasn't worth it, I can give it back to the second hand store and I still didn't pay more than renting.

For music, I can download it for free from Youtube Music (but don't tell them, they might not like that trick).

Show threadLibero MuredduJul 17
@leeloo @nixCraft one can buy digital tracks and/or music in physical formats and make sure that a decent amount of money goes to the artists, something that is virtually impossible with streams. Or second hand physical formats. It’s still copyrighted and so one can be critical of it, but it’s a much healthier system than the stream, imo.
Show threadDavid NashJul 17

@liberomureddu @leeloo @nixCraft Standard rule for this sort of thing, when feasible:

Try on streaming.
Buy on Bandcamp.

Unfortunately, only works for indie / small artists that are on Bandcamp. Really big acts usually aren't.

Show threadLibero MuredduJul 17
@dpnash @leeloo @nixCraft also, worth checking @mirlo !
I’d add buying downloads (not streams) from Qobuz (EU, if that’s important, for me it is). So far I found there most if not all the ‘bigger’ artists that are not on Bandcamp. Digital downloads pay the artist the same as physical formats, so it’s an incomparably better deal than Spotify etc.
Show threadDavid NashJul 17
@liberomureddu @leeloo @nixCraft @mirlo Yeah, Qobuz is good on that front. I hope being able to buy copies of albums sticks around as an option for them.
Show threadDec (into the void)Jul 19
@liberomureddu @dpnash @leeloo @nixCraft @mirlo
In some territories, including UK and Ireland, downloads purchased on Bandcamp count as sales returns in the official music charts. But you have to actually download the release (as opposed to keeping it in your collection for streaming).
Show threadEvan GenestJul 17

@nixCraft

And lower hanging fruit, at least advocate for the use of opensource in groups we belong to.

Is proton opensource? I know these are and I am in tons of conversations where folks have not heard of them

#matomo #libreoffice #brave

Show threadStealthy RaccoonJul 17
@nixCraft Hey! Don't forget about us pirates 🏴‍☠️
Show threadDrYakJul 17

@nixCraft though you have to admit that even back then, the corpo were already trying hard to attach some strings into all the examples you list, with various levels of success, ranging from "never caugh on" (CD from Sony), to become part of the standard even if useless (CSS on DVD, also eventually Macrovision on videotape), to actual pain in the butt (DRM in games and software).

Even more reason to support the alternatives!

Show threadDec (into the void)Jul 19

@dryak @nixCraft
The Sony rootkit would have caught on if it hadn't been for those pesky kids (at Winternals) who exposed it.

The company behind the rootkit changed their name shortly after, and the rootkit's main developer still has a successful career in tech; zero consequences!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal
"Neither program could easily be uninstalled, and they created vulnerabilities that were exploited by unrelated malware."

Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal - Wikipedia

Show threadT Jones NoKings FilmICEJul 17

@nixCraft

My car is paid for but Nissan has a forever subscription to my data.

Show threadfabrizioJul 17
@nixCraft proprio cosi.forse un tempo compravi una cosa se potevi!! Ora e tutto un affitto ?'
Show threadIvan BkJul 17
@nixCraft at the end of the year, i create a list of the programs I have used during the year, and I donate something.
Some apps get money every year, like Thunderbird. Other apps go to and out of my list.
I think this is a good way to support programmers who created apps useful for me.
Show threadToni AittoniemiJul 17
@nixCraft Yeah, I think we’re solidly on our way to a new feodalism. The lords who own the land are going to be ones who own the cloud systems, and you’re going to be a peasant, paying rent for everything you use for eternity and all your toil will go to the lord.
Show threadYoraJul 17

@nixCraft It's actually very easy to not subscribe to anything that isn't a utility.
All one has to do is to not do it.

Some things can't be gained without a subscription, but if this matters to you, you can simply live without it.

Show thread~* Sarah 🇨🇦Jul 17

@yora unless you want to sail the high seas, that is.

@nixCraft

Show threadRBWellsJul 17
@nixCraft I remember this time with great anxiety. The thought of having to individually pay for, and then own and catalogue, even a small fraction of what music I loved was overwhelming and crushing. I gave up, bought nothing, went to live shows and listened to the radio. Now I go to live shows, listen to the radio, and have access to a deep catalog of music through streaming.
Show threadGregoryJul 17
@nixCraft that's the point from companies' point of view. Most of them have taken VC money and some are publicly traded, which means they now have to show endless growth no matter what. The easiest way to have that is to have predictable recurring revenue. Subscription pricing also means you get to skimp on the quality of your product because you no longer have to convince your users to pay for upgrades.
Show threadEm & future cats 🇺🇦🐈🏳️‍🌈Jul 17
@nixCraft
I too remember these times. I also remember the “album” book of floppy discs, then compact discs of all of the software that was installed on your computer. Some would come with your brand new device, but others had to be purchased and then stored in the “album” (sometimes it was just a box too 😹). This collection ensured if in the event the computer crashed or lost one of those software systems you could install it again! Or if you wanted you could install it on a newer computer…
Show threadQuadRadicalJul 17
@nixCraft This is also why I love bandcamp. I pay for an album, the majority of my money goes to the artist, and I get to download a file I actually own!
Show threadDavid PJul 17

@nixCraft

It's as if the tech titans have realised none of us will ever actually own our own homes and will be renting for life, then have said yes, yes, more of that soul crushing despair and existential dread but put it in software. Brilliant!

Show threadrozodruJul 17
@pewnack @nixCraft that's exactly it. Nothing is "built for life" anymore nor do "life time warranties" even really exist. If you have a phone that's older than like 5 years you're viewed as some sort of crazy person.
Show threadJoe AlexanderJul 17

@nixCraft

YOU POST THIS SAME ENGAGEMENT FARMING STUFF ON FACEBOOK BECAUSE YOU ARE A BRAND NOT AN ADVOCATE

Show threadVessOnSecurityJul 17

@nixCraft "You'll own nothing and be happy".

Citizen, you don't sound happy. Report to the nearest re-education camp at once!

Show threadOlle GladsøJul 17
@nixCraft Pretty soon life itself will be by subscription.
Show threadMatt Linton Jul 17

@nixCraft 💯

This is why now that I am in a career place that I can do so, I make a point to support foss.

Immich 'supporter level" license, paid adblock, etc.

Show threadHippo 🍉Jul 17

@nixCraft and the same is true for #OpenHardware too: once I own it, I truly own it and can repair it myself rather than being tied to a service centre that is a sort of organically regulated sneak-subscription ⛓️

As a bonus, people who make open hardware tend to care about the product, so I'm more likely to get one that's designed to be long-lasting than one that'll become obsolete as soon as the company can come up with a newer reshash of the same product to thrust onto people ⏳

Show threadZot NobotJul 17
@nixCraft Another very irksome thing with digital subscriptions is that you depend on a 3rd party service on the cloud, which allows them to track everything you do and profile you. And you have very little insight of what happens with that data or how securely it is kept (usually: not well at all).
Show threadGregatron5Jul 17
@nixCraft @briankrebs Are you a lot older than me? Because almost everything I bought had restrictions. VHS, CD, DVD, they were all licensed copies for personal use. You couldn’t, for example, buy a Disney movie and charge people to come watch it, or buy a U2 CD and have people buy tickets to come listen to it. Yes, you “own” the physical medium, but you still bought a (transferable) license to what was on it.
Show threadGregoryJul 17
@gregatron5 @nixCraft @briankrebs the important part is that it can't be taken away from you after the fact. You bought it, it's yours until you decide to get rid of it or it breaks. Compare that to anything digital where the platform always reserves the right to take "purchased" movies/shows/albums/games away from you with no refund, or ban your account also with no refund.
Show threadCurtis CarterJul 17

@nixCraft I wish we treated software more like books. After X years the copyright runs out and the source code is released as publicndomain. This would be a treasure trove to have all the tricks and tips the graybeards of yore left for us to discover.

Like the many stories of how crash bandicoot and doom overcame the limitations of their hardware but with the code to see how it was implemented.

Show threadshironekoJul 17
@codingcoyote @nixCraft yeah I would totally use some 120 year old software.
Show threadshironekoJul 17
@codingcoyote @nixCraft we need to go back to 14 years
Show threadCurtis CarterJul 17
@shironeko @nixCraft as fast as tech moves that might be a maintainable timeframe. Ideally any patents used in it would have expired around the same time though.
Show threadshironekoJul 17
@codingcoyote @nixCraft yeah, not to mention software patents is generally a dumb idea to begin with.
Show threadCurtis CarterJul 17
@shironeko @nixCraft not always, although generally they are abused in ridiculous ways. In the U.S at least we need major copyright and patent law reforms to handle this and clean up the damage done by previous revisions
Show threadRejZoRJul 17
@nixCraft Some services offer liftime licenses. Granted, some asshole companies don't honor them, but some do. You pay a larger sum upfront and that's that. I got cloud storage this way, it was like 250€ for 2TB upfront instead of smaller monthly subscription and I think it has paid itself already for me in this time based on how much I'd be paying monthly otherwise. Not quite physical thing eince I still depend on their servers, but it was a better deal than monthly subscription.
Show threadMark Wyner Won’t Comply Jul 17
@nixCraft I took my young daughter to a record store to flip through the bins of vinyl. She was fascinated. I’m like “this is how we used to collectively buy music. We’d possibly be searching for a specific record or maybe just explore for surprises.” Of course I still do that. 😂
Show threadRichard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴‍♂️📷 🗺️Jul 17

@nixCraft

Actually you never owned the software just a license to use it, but it was a one time price and you only paid once.

i still manage to not have to subscribe to software. I tend to use free open source software or Giveaway of the Day lifetime licences or buy pay once only lifetime licensed software.

As to music, a streaming fee to listen to all music rather than buying records you only listened to a few times might be a better deal for the listener, but apparently not for the creators.

Show threadnachtetJul 17
@nixCraft Also, once my dvd was in my home, it wasn't still using heaps of electricity for storage and cooling..
Show threadshxJul 17

@nixCraft while I agree in general I would make one case where Spotify lowers my cost and provides value to me: music and audio books for children. Children switch preference like every six month and it's hell to deal with those CDs, Tonies and other media. Just streaming that while it's relevant and just move on is such a relieve.

Also my general minimalist mind doesn't like boxes full of DVDs et al I almost never watch. But that is a personal thing.

Show threadDaniel Django  (Akkoma)Jul 17
@shx
Libraries are also great for kids.

Edit: for adults as well, I love my local libraries.
@nixCraft