Every single Windows Explorer window now has a promo for OneDrive, but I guess I can live with this. The proper fix would be to create a local user account (a very hidden feature, and impossible to do when first setting up the PC), but that would require migrating all your documents and settings to another account, so for now I’m happy to just not have my data continuously harvested. 11/12
OK I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna click “Unlink this PC” (after downloading everything). And… it seems to have worked. Sort of… Explorer threw up two random error messages, then crashed and restarted. But now all the green ticks are gone, my files are still here, and I think my data is safe. 10/12
Fortunately, under “Advanced settings” (of course it is), there is a “Download all files” button. This forces all the cloud-stored files to be copied back to your hard drive. Unfortunately, this is not a checkbox, it’s a button. There is no way that I can find to actually stop Files On-Demand from pulling this trick again. And EVEN AFTER forcing this download, disabling sync for a folder STILL deletes all the local files out of that folder and replaces them with a link to the cloud. 9/12
Under a different panel in OneDrive, there is “Manage backup” which is almost-but-not-quite the same as “Choose folders”. So here you CAN uncheck Documents, Desktop and Pictures. (What happened to those being “important to the PC”?) If you uncheck a folder, it DELETES the entire contents of that folder, and replaces it with a link to the cloud “backup” of that folder. If you did this for Documents, most apps would break. This isn’t just a privacy disaster, it’s a horrible user experience. 8/12
There’s another button in settings, “Unlink this PC” which shows this dialog. This seems to be telling me that if I click “unlink”, all the files that were automatically uploaded and deleted will be lost. Good lord. So I’m not going to click that just yet. 7/12
So how do you turn this all off? Let’s go to OneDrive settings and click “Choose folders”. That lets you turn on/off individual folders from being synced… except Desktop, Documents and Pictures can’t be unchecked. “We are unable to stop syncing some folders.” Learn More (
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/choose-which-onedrive-folders-to-sync-to-your-computer-98b8b011-8b94-419b-aa95-a14ff2415e85) explains “You cannot uncheck certain folders which are important to the PC, including Documents, Desktop, Pictures…”. What the fuck? How is uploading my personal files critical to running the PC? 6/12
Choose which OneDrive folders to sync to your computer - Microsoft Support
Learn how to choose which OneDrive files and folders you want to sync to your computer.
#NYT going after #Wordle clones for copyright infringement is a bit of an overreach. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/nearly-2000-wordle-clones-targeted-as-nyt-issues-dmca-takedown/
Here's a screenshot from Gods Will Be Watching (2014) showing the exact same concept as Wordle (as a mini-game), using Wordle's so-called "unique elements": "green tiles to indicate correct guesses, yellow tiles to indicate the correct letter but the wrong place within the word".
Wordle is not at all original. It just did an old old concept very well and deservedly went viral.
Nearly 2,000 Wordle clones targeted as NYT issues DMCA takedown
NYT says its Wordle copyright includes "unique elements" of its game like "the 5x6 grid" and "green tiles to indicate correct guesses."
I haven't lost many childhood idols (Carrie Fisher being the last big one that hit hard). The death of #JasonDavidFrank from #PowerRangers hit me though, surprisingly since he's not someone I generally think about.
I've been watching the MMPR 5-part epic Green With Evil which introduced his character, and it's unironically really good (90s cringe notwithstanding). It's what taught me about serial storytelling, not just monster-of-the-week TV episodes. And he's great in it. RIP JDF.
Photos of last night's
#eclipse from Sydney, Australia.
