I joined #mastodon on New Year’s Day, with no idea what to expect

I found somewhere totally different to other social media. No ads, no algorithm, and a massive number of really nice people. Thank you all for making me feel welcome and comfortable in this unique place you call the #fediverse

But the best part is how much you all like cats (because me too)

Here’s Molly, sitting between my knees and staring at me until I give her treats

#cats #CatsOfMastodon #animals

#Microsoft is clearly becoming desperate due to low adoption rates of #Copilot.

Apparently, Microsoft is now pushing Copilot to all #Microsoft365 personal subscribers and calling it a "subscription price increase". Only when you decide to cancel your subscription are you presented with the option to switch to "Microsoft 365 Personal Classic" without Copilot (and nearly the old price). The classic plan is not presented as an option unless you try to cancel your subscription.

This is a classic scammy trick: Modify the existing plan and add the feature no one wants and hide the old plan from view. Presto, now you have an insane adoption rate you can present to investors as a great success.

I personally don't use Microsoft subscription services, so I don't know if they tried this bullshit in the EU, but if they did, they're asking for trouble. They got sued in Australia over this already: https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/microsoft-in-court-for-allegedly-misleading-millions-of-australians-over-microsoft-365-subscriptions "Microsoft in court for allegedly misleading millions of Australians over Microsoft 365 subscriptions"

EDIT: It seems that at least in some areas/situations the "classic" non-AI version is actually even more expensive. This isn't exactly making the situation any better of course.

Today the Support of Windows 10 is over

💡As a user, you should have the right to choose your operating system

🖥️ If you buy a computer with a pre-installed Windows license that you don’t want to use, you can request a refund💸.

“You should not have to pay for software you do not want. Manufacturers and vendors have no right to impose specific operating systems on users” @llas Refund4Freedom co-coordinator.

👉 https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210302-01.en.html

How to request a refund 👉 https://en.refund4freedom.org/

Today is the day  Mr. Hummelgaard wanted to push through a vote on Chat Control in the EU Council. But he failed! 🎉 

However, Chat Control will be back, so let's look at what this law means for everyone, not just here in Europe:

#ChatControl is nothing but a Trojan Horse for citizens and businesses in Europe. Why?

🧵 (1/7)