patents should not exist

No AI? Are they allowed to do that? Are you sure?

I get why this sounds better than websites directly collecting IDs, but I think it still understates the problem. Even if the site only sees “18+”, the system still begins with strong identity proofing somewhere upstream. So this is not really anonymous access, it is identity-based access with a privacy layer on top.

The bigger issue is centralization. You still need trusted issuers, approved apps, approved standards, and authorities deciding who can participate. That means users are being asked to trust a centralized framework not to expand, not to abuse its power, and not to fail. History gives us no reason to be relaxed about that.

I am also skeptical of the privacy promises. These systems are always presented in their ideal form, but real-world implementations involve metadata, logging, renewal, compliance rules, vendors, and future policy changes. “The website does not know who you are” is only one small part of the privacy question.

So even in the best-case version, this is still dangerous because it normalizes the idea that access to lawful online content should depend on credentials issued inside a centrally governed identity ecosystem. Today it is age verification. Tomorrow it is broader permissioned access to the internet. That is why I do not see this as a decent compromise, but as infrastructure for future control.

Today is a great day for the scammer community

Yey!! Finally! Let's see if we can do something about the Linux client

This is going to sound unbelievable, but believe it or not, they lie.

What surprises me more is that someone feels the need to justify staying on Linux at all. That’s a conversation that shouldn’t even exist.

The question has almost always been the other way around: why use anything else?

Brother HL-L2310D, super basic black-and-white laser. USB only, no Wi-Fi junk, no “phone app required” crap. Just stick it in, install drivers, and it spits out pages. Toner is cheap and it doesn’t freak out when you don’t use it for a week.

Brother HL-L2370DN, same deal but with wired LAN if you want to share it on a network. Still no Wi-Fi/Bluetooth nonsense. Nice solid little workhorse, prints fast, simple guts, cheap toner, none of that overhyped smart printer fluff.

I would be very interested to know how they plan to resolve these issues with "Ladybird." Using a new engine will likely clash with the FALSE "security measures" of many websites and harm the browsing experience. It’s often said that users should demand respect for web standards, but in the meantime, as usability declines, users will gradually drift away. Firefox learned this lesson the hard way.

Seriously, like, actually seriously, I want to believe that this time everyone will leave Discord, and not just a small group of weirdos like us who “care about privacy” and ended up on Lemmy.

Your premise assumes people are morally consistent, and that’s just not how humans work.

Someone can hold racist or classist views and still feel real anger, empathy, or a sense of justice in a specific situation. People compartmentalize constantly. Having prejudice doesn’t turn off basic emotional responses when something concrete and personal happens.

Also, it’s not true that there’s “nothing in it for them.” There are always underlying factors like personal identity, guilt, attachment, social image, or even just the need to see oneself as not completely awful.

What you’re describing isn’t a contradiction. It’s exactly what real people are like, and why well-written characters behave that way too.

If someone is spying your PC you have bigger problems than your VPN account being stolen.

When Trump says piracy, I understand he's referring to classic piracy (with little boats and all), and when he says IP Theft, I assume he's referring to the piracy that concerns us. Good luck adding a tax to my $0 rate.

Oh, ok then. I trust you now.

You wanna change a nice dog because is not useful to your needs? You don't deserve a dog.

DING DING DING DING

Decentralized, yeah sure!

Honestly, suing pirates is like kicking a tree to prove it’s still alive, it doesn't change the game. Piracy isn’t the villain here; it’s practically part of the success story.

We need to stop using Reddit, WhatsApp, and YouTube... but we can't.

That's the real problem. These platforms stopped being “apps” a long time ago. They're infrastructure now. Reddit is search results, tech support, product reviews, niche communities. WhatsApp is family, work, school, doctors, landlords. YouTube is tutorials, education, news clips, repairs, entertainment, background noise.

You can quit a bad product. You can't easily quit a social standard.

And that’s exactly why they get away with so much. The cost of leaving isn’t just losing features; it’s losing access to people, knowledge, and convenience. Alternatives exist, but the network effect keeps dragging everyone back.

So yeah, we should stop using them. But realistically, the better first step is reducing dependence: use RSS, forums, Signal, PeerTube/Invidious, proper documentation, personal websites, mailing lists, and local backups wherever possible.

Not because purity is achievable, but because total dependence is dangerous.

Even so. You can always make a screencapture.