The platform itself is made being addictive in many ways, but even if there are alternatives people tend to use the most used platform because of missed out content. And I know about this problem as I tried with an own installation of Mediadrop. The site was visited and there were uploads besides mine, but people tend more to consume instead to create. Not a problem in general, but I see no further possibility to get this turned as even learning material for children is to be found just there, even though knowledge has to be free and accessible for everyone without boundaries to those services. I hope people get more into this and I want to help building alternatives - not with Mediadrop as there is Flash needed for uploading content.

But no one is weird when rejecting a service with reasoning. It is just more of the same: Convenience!

I know what you mean, especially when trying to find information there is the "internet". But this concept was once a real good idea, only a shadow of this today. So I think we should try taking back some part of it, with decentralization and building own parts with free, libre soft- and hardware. Yes, this take long time and is a fight against windmills. But you learn even more throughout this when looking into the different projects. And yes, many of them have their own freedom or security flaws. With free software we are able to make own forks, for example Mediagoblin without NodeJS as heckyel did - I'm onto this next for building a little selfhosted media-website.

And perhaps people are motivated when we tell them about our experiences?
We all are not powerless when trying to do something. Facebook or YouTube are of course not the plain and ground-reasoning evil, but they are also not fitting into a world where freedom and personal security are important, because they exist just from the data taking from people - same with Android as I hope the first mobile devices with GNU/Linux are up to become more fitting into usecases this year (meaning the Pinephone especially even when it is not free as in freedom for the first startup).

Here is just one result of the liberal view: https://lkml.org/lkml/2020/5/30/17

Modifying the Linux-kernel for using syscalls for better running "modern applications from Windows", especially games. Well? All of this is besides the Linux-kernel itself the same in one thing: No free code available, all licensed proprietary and Windows itself is throughout the same. Yes, I'm also using Wine. But the concurrent way many projects take is the opposite of being believable to fight for freedom, security and privacy as they all integrate more proprietary services and aim to be most accessible for them. Exactly why? Do you really think this can help, dear project-teams? Help for what? And to the users of the (also in same parts proprietary) Linux-kernel: What do you think to change when trying to become more and more even to Windows? Is it just to get away from data-mining and otherwise being not able to do without newest games, trying to jump afterwards newest trends in soft- and hardware? From my point of view this is ruining free, libre soft- and hardware. There is nothing left afterwards as more examples are available: How about the telemetry within games using the Unity-engine and framework (Link)? All for our good? But hey, this is good for doing some cheap and fast port towards Linux (without GNU), isn't it? I'd like to recommend everyone here reading this to search for the used engine / framework of some so-called native game for Linux before you buy it. If Unity is used you can just forget about it as many indie-titles are using this framework. Yes, some of them look very good, but nevertheless they are proprietary licensed and not executed in a sandbox, meaning they collect data while you "play".

You know about the power of words? Words can do much, create peace or the opposite, enrage or being diplomatic. There is so much about "words", about phrases, we need to be in learning for our time being here on earth. About the "power" of words as they can include or exclude, just with one simple sentence. The meaning about that is in absolute and static relation towards the phrase being believable. And it is not simple to do a reflection starting with yourself, it is an on-going process to question yourself and the mechanisms about exclusion of others. This is no one-sided switch turning something ON or OFF to solve a problem. Just a meritocratic process itself is not away where even Debian declares itself on that way using this wording, this phrase here. Quote to follow:

Just a simple phrase and we've got it again, without further questioning: Do more, get more!
Sounds nice and fair in the first place? I can assure you: No this is not "nice and fair". What about harassment towards others for example, about empower yourself standing above them because you are "in the higher position"? Those mechanics literally fail when the persons behind a role-model and position do literally questionable things, for example about ethics in general and exclude others just for their sexual orientation, their religion, their way to express and write. These are examples, but you see the problem: Being believable is and will stay a long road up ahead, a long walk for us all and everyone on an individual level. It's about so many perspectives, we as global society just have to do it everyday again and again: Starting with self-reflection and going onto criticism. Just because "you" don't see any kind of inequality in general doesn't make this disappearing: It is showing your priveleges as you can be not part of being defined as "not equal". Use this privilege to give others a voice and yes, it maybe harsh when others exclude you because of criticism. But that's just more of the demonstration as "we" humans don't want to hear about our own flaws and failures. Don't be frightened and know this: Solidarity is helping, don't be calm about the problems you see. And getting back to Debian: There are different approaches for the scribbled problem to be solved and I don't mean only one like a "Code of Conduct".

We can change, learn, listen, observe and be different. If we want that, we can be ready for doing that everyday again. Debian maybe doing a solid distribution for now, but that doesn't make everything else untouchable or unquestionable as words define and create part of our reality, our daily common understanding and the relationships between another. Don't let harsh, hateful wordings getting into that or empower yourself using those false mechanisms as they are the first failure of many to follow on that part of the road and I can guarantee: This will be a social and technological dead end to come, for sure. Inclusion for people to protect empathy and democratic understanding, real democratic understanding giving others a voice where yours maybe louder for now and this has to be changed. People, who don't want democratic values and just see themselves, are not part of that. But that's not only up to me, it's up to everyone to protect before hatred comes into our global community. A society with hate cannot last! Perhaps a short question for an entry: Do you believe in simplified pictures of "good and evil", declaring others as "your enemy"? Try to research for that as there is no "evil masterplan" to be found in general. Yes, there is "bad" to be done, but most the time this happens throughout egoism, ignorance and arrogance. You want to get your "evil deeds", search within history, search for the autocrats, the ones believing in "law and order". We can see that again and again, on small daily base, on the wide and global also! Questioning your privileges and before pointing now in my direction as I want to proclaim some propaganda: No that's not true. Of course I follow some ideology as everyone else. But mine is just the utopian imagery of a peaceful planet earth. Yeah, I know this is an utopian view. But dreaming means fighting for me and so I write my words down. Perhaps you read it and begin with questioning, looking behind mechanics of society and try to stand up against that? Yours to decide. And society itself is just neutral, a good value at all as we as humans need company in one form or another. But where is the end of my personal freedom? Do I have the right to insult others, getting against their freedom and even the highest value, their dignity as humans? No, there is the end and narratives doing that as final goal as mechanic, so getting freedom of minorities away, are that problem itself. We cannot tolerate intolerance and hatred. There is no need speaking about "evil companies", because we can just stay away from their services and platforms. Where is the problem building places on our own, with other thoughts in common, meaning making no money out of it and doing that for free knowledge, for a free culture? For being believable!

Ah and using simplified pictures for criticism is the base root we have to work on. Look at my signature: There is criticism about capitalism in it. But that's just simplified as there no further room. Got it? I am into capitalism as every other being here, so it is up to me being criticized at first place, no so-called "evil company". Yes I can reject using proprietary services based on enough arguments, but same with the wording "surveillance capitalism": Simple word with some dark sides named "structural antisemitism" when used comletely wrong. The reasoning for that? The responsibility is outsourced towards some named or unnamed "evil", some big names in general. We all are part of that "surveillance capitalism" and therefore my decisiions are not better or far more worse than yours. In fact all decisions together can make here the difference, the final definition for the moment and so words can define our reality. Stay sharp in criticism and don't get on sideways!

This is true, but alas, this is also why it would be helpful for invidio.us or other invidio instances to continue to exist.

Thanks for the feedback, zapper! And yes.

Just making a point as I read about views regarding unfree hardware running free software being some kind of "good" compromise as there "would be always proprietary firmware-blobs within computing". That sounded like the "Deal with it!"-argument we had in the past. Therefore I'm unsure why exactly it should be acceptable having proprietary firmware-blobs. Even sort to try building coreboot without as much firmware-blobs as even possible.

From my current knowledge: Yes, you can build Coreboot the same way, but you have to work on it as those firmare-blobs are seperated downloads for the stable releases. But Libreboot is being developed further. It is just a pity for having no stable release within the last years. Maybe this will be changed?

Thanks for the link and information about the projects: I also look forward having more "free hardware"-projects. But there is also the other side as we are talking about "hardware" being ready for all people and not only for the ones with the fitting budget. I see therefore only refurbished systems in the making as most fitting for the time being, meaning the next amount of years. There should be also more activity into Libreboot for researching more systems like Leah announced the ThinkPad X220 being perhaps possible. That would be great!

To be honest: We are at risk to loose everything the global society has literally fought for within the last ten, twenty or even more than thirty years. We can see worldwide authoritarian politicians - including individuals, groups and parties - planning for another big backlash. Meaning: Getting far away from freedom, tolerance and respect, to abolish societies without hatred and creating a climate full with disrespect and danger. You say something wrong? Well, you have to endure restrictions when it goes good. And just don't trust all those talking about personal "freedom of speech". The trick behind all this? They don't mean equal rights for everyone, just the "Status Quo" for their own good. There is no difference between all those called "alt-right" or something else as they have comparable goals and objectives: Forming society backwards and making people not fitting into their scheme suffering.

Just to quote it:

Democracy is of highest value, but we have to fight for it. And "freedom of speech" doesn't mean being free of any criticism. Think again, don't just trust me or my words here. Just look after all those incidents we are aware of for now: The brutality and the hatred towards people being marginalized. That's the beginning and everyone know where this road can end, within darkest actions and unspeakable, cruel deeds. In other times I'd write about being in balance, but there is nothing like it for now when the world is in flames, because of us humans. And the flames tell us about suffering, being harassed, being hated and excluded from everything, being hunted and treated as some objects. Think of that and share your privileges to others, I can only mention this again and again. Begging everyone to look behind "law and order", question it and think about alternatives before the ride on this dark road goes on. Please just stop because nobody can stop either people looking forward to lynch justice or the police-state in creation. In the end we have only tears for the victims!
And it is disgusting how authoritarian politicians play, argument and point on people or groups fighting for a better tomorrow. It is like having everything on fire and instead getting the bucket full with water they use oil making it even more worse, just to see the world burning and people suffering more. Yes, being believable is also about all of this. What's the alternative? Making ourself free from any kind of "ideology" or "identity"? Sorry, but that's exactly the invitation for mentioned restrictions and the described form of police-state. The right to ask questions, to criticize and as history tells us it is the first right being removed and deleted - for the so-called greater good, of course, and just temporary, for a little amount of time, of course. Hearing for sensitive times like these ones for now? Listening to facts and numbers of scientists? Ah, not so "cool". Better to be "free of everything" ... and risk everything, of course (again). Solidarity? Empathy? Seems those ears are just not open, as it seems own privileges are better than sharing them and having others being protected. Too complex? No, but the pragmatism, personal and self-centred egoism is more important for many.

Free culture means therefore also free, open information. Let's have a look onto this part: Do we have "free information"? We have applications and free encyclopedia in some ways. But to be honest? Wikipedia for example has its own problems with edited, wrong or questionable content delivered, only with the main objective not to tell the complete story or take some influence. This is not done by Wikipedia itself and coming up from humans and organizations with some plan back in mind. The problem are we: Some of us don't want to discuss, don't want to have criticism listed and any authoritarian regime is fast with tracking and censoring. There are so many wrong information or even worse told only in questionable ways and pieces used for a different agenda against humanism.

Next coming up: Free information? Not in times of capitalism.
You want to flash your notebook or mainboard with Libreboot? Of course you can do this, on the website there are many good first starting points and information about it. But how to do it for real? It is one thing to talk about it, describe it, but another thing to do it for real. And to ask people there is no guarantee getting any answer. The best one I have got in a negative way? Well:

Yeah, you read it. Free information for a free culture? Of course in theory, but there is much to do: People think of course from their own point of view. But this is giving much more insight, because they would do this on their own. So using not only information, trying just to create more out of it for their own benefit. And therefore trust is not given or even existent, free information are not fully available, because of "business". But this is needed for being believable as it is not some "systematic". Just the known arrogance, ignorance and egoism.

My favourite mmorpg that i seem to be addicted to is written in Java.
I can play it on hyperbola using java7 or 8.
So complete java removal damn, i don't know how i am gonna deal with that

Do we need to literally stop at some point with digitalizing "content"? Or do we need to conserve multiple ways to get in contact with movies, radioplays, music and books? I think the second question is the one we need for further discussion. You think I'm wrong? Well, just look on the upcoming streaming-services. Look at content being pulled back only available for paying customers. And some of them are just way more than entertainment: They give us questions, they are art and criticism, critical for modern societies itself when taking just the "wrong" road.

Yes, this is also more complex but it is onto the viewers for own resulting answers. That's nothing done so simple defined as "entertainment". And there comes the first question. Yes, we need to stop thinking that there is only one possible way. The world is colourful, so our ways should be the same for being believable. Look at all those dystopian images, there is more to learn out of them as they show us what could go possibly wrong and our way is full with wrong or failed decisions. That's part of being human, of course. But we shouldn't think ignorant only about one possible way, being disrespectful when others don't want to use some "cloud". We should stop and hear them out, their reasoning is to learn from. Because remember: There is no cloud, just other people's computer!

Treat it with wisdom instead of ignorance and arrogance, respect instead of pragmatism and conserve the knowledge. What can go wrong? Well, everything, even the knowledge how to build a database or how to start some service itself can be lost. But hey you can "search" (no, I don't use other wordings for this) for that? You can, but how long with centralized and proprietary services without control from society?