this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2023
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You know what grinds my gears? Technology. (lemmygrad.ml)
submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I know, the post tile is rather bait like, however I wanted to stir discussion amongst you.

As you know I'm a mod of the Linux for Leftists community so it might be quite counter-intuitive that someone knowledgeable on computers and Linux would have an anti-technological position. The thing is, I do not have such a position, that would be anti-Marxist and most importantly: idiotic.

The problems I have with technology stem from capitalism, however that doesn't change the fact I enjoy using more "outdated" technological solutions to my problems in life and "kkkrapital$m sukkks" is not the discussion I'd like to foster today. I believe as individuals and society we are over reliant on unnecessarily advanced technology and should seek alternatives to distance ourselves from this.

Let me ask you: "How reliant in your day to day life are you on your smartphone?"

The question is more in the likes of, how many of your previous devices or items have been replaced by it? For example a watch, a timer, an alarm, a calculator, a payment method, a music player, a news reader, a video device and more.

It's an everything machine, and when it fails you that's when you essentially lose access to everything. Even if I buy a ticket online, you bet I'm printing it out just for that added feeling of security. I've always been the type of person that likes my devices to be very redundant, so that when one fails me I can either easily replace or repair it. I also like for my devices to be reliant and durable as well as well made for the purpose they are meant to serve.

I have what I would like to call a functionally minimalist mindset. That's why I have problems with computers and smartphones as they are not only everything machines for most, they are slowly getting worse for the mainstream and a revolution isn't coming soon.

So what do I do? Lifestylism lmao

Something that helps me not only enforce a reliability in my life, but also ground it in the real world as with every future year we are more and more pushed into the digital. Unfortunately capitalism has made the digital not a liberating power, but a force of alienation and control. Thus I try to distance myself very much from social media, and I've been doing it quite well. Since 2013 or 2014 as quite a young idiot I made a smart decision. "Social media sucks", and I've never managed to get into Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and the like.

Only recently have I've gotten into any kind of social media, like Reddit or now Lemmygrad. But that is because of you my lovely comrades. You made the places worth registering to. Thank you.

But returning, I also have a certain love for the material. Something I can touch, inspect, smell and admire for it's craftsmanship. I own several purely mechanical machines that have been well replaced by the digital. I also have old digital machines that are also what I like to call fictionally minimalist. Like a Casio F-91W watch or a TI-82 graphic calculator. (Solid things, they don't make now 'em like they used to.) An addiator, a mechanical wind-up watch (I still prefer my Casio F-91W) and get this. Six typewriters. I have somewhat of addiction to them.

I have to say, all of these have made my life not just more cluttered. But more "real". I can't describe it, but interacting with them feels more authentic than interacting with a smartphone or even a laptop. There is just something about them that allows me not just distraction free work, but a focused mindset on task I've set in front of me. They make my life weirdly enough, easier.

I've found myself gravitating more and more to these low tech solutions, not just because of interest of curiosity. But real genuine desire to actually use them on a day to day basis.

Do you find yourself having similar experiences when it comes to technology? That it has been more of a hindrance than a help to whatever you are trying to do?

(Excuse me if the post lacks structure or sense. I've yet to get good at proper writing, and not just streams of thoughts.)

EDIT: It seems this post garnered a few downvotes. Please, leave a comment! Let the struggle session begin!

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Yeah, especially in cars, like you see the features and half of them will literally never be used ever

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago

Yes! When I posted this I thought of editing the post to include information about cars nad how they've been turned into absolutely unfixable and unreliable machines due to overabundance of electronics in their functionality. If I am going to have a car, it better be a Trabant lmao

[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

People living with disabilities use their phone to help them find and access services which they need. Paying bills, getting cash at the bank, etc all previously required physically queuing up.

Yes - not all modernization and tech "advancement" has improved people's lives. Postmodernism is a side effect of a capitalist system. Communication has become a commodity to be consumed.

Unfortunately we haven't yet created a Linux-like philosophy that applies to mobile phones. With Unix, you use files or file handles to interface between command line tools. You incorporate the tools together in scripts to create more complex applications. How that philosophy can be transformed into a mobile device? I'm not sure.

Tech needs creative people to build things that help others live better rather than screw their life up.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Fr without the work of GNU and FOSS advocates we would be in a deeper shithole.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Definitely, with Linux on my computer I can't even fathom the idea of returning to Windows in the slightest capacity.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I am actually optimist about the future of tech thanks to FOSS, there are people all around the world collaborating to develop open solutions for every sector. It really is the biggest collaboration project in humanity hitherto.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Yup, the existence of FOSS is always my favorite optimism boost and favorite argument against the profit motive being the main driving force behind innovation and improvement. Truly the best thing to grace this earth were all of these contributors that made our software and computing experiences better.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I'm at a point where any computer (including smart devices) that doesn't run a GNU/Linux or BSD derivative where I, the user, have full control over is completely useless to me. Proprietary OSs are so limiting, they're like a plastic toy hammer for kids in comparison to GNU/Linux, which is like a real metal hammer.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

Not just a metal hammer, a whole goddamn workshop.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

I use Windows for games sometimes and this is what has made it less unbearable for me:

  • using Windows 10 LTSC instead of the regular version
  • using scoop as the package manager
  • WSL for basic things like SSH

It is such a garbage OS. I cannot believe how shit it is.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Same, I use an iPod for music and my main laptop is 15 years old. It’s crazy that they want to move already existing offline things into cloud based subscription based ones, and how they slow down and stop updates for capable devices, and how they intentionally make things extremely hard to repair.

On the smart phone, it is an incredible tool humans have dreamed of for years (The collective information of humanity and the ability to communicate with people 1000s of kilometers away all in your pocket), yet the capitalists managed to make it as addictive as possible, to the point people would do horribly stupid things to please its algorithm and spend 7+ hours a day on it mindlessly scrolling without purpose.

Maybe it’s a power humans weren’t meant to have or its a ploy by the capitalists to distract and deceive the working class, but I digress.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Tragic, when you put it like that. There potential for smartphones isn't close to being reached and it's got very little to do with how much more advanced the tech gets. I've been asking around if people have old laptops, etc. I'm thinking of purpose building something that's as repairable as possible but it would be nice to try to get more life out of something that exists. What lightweight distros have you tried?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago

There potential for smartphones isn’t close to being reached

It’s funny, since I’m involved with legacy jailbreaking, and I really feel like planned obsolescence is the only thing stopping most people from using 10-year-old devices for everything they use them for now.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

When I tried both KDE Neon and MX-Linux on my Dell E6400, I found that MX performed better, but KDE Neon wasn’t much behind on that regard. I ultimately decided on KDE Neon because I like vanilla KDE more than MX’s XFCE config.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I guess I have more or less the opposite perspective. I don't like collecting physical things (harder to store and organize, a pain when moving apartments), although I do have spares for a lot of things that I expect to eventually break

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

Yeah, I've noticed that the similar thoughts I had were leading me down a path of hoarding

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That is a completely valid option and something I completely respect, a staggering amount of items can be a hindrance. But now, capitalism unfortunately provides us with devices unfit for being "everything" machines. Thus in a socialist future more reliable and better devices ought to be made, ones that are not held back by planned obsolescence, shitty software and generally the profit motive.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah, I don't really buy any "new" tech any more because it's extremely expensive and likely not long-lasting. My phones (thanks to LineageOS) and laptops were all bought used and are about a decade old at this point

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Same with me, I love my Thinkpad X61. Beautiful little thing.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I try to be as minimalist as possible about the digital software I use and to only use it as a tool, not as endless entertainment. I run a custom dwm, along with CLI only software, my only GUI software is Firefox. I don't use social media whatsoever, aside from Lemmygrad.

For a while I was on the Gemini protocol, liking the simple aspect of it. Though, it's become way too reactionary, it's filled with conservatives debating white genocide and so on. I did find Carl Newport's Digital Minimalism book of help, though in some aspects it was too bland in my opinion.

Like you said, at the moment we should change how we approach technology itself, and we shouldn't do it as everything devices. I can hardly focus when I'm not reading on my eBook reader, I don't even use addictive services. I can use just fine an early 2010s laptop as my main computer, though I can't come here because the browser lags too much. Everything else is quite good in my case, and it fits my writing needs nicely.

Speaking of analog devices that were replaced by phones, I very much enjoy analog watches. Not the fancy, shiny ones, but normal watches. They're much more practical than any phone for checking the clock in my opinion. I also own a calculator that's solar powered, and it's a great experience.

Yeah I definitely saw what you mean, much of the Linux, Small Web, etc. is very anti-technology and goes reactionary most of the time. Partly cause it's full of conservatives. I criticise new useless technology such as Smart TVs because it's capitalism's way of "innovation" that is predatory, not because new = bad. Too bad there aren't more leftists in the FOSS communities, though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ah, digitally I also tried to be very minimalist by also using only CLI software and running a tiling window manager (sometimes i3 and sometimes dwm). I've only recently returned to XFCE as I find it rather simple for a DE and really love it for what it is, something just makes me return to it since we met back in 2016. I really love it, and being relatively hassle free when it comes to configuration has me won over. Sorry, I love the customization a CLI program allows, but I sometimes could use the mouse support or unified theming of GTK that I can easily swap with a singular click.

I also have tried the Gemini and Gopher protocols but haven't found much worth being posted there... I'm currently planning (key word, planning) on writing a Small Web guide and creating a dedicated Small Web community as I would really like to foster these ideas around people. I also have plans of creating a website that would be available on HTTP, Gopher and Gemini and my target browser is Dillo+. I'll share more information when I get to it, sooooo yeah. Be sure to be veeeeeery patient…

I'm glad that you are also an analog technology enjoyer, there's just something else to these devices that smartphones and computers cannot really provide. It's quite an amazing feeling I like to share with the people I meet, not many people have seen, not even typed, on a typewriter. Sharing the magic is the least I could do.

Yeah I definitely saw what you mean, much of the Linux, Small Web, etc. is very anti-technology and goes reactionary most of the time. Partly cause it’s full of conservatives.

Yeah 4chan's /g/ is exactly like that, they were the guys that got me to read the Unabomber Manifesto. And even back in my worse days I knew Kaczyński was batshit insane, couldn't really believe people would unironically try and spread his idiotic message.

I criticise new useless technology such as Smart TVs because it’s capitalism’s way of “innovation” that is predatory, not because new = bad.

And correctly so! My TV is a CRT and it works just fine. And also is a reason why I don't really care for 4k Ultra HD torrents and just settle for 720p (Remember when 720p was called HD? I sure do). Bruh even standard resolution, known as 480p, is prefect enough for me lmao.

Too bad there aren’t more leftists in the FOSS communities, though.

Look around, they are making your software! Not fanboying about it on reactionary internet forums or shilling shitcoins B)

That at least counts for something and if anything, I can 100% say this with full confidence, and I know she won't read this but…

Leah Rowe, you were influential in saving me from becoming a disgusting piece of shit. Thank you. It means the world to me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Xfce is nice! I used it myself for a while, though I came back to tiling, I found it too inefficient. With a twm I can use my computer at the speed I like. I run myself a Gemini capsule and Gopherhole for quite a while now, I could give you more information if you wish!

Speaking of small web communities, check out: https://yesterweb.org. You probably know them, but they recently shut down and put out an amazing manifesto of how to grow a community, you should definitely read it. The admins were also Marxists.

I’m glad that you are also an analog technology enjoyer, there’s just something else to these devices that smartphones and computers cannot really provide. It’s quite an amazing feeling I like to share with the people I meet, not many people have seen, not even typed, on a typewriter. Sharing the magic is the least I could do. I sadly haven't tried a typewrtier.. yet. I'll see if I can get my hands on one, though the simple editing that you do digitally when writing is unbeatable.

Yeah 4chan’s /g/ is exactly like that, they were the guys that got me to read the Unabomber Manifesto. And even back in my worse days I knew Kaczyński was batshit insane, couldn’t really believe people would unironically try and spread his idiotic message. Look at Luke Smith and how he praises the Unabomber and other such figures, even has a video saying imagination is demonic, lol. Same with DistroTube, both are far-righters.

And correctly so! My TV is a CRT and it works just fine. And also is a reason why I don’t really care for 4k Ultra HD torrents and just settle for 720p (Remember when 720p was called HD? I sure do). Bruh even standard resolution, known as 480p, is prefect enough for me lmao. Yeah there's a constant competition of "MORE PIXELS! MORE QUALITY!" but it's barely distinguishable on an average screen. It's just the techbro conception of "progress"

Look around, they are making your software! Not fanboying about it on reactionary internet forums or shilling shitcoins B) Haha, fair

Edit: Thanks for linking me to Dillo! I'll check it out. I have experience hosting things, so I could help you, if you want to make something like a community or whatever, if you want.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

yesterweb.org

Now that's something I haven't heard of! Thank you for mentioning it, I'll definitely look into it!

Also you are quoting me wrong, you should add an additional line after the quote to fix it xd

I sadly haven’t tried a typewrtier… yet. I’ll see if I can get my hands on one, though the simple editing that you do digitally when writing is unbeatable.

I think more and pace myself better when typing on a typewriter, I also look out more for mistakes and generally think a lot before I lay it down on paper. It's a different mode of production you could say, but yes. The versatility of the text editor or word processor is simply unmatched in the modern world. I just like the limitations and requirements that the typewriters put on me.

Look at Luke Smith and how he praises the Unabomber and other such figures, even has a video saying imagination is demonic, lol. Same with DistroTube, both are far-righters.

It's hard to say the first didn't influence me, he was one of the few who made Linux videos in 2016 and 2017, before Youtube Linux really blew up. So unfortunately he was the guy I looked up to. Yeaaaahhh... Quite a shameful past, but I'm not afraid to admit it. Luke is the premier petit bougie sympathiser… „Oh you rent? Just buy land soycuck!”. What a fucking moron.

Yeah there’s a constant competition of “MORE PIXELS! MORE QUALITY!” but it’s barely distinguishable on an average screen. It’s just the techbro conception of “progress”

Progress means better treats. That's unfortunately the mindset of every anti-PRL idiot born in the 1970's. They didn't have jeans, Sony, Philips, Nintendo or other shit. Who fucking cares they've had guaranteed education, work, housing, high quality healthcare and more. Now that it's all collapsing it's just an inconvenience as long as they can keep their white BMW SUV. Fucking hell.

Haha, fair

B)

Also keep in mind, the Dillo+ I linked is a fork of standard Dillo. It add more features including support for Gopher and Gemini. Also thank you for wanting to help me! While UNIX like operating systems is something I pretty much mastered as I've got 7 years of experience as a day to day user, hosting is something I've yet to get into. I'll try to figure things out as I go and maybe I'll nag you when shit hits the fan lmao

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I believe as individuals and society we are over reliant on unnecessarily advanced technology and should seek alternatives to distance ourselves from this.

I feel about the same way, to the point I don't even really want print media to die. We're still looking at something right in front of us, but at least it isn't a screen. I've been framing it mentally as part of an intentional relationship I want to have with technology, and I think generally others should consider this too. Adopt technology selectively and critically, don't just let them foist new consumer durables on you, LOL.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I got curious about electronic typewriters not long ago. My friends got me a straight up old fashioned mechanical one though, lol

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Oh electronic typewriters can be very cool and have nice features, they also are still purpose built devices which makes them functionally minimalist in my book. However I still prefer electric typewriters instead, just simpler in construction.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

I'm on the same vibe but I'm also a compulsive hoarder, which is why I keep every old tech thing that is still barely functional and try to make them be something useful for what still works. So I have an old phone that serves as a music downloader/player, a notebook I'm turning into a very large e-reader, a couple of busted headphones I use only for sound isolation or testing and the list goes on. I'm still fairly reliant on my phone for browsing, but I'm really not fond of how unified and fragile modern hardware has become.

For the most part "low tech" solutions are not just more efficient in resources, but they're also much better developed with the dedicated user in mind. Which is why stuff like vim, bash, tmux, arch are usually leagues ahead of their corporate competitors, specially now with the AI craze where not even the developers have control of their product.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Because of autocorrect I forget how to spell. Today I had to look up how committee is spelt. I have turned it off completely everywhere. Spell checkers too.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

I have autocorrect off but I still use spell checkers, so whenever I'm typing and I see something is spelled wrong I can treat it like a puzzle and figure out the correct spelling without assistance.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

I feel the exact same way, and I've been trying to not overly rely on my laptop and smartphone

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Techmology. What is that all about? Is it good? Or is it wack?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Techmlogy. Neutrl

Techmology + KKKrapitali$m = wack

technolgy + Socialism C: = gud

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

It's whack, unless we're talking about a glove you wear while eating ice cream so the melted ice cream doesn't get on your hands!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I try to take a "digital vacation" occasional. I will let my friends/wife know that I'm going to be off-line but hanging out at a bar or a certain part of the city for a few hours with my phone off. I never turn it on for anything, and I just roam around. If I get lost? Good! Maybe i'll discover something new while I'm roaming and trying to figure out where I am.

Maybe I'll smoke some weed and just observe stuff, maybe I'll just lay down in a park for a while, whatever. The point is to disconnect for a while. It's liberating.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

For redundancy I just... have two phones? One has a phone plan, the other is my old phone with a broken screen that I could activate at any time if I somehow lost my main phone. Plus it can act as an internet machine, dupe of my important shit (passwords, locks, contacts), and also its a piece of shit so no one is going to steal it lol

As for low tech solutions, ever checked out Low-Tech Magazine? Good shit

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Yeeees, I love Low-Tech Magazine, it's the good shit. I love their stylistic choice for their pictures. For example I really enjoy their articles of imagining a real existing solar-punk world and not just engaging in idealism. I really liked their article about sailing ships for the 21st century. Also having two phones is not really an answer to these problems for me, not that it feels "wrong". It's just that it's an insufficient answer. I'd rather have many devices that are independent of each other rather than multiple everything devices, I find that preferable.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Great magazine, loved the articles about modern sailing ships and sewage handling by aquaculture.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

I feel the same way. I need to get off IPhones ASAP. Unfortunately, I’m not old enough to have older tech. All I have is an IPod touch which has been designed obsolete and has no battery and some headphones that have terrible sound. I guess my new ereader sort of counts. It’s not touch screen but it amazes me how the battery can last so long and the screen doesn’t hurt my eyes. I Guess my dad’s records count, and that I still use a Wii U.

I don’t know how you use a typewriter frequently, but I do kind of hate having to type on this touchscreen. I don’t know anything about computers or Linux, but I kind of want to. Anyone interested in low tech, older, and more environmentally friendly ways of doing things should check out https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/, if they haven’t heard of it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I can appreciate analog and/or specialized tools. I think typewriters, film cameras, watches, etc. are all fascinating. I might enjoy engaging with them. However, a low end Android is cheaper more accessible to most, assuming limited finances and/or no inheritance of such items. 'Everything machines' can be a boon for those individuals by means of concentrating utility and reducing cost. Evidently, capitalism nonetheless creates issues with this, as others have correctly discussed.

I would say that in China, one uses smartphones for neerly everything, even more so than in the global north. This is for various reasons, but it does have practically since all you ever need will be in your phone, including wallet and keys. This does make the development of HarmonyOS by Huawei very interesting. It may abate some of the current issues, especially given that I believe the OS is open source.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

I do agree smartphones are utilities that allow people to do much more with them for the much lower price tag, that is a great point. They also are very much useful for disabled people as they trivialize (mostly) many tasks that were in the past very difficult for them.

Regarding China, I'd say I'm happy that they've achieved a unified model with smartphones really being the everything machine. But personally due to my past experiences with computers and smartphones I'm not really fond of that being the only option, and would love for "low tech" alternatives to exist. I really wouldn't like my smartphone to be the singular point of failure of me being able to pay or even worse, open my home in the first place.

I also don't like (from what I've heard) that cash, despite existing, gets very rarely accepted anywhere in China. I've also remembered now some kind of article that was linked to GenZedong about China forcing some, but I don't remember which, places to accept cash no matter what as to help seniors. So if anything, and I hope I'm wrong, it sucks that there are little alternatives to the smartphone life one has in China. It should be the mainstream, but weirdos like me exist unfortunately, even if we are the absolute minority...