So how can I as a new user make sure to have the most secure machine as possible?

1. Always use uBlock Origin in a Firefox-based browser (e.g., LibreWolf, Zen).
2. Never click on links in communication of any kind that you didn’t expect or are too good to be true.
3. Never reinstall Windows.

⚜︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

Anything that touches greed-incentivizing cr*ptocurrencies turns to shit. Use Matrix, XMPP, or Tox instead.

✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

No. Deleted my WhatsApp account though.

✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

“Ecofeminists examine the effect of gender categories in order to demonstrate the ways in which social norms exert unjust dominance over women and nature. The philosophy also contends that those norms lead to an incomplete view of the world, and its practitioners advocate an alternative worldview that values the earth as sacred, recognizes humanity’s dependency on the natural world, and embraces all life as valuable.” —https://www.britannica.com/topic/ecofeminism

Yes. Because it goes hand in hand with Cynicism, my main guiding philosophy:

Cynic: “an adherent of an ancient Greek school of philosophers who held the view that virtue is the only good and that its essence lies in self-control and independence” —Merriam-Webster

Either:

1. A smarter and wiser population able to discern and care enough that they’re being cucked by Microsoft, overcoming the inertia to install Linux.
2. Linux invents a game/feature that is so goddamn appealing that everyone wants in on the action.
3. Preinstallation.

Avoid Bluesky.

“When asked if Bluesky would always be free of advertisers like it is today, Graber said: “I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”” —https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/05/bluesky-ceo-jay-graber-is-reshaping-social-media-but-advertising-isnt-off-the-table/

✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

Remember … with great power comes … something.

Hemorrhoids.

The title is misinformation. It should be “someone made a RAT downloadable on Arch Linux” because the Arch User Repository (AUR) ≠ official repository. From the Arch wiki:

The Arch User Repository (AUR) is a community-driven repository for Arch Linux users. It contains package descriptions (PKGBUILDs) that allow you to compile a package from source with makepkg and then install it via pacman. The AUR was created to organize and share new packages from the community and to help expedite popular packages’ inclusion into the extra repository. This document explains how users can access and utilize the AUR.

A good number of new packages that enter the official repositories start in the AUR. In the AUR, users are able to contribute their own package builds (PKGBUILD and related files). The AUR community has the ability to vote for packages in the AUR. If a package becomes popular enough — provided it has a compatible license and good packaging technique — it may be entered into the extra repository (directly accessible by pacman or from the Arch build system).

Warning: AUR packages are user-produced content. These PKGBUILDs are completely unofficial and have not been thoroughly vetted. Any use of the provided files is at your own risk.

“Ambition is overrated. Whether a janitor or surgeon, being virtuous is what matters [1]. Avoid contempt and envy because we each have our part to play [2], powerless to choose our upbringing. Often there’s more than meets the eye so hold off on passing judgement. Everything is borrowed [3], so avoid craving credit too. The meaning of life is sharing (and) laughter [4], helping each other through peaks and throughs. Bref, GLHF.

1. Dr. Michael Sugrue: Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations: The Stoic Ideal.
2. Nicky Case: Fireflies.
3. The Streets: Everything Is Borrowed.
4. YouTube: The Meaning of Life.”

[Quoting my own website arscyni.cc because POSSE: “Publish (on your) Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere.”]

Yes.

TL;DR: It’s worth whatever a greater fool is willing to pay for it.

Bitcoin is a cult, therefore it’s invaluable to the cult members. In reality they’re all multi-level marketing pyramid schemes which is what the stock market has degenerated into as well. The former just has more overtly obnoxious shady unethical proponents. It’s easier to succumb to greed, selfishness, and seclude oneself from the rest of society by simply buying something that confirms one’s fallacy riddled beliefs than it is to question oneself and actively improving society with all of Earths inhabitants, ecosystems, and posterity in mind. Technologically humankind has made great strides, but mentally the majority still thinks like cavemen.

Crypto Cult Science

“Money corrupts; bitcoin corrupts absolutely. Disregarding all of bitcoin’s shortcomings, a financial instrument that brings out the worst in people—greed—won’t change the world for the better.” —https://www.arscyni.cc/file/crypto_cult_science.html

Changed my mind. Thanks.

You be the judge and reviewer ;)
I recognize it by name but I haven’t tested it or anything.

PS My list wasn’t meant to be exhaustive, sorry for the wrong impression. I’m sure there are great other Android browsers.

Brave’s a bunch of marketing/advertising driven crypto"currency" i.e., pyramid scheme peddlers desperate for greater fools.
↳ “Kill yourself.” —Bill Hicks.

On a computer either use uBlock Origin-included LibreWolf for stability and privacy, Zen browser for power users, and on Android one can use Fennec; all of them Firefox derivatives.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

Brave’s a bunch of marketing/advertising driven crypto"currency" i.e., pyramid scheme peddlers desperate for greater fools.
↳ “Kill yourself.” —Bill Hicks.

On a computer either use uBlock Origin-included LibreWolf for stability and privacy, Zen browser for power users, and on Android one can use Fennec; all of them Firefox derivatives.

- -
✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

but at least on Reddit there is more actual human content

You’ve been bamboozled by AI bots. Want more activity on whatever website? Be the activity.
That being said, some Lemmy instances left me a bad taste as well due to toxic replies. However, so far, Beehaw has been smooth sailing.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

1. POSSE: Publish (on your) Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere.
2. It’s a signature just like on any other forum.

I didn’t mean AI slop by you, but by those toxic users.

Fascists and Nazis
Wild Conspiracy Theories that make Qanon jealous
“Concerned” Trolling about the Accessibility of the Wayland session
A culture war where Wayland is Gay, and X11 is the glorious past they stole from you

This all seems like AI slop not worth discussing.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

…weird. I don’t understand why drop-down terminals are a thing? I can bring up Konsole with a hotkey too, only it just opens a window instead fo doing a fancy animation. That’s such a tiny part of its functionality that I can’t imagine how ‘drop-down’ became a descriptor for a terminal instead of just a bullet point on a feature list somewhere, much less a whole-ass category of terminals, lol.

But, fair enough.

Totally agree that objectively it’s a tiny part. However, for one, I’𝗆 simply used to it because that how terminals behave in games, and two, because terminals with drop-down as a feature were the only ones that introduced me to a one-button hotkey, just like in a game.