I think colloquially people have begun expanding use of the word to include anything where features or product are removed but the price stays the same.

Maybe there’s a better word for that, but I understand the parallel.

If we are trying to dig into the root cause? Then yes, honestly. It is Google. And don’t call them the “search engine guys”, that’s not what they are about. They are the “mass aggregation and correlation of user data guys”. Search has been a means to an end for Google for a very long time.

All those other things didn’t exist when google was developing their model. Google paved the way for the internet no longer being free, but being “free” with payment rendered in the form of user data. That in turn directly led to all those other evils you referred to. It is not an exaggeration to imply that Google is ultimately at fault for the way the internet functions today.

We can only hope that there are people waiting in the wings at Valve who are ready to take over the reins whenever Gaben is done and carry the torch forward in the same direction.

Valve is a private company. Microsoft can’t just buy Valve, Valve would have to agree to that. Considering Valve has (for a company their size) effectively unlimited resources already, and considering that Valve’s founder and leader is a known detractor of Microsoft, this is a nothing story. Microsoft will not buy Valve. This is baseless musing, like how I sometimes daydream with my wife about what we’d do if we won the lottery (which we don’t play).

Of course Microsoft would love to buy Valve. Just like they would love to buy Nintendo. I’d like to buy a Lamborghini. All these things are about equivalently likely, zero likely.

What is this, a Zelda side quest? Lol. I’d love to help you find the princess but I’m just so broken up over this missing F-35. If you can help me find it, I think I’ll be able to remember where I saw her last. There might also be 20 rupees in it for ya. Thanks!

Jesus christ. What is the public reaction to this in Poland?

This is horrifying, draconian, invasive, gross…on so many levels.

Imagine being a woman, going through a miscarriage, and then also needing to be tested like this to somehow prove the validity of this horrible thing that has befallen you. How humiliating and grotesque. Completely inhumane.

I was taught both.

Just like I was taught both metric and imperial.

I use both temp scales, though fahrenheit is more common.

I use both measurements scales, though imperial is more common.

One thing I’ve never understood though. Metric is more precise for measurements (at least without needing to involve fractional measures). I totally get why it’s superior for a lot of things, and indeed it is used in many places for this exact reason.

Why would anyone say Celsius is better? Apart from freezing and boiling temps seeming somewhat arbitrary with fahrenheit, does it not allow for much higher precision with regards to temperature identification without resorting to decimals? Isn’t this the same rationale used with metric vs imperial? It seems like a double standard to me, because remembering two temperatures (for boiling and freezing) seems like a small price to pay for a more precise system.

A lot of things around the world were better before the Internet. And they were definitely better before smart phones reached ubiquity.

I’ve been using one of these daily since 2019 and it is easily my favorite backpack that I’ve used. It’s been on multiple international trips and lugged around on basically every family vacation and daily trip to the office and it’s in as good of shape as the day I bought it. Very comfortable. The only downside at all is the lack of mesh water bottle holder, but it’s roomy enough to fit one in any of the pockets so it’s not been an issue for me.

https://a.co/d/1dt0D6N

Sadly it seems like this model has been discontinued? But it’s available in various places if you poke around the web a bit.

I really love this web comic. I’m very unsure how it will translate to anything beyond its current scope, which is essentially translation of individual “moments” into literal language. The shtick doesn’t have a chance to get old when it’s never a situation longer than like 6 panels. But I’m curious enough to be mildly interested.

And by all means, good for Nathan Pyle for cashing in on this. That’s awesome.