Elena Rossini ⁂
@_elena@mastodon.social  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago

✨ new on #TheFutureIsFederated 🚀

« In this age of #technofeudalism every writer who covers technology - especially resistance to #BigTech - should disclose their tech stack. Here's mine »

🔗 : https://news.elenarossini.com/technofeudalism-disclosing-my-tech-stack/

Basically, a love letter to #FOSS and the #Fediverse… with room for improvement (especially on the hardware front)

#selfhosting#GoToSocial#Mastodon#NextCloud#Pixelfed#PeerTube#Signal#YunoHost#DeGoogle#LeaveSubstack #resist #resistance #broligarchy
Rouven Malecki
@writescode@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@_elena The hardware side is definitely more challenging. After decades on Mac and Windows I moved to a Framework 13 with Fedora about 2 years ago. I'm loving it and it was absolutely painless, but it's comparatively easy in my line of work (software/games dev) than if you had to professionally use, for example, Adobe -- there are of course very good alternatives for every Adobe app, but they come with a learning curve.
Su_G
@Su_G@aus.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@_elena

Absolutely! And thanks for walking the talk so thoughtfully, this so resonates & yet it's so unusual I hardly have words to think about it, which is why your example is so valuable: "« In this age of #technofeudalism every writer who covers technology - especially resistance to #BigTech - should disclose their tech stack. Here's mine »"

Ah... Leading by example!
Also... I finally understand the concept of 'tech stack'! Thanks again! 🙏

#Leadership#walkTheTalk#ReconnectingConsequencesToCauses
Moonshine Brigade
@moonshinebrigade@musicworld.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@_elena like you i tried to look up Cadwalladr here on the Fediverse after her second Ted talk. Was disappointed not to find her here.

Ted Gioia is another example who is writing about change and against Google, yet is a huge SubStack advocate..

I've tried to convince a local blogger to get out of the Nazi bar, but my words fell on deaf ears. He's a music promoter and books bands based on Spotify stats.. we're still debating that 😉

Thank you for another great article, nice show of tech 🤘
Kinene
@c_merriweather@social.linux.pizza replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@_elena Some of us left technofeudalism years ago, simply because we could not afford it. There is no way it is possible, on a fixed income, to replace hardware for every OS upgrade.

I switched to Linux from Win98, because I could run it on older, used hardware. The last new laptop I purchased was 2010, from a small company building Linux laptops. Friends give me their old computers; I load Linux on them to give them a second life.

My phone and tablets still are Android-based; again, because one can find less-expensive, decent new hardware running on Android. Most of the apps I use come from f-droid, including browsers, contacts and calendars.

We do not need to be thralls to the Techlords.
Flipper 🐬
@flipper@mastodonapp.uk replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@_elena I'm not sure about this. Though I applaud your efforts to purge big tech from your life (something I am also in the process of doing), it's not always that straightforward for everyone and is not really the correct response to the threat of surveillance capitalism.

As @pluralistic often says, individual solutions to what is a deep systemic problem don't do shit except make you feel a little better. We should all strive to reduce our dependency on big tech, but never lose sight of the real problem: big tech itself, not the people caught in its monopolies.

Otherwise we veer dangerously close to victim shaming.
Elena Rossini ⁂
@_elena@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@flipper oh I should have added that I do not judge regular people for their use of (Big) tech… my issue is with writers who purport to be fighting Big Tech… who do not use any FOSS solutions and are only on commercial social media.

I think people with big platforms have a responsibility to show that alternatives exist (and are viable options)… at least a +1 strategy (commercial platforms PLUS one Fediverse profile for example)

@pluralistic
Old Fucking Punk
@lwriemen@social.librem.one replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@_elena Maybe the Linux phones will be more ready for consideration when you decide to get a new phone. I use the Purism Librem5, but in full disclosure, it's a Linux computer and not all Linux apps are made for a small screen.

Purism has put a lot of money and effort into making Linux mobile more possible, but they also suffer some small company issues. Anyone expecting an iPhone or Android experience is fooling themselves.

Google-free Android isn't wholly feasible long term.
Kate McDonald
@musiciankate@hcommons.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@_elena
Thanks! I hadn't been aware of the possibility of hosting a WordPress website separate from WordPress servers. I have a WordPress website that my personal domain redirects to, and I've paid WordPress to remove ads for a couple of years. I am not particularly tech literate, and am trying to learn little bits over time . . . eventually I want to improve my website and get more adept at doing these kinds of tech things myself. Thanks for helping me understand one more little piece!
Elena Rossini ⁂
@_elena@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@musiciankate if you have any questions / need help, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’ve been building sites in Wordpress for 15+ years.

I’m just in a super remote place right now with terrible internet (it’s a miracle I could publish my post), so I will most likely be able to help later this month when I’m back on land
Kate McDonald
@musiciankate@hcommons.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@_elena
Thanks! I appreciate the offer. I'm currently working on my thesis, and I'm trying not to get TOO distracted with other projects until that is done . . . for now, I'm trying to push tech goals (including switching from Windows to Linux, improving my website, de-Googling my e-mail, etc.) to "post-thesis." So it will probably be several months before I start spending any serious time on it! In the meantime, I'm just collecting little pieces of information/ideas as I stumble across them. :)
Elena Rossini ⁂
@_elena@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 weeks ago
@phillycodehound thank you for the thoughtful comment Seth!

I had completely forgotten the TL / Biden comment. How terrible. I have no words.

As for keeping Google as a digital marketer: I understand. I don’t judge anyone, I understand how some things are hard to give up for work.

Personally I loathe Adobe but I had to use AfterEffects for the motion graphics of my Fedi video… so I paid Adobe for one month and then unsubscribed…