Generally speaking, you need to use social signals: does it seem like other people are using the software? Is it recommended by people you trust? Does the author look legit (other projects, a presence on social media, etc)?

That’s because it’s really easy to hide malware. Developers can’t read an entire codebase, and the codebase of every library required by the tool.

In the ideal scenario, permissions on your home directory are configured appropriately so an attacker can’t do too much damage. I’m not sure if that’s realistic, however.

There have been lots of stories about supply chain attacks that steal developer’s crypto wallets, which is a perfect illustration of the problem.

Edit: running everything in a VM is probably the safest way to deal with untrusted code.

Trolling is how we express love in my household.

Isn’t that where Amazon makes 1/3 of their money?

In the beginning, we were weirdos doing it for fun. It was a hobby. Now there’s a bunch of people trying to make a living from content generation. It’s a job.

2028

I suggest Peter Watts.

most SF stories there are usually one or two central issues to grapple with—an evil AI, an empire, climate collapse—but rarely the overwhelming stack of interlocking failures we see in reality. Even dystopias often feel strangely cleaner and more legible than real life.

Writers try to build tight narratives. Portraying a polycrisis is hard. It’s even harder if you want to focus on one or two factors. Decent editors try to cut extraneous stuff out of stories, so they’ll try to trim out factors that aren’t necessary to the main story arc.

And then you need to consider the audience. Can a writer portray a polycrisis in a way that viewers or readers will stick with? Or will the audience get tired of a laundry list of problems?

I suggest Peter Watts because he writes (wrote?) good genre fiction that’s depressing and includes multiple reasons to be depressed.

My posts and comments linking to Lemmy have stayed up, and received comments.

Maybe it’s true for some subreddits as a mod choice, but it isn’t true for all subreddits.

I’m referring to Reddit: niche subreddits didn’t get a lot of traffic, and prolific posters wouldn’t see money for their efforts.

I have nothing but respect for the users who are posting stuff into otherwise dead communities for months on end. Sadly, I don’t have that kind of dedication.

The subreddits that I’m part of are too small for monetization. There are prolific posters (like our pugjesus), but nobody is making money from it.

I also care that there is very little content. I’ve tried getting conversations going on niche topics. My posts get upvotes, but no responses. It’s discouraging.

This is huge. With a couple of kids, a spouse, and everyday responsibilities, it’s easy to get stressed and be a dick.

I find it takes conscious effort to switch away from whatever is under my skin to deal appropriately with the folks I love.

Aren’t memes generally fair use (depending on your jurisdiction)?

Everything you said is spot on.

I had kids older. I don’t agree with OPs advice for not having kids in your twenties. I’d argue a planned pregnancy in your twenties is the way to go.

I generally listen and compare it to what I do.

If it’s useless, I silently feel smug and superior. If there’s something good, then I try to take it onboard.

Sorry - I don’t think I worded that well. I’d try dates with folks who I didn’t feel chemistry. When I say chemistry, I mean social - not sexual. There are a handful of people that I click with socially, and then the vast majority that I don’t.

I ended up marrying one of the few people I do click with socially.

I’ve never really considered sexual chemistry before. In my experience, sex is an activity like many others: you need to practice to make it work; when you’re doing it with someone else, there’s a learning curve to get it right for both of you; and sometimes one or both of you don’t get it right, so it kinda sucks.

Asexual is a tag that came around long after I’d left the dating pool. I’m not really familiar with what it means.

Nope. I thought maybe I could find chemistry with people if I got to know them better, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. At least for me.

Going out to bars when I was a student. I wanted to spend time with people, not spend money on the outing.

Not pretended, but when I was dating, I’d say yes to a first date with anyone who seemed vaguely compatible. I’d try to make some chemistry happen. It didn’t.

All, new

I need content