Tech News You Might Have Missed - Issue #2 [Subscribers]

My Thoughts

My Current Thoughts on Social Media

I like Bluesky as the most likely Twitter alternative, but I honestly prefer how Mastodon works, though it clearly doesn’t appeal to the masses. What Social Media has become is not what I signed up for. They've all become enshittified in one way or another, and full of hot takes that do nothing but take up mental space.

To be fair, great content and thoughts are shared, but it's quickly buried and easy to miss. Most people seem to prefer venting online than doing anything about what they're worked up about, and the noise of that tends to drown out the good stuff.

I used to LOVE Social Media, but given what's happening in the world lately and people's struggles, it's not a fun place anymore. However, I may occasionally check in on Bluesky and Mastodon.

I have deleted my Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts. Twitter is now just a placeholder for receiving notifications from certain users because other platforms don't offer that yet.

However, I might be done with Social Media entirely. Feedly, podcasts, and newsletters seem good enough for the stuff I care about. Want to reach me? Signal and email are the best ways. To find those, check out my website or, again, email me. I try not to use WhatsApp, since Meta owns it.

Browser Plugin Ad Blockers Honestly Make the Modern Internet Usable.

In the recent episode of Security Now 995, Steve Gibson makes some great points about how browser plugins, like uBlock Origin, have really helped make the internet more manageable and usable. He explains that these plugins are essential for blocking all the annoying ads and pop-ups that make browsing frustrating, giving users more control over what they see online.

He also touches on how ads aren’t just for revenue—they’re used to track people across the web, compromising privacy. Tools like uBlock Origin are important because they help stop that tracking and keep users safer online.

While he acknowledges that ad blockers limit website ad revenue, he argues that the trade-off is necessary given how bad things have become, and I very much agree with that. Ads are often used today to bombard users with unwanted content and track their activity, which can be invasive and intrusive.

If websites don’t want us to block ads, then they need to stop being intrusive with their ads, tracking, and other annoyances. In the meantime, Steve supports websites he frequents directly with subscriptions or in other ways, and I do the same.

Back in 2015, Doc Searls called ad-blocking "the greatest consumer boycott in history". (hat tip to Cory Doctorow for pointing this out.)

Steve sees ad blockers not just as tools to remove ads, but as tools to take back control from browsers and websites that rely on invasive advertising methods. He doesn’t completely dismiss the idea of ads but stresses the importance of ensuring they don’t compromise user security and privacy.

What to Expect in This Issue:

➜ Microsoft Recall: The Backlash, the Misunderstandings, and What Microsoft is Doing to Address It [Subscribers]

➜ The Latest Twitter Exodus Has Many Going To BlueSky. Here’s What I Like About It. [Free Post]

➜ Why uBlock Origin Users May Need to Switch: The Impact of Manifest V3 [Free Post]

➜ Kevin’s Picks: Sky Follower Bridge for BlueSky [Free Post]