What's the mindset behind forcing a user to create an account to view the media on a page? For example an artist I like posts their art on Instagram and Twitter but I can't look at it unless I create an account. What's the dumb corporate rationale behind this? I have seen this on so many sites you can't even see what's there without an account? Doesn't it just scare users away? I know it certainly does for me. If I have to log in just to view a page I don't want to view the page.

They reposted posted it on their mastodon account today.

All goo.gl short links will die.

The linked article does his math wrong - the ad revenue per page view is $0.00258, so the profit per page is actually $0.00207.

This will radically accelerate the problem of search results being full of AI-generated spam.

How accurate do you think this blog post is? "Google now defaults to not indexing your content". I quoted the last two sections.

Google Now Defaults to Not Indexing Your Content - Vincent Schmalbach

The New Reality: Selective Indexing

This brings us to the current state of affairs: Google is no longer trying to index the entire web. In fact, it's become extremely selective, refusing to index most content. This isn't about content creators failing to meet some arbitrary standard of quality. Rather, it's a fundamental change in how Google approaches its role as a search engine.

From my experience, Google now seems to operate on a "default to not index" basis. It only includes content in its index when it perceives a genuine need. This decision appears to be based on various factors:

• Extreme content uniqueness: It's not enough to write about something that isn't extensively covered. Google seems to require content to be genuinely novel or fill a significant gap in its index.

• Perceived authority: Sites that Google considers highly authoritative in their niche may have more content indexed, but even then, it's not guaranteed.

• Brand recognition: Well-known brands often see most of their content indexed, while small or unknown bloggers face much stricter selectivity.

• Temporary indexing and de-indexing: In practice, Google often indexes new content quite quickly, likely to avoid missing out on breaking news or important updates. Soon after, Google may de-index the content, and it remains de-indexed thereafter. So getting initially indexed isn't necessarily a sign that Google considers your content valuable.

I've observed this shift firsthand. In the past, when I set up a new domain, it would be indexed within an hour or faster, sometimes in seconds. This was true even for brand new domains with no mentions anywhere and no backlinks. When I searched for the title of one of those brand new blog posts or some unique sentence from the article, it would be right there on the first Google page.

Now, for each piece of content, Google decides if it's worth indexing, and more often than not, the answer seems to be "no." They might index content they perceive as truly unique or on topics that aren't covered at all. But if you write about a topic that Google considers even remotely addressed elsewhere, they likely won't index it. This can happen even if you're a well-respected writer with a substantial readership.

Interestingly, I've noticed that when content does manage to get indexed, it often ranks surprisingly well. It's as if the hurdle of getting indexed has become so high that once you clear it, you're already most of the way to ranking. However, getting to that point has become exponentially more difficult.

Importantly, this extreme selectivity isn't applied equally. Big, recognized brands often see most of their content indexed quickly, while small bloggers or niche websites face a much higher bar for inclusion. For these smaller players, it's not just about creating good content anymore – it's about convincing Google that your content is absolutely necessary for their index.

The Consequences

Google has transformed from a comprehensive search engine into something more akin to an exclusive catalog. For users, it means that the information they're looking for might exist but remain undiscoverable through Google.

I'm sure that a vast amount of valuable content is being overlooked. Information that you might search for may never appear in Google's results. Not because it doesn't exist, but because Google has chosen not to include it. For content creators, it presents a significant challenge: how do you gain visibility if Google refuses to index most of your content?

https://www.reddit.com/r/crowdstrike/comments/1e6vmkf/bsod_error_in_latest_crowdstrike_update/

Link to the Tech Alrt from crowdstrike's support form: https://supportportal.crowdstrike.com/s/article/Tech-Alert-Windows-crashes-related-to-Falcon-Sensor-2024-07-19

Someone of Wallstreetbets started shorting their stock yesterday lmao https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/1e6ms9z/crowdstrike_is_not_worth_83_billion_dollars/

Keep in mind that I don't encourage anyone to use Discord, and you are definitely better off using open source alternatives like Revolt or Matrix. However, if you absolutely need to use Discord (which I will not advocate), the least you could do is either use it in private browsing and erase the cookies after use, or use any open source client listed in this post!

Today i'll be showing you some open source clients to Discord that will at least try to give you some privacy instead of the original Discord client. Before you use any of these, make sure to turn off Discord telemetry in settings, then uninstall Discord and replace it with these open source clients, or as I said before you can use it in private browsing and erase the cookies after use!

Goofcord (Probably the best option!)

This client has such a silly name, but let me explain what it is first lol. Goofcord is a Discord client that focuses on privacy and customization while providing you full control over everything. It blocks most tracking and uses a variety of features, such as message encryption, to improve your privacy and security. It also includes Vencord and Shelter built in, uses Invidious links instead of YouTube, performs much faster than the original Discord client, has great support on Linux, Windows, Mac and even Windows 7/8 systems and is the best client on this list. I highly recommend it! Download it here on the GitHub

Webcord

Webcord is a Discord client built without the Discord API. It significantly improves the user's privacy. It prevents known tracking and fingerprinting methods, but it does not end there. It also maintains permissions to sensitive APIs such as the camera and microphone, and it creates its own user agent to match the one used by Chromium browsers. Webcord is also fully written in Typescript rather than Java, runs on Electron, and is very customizable. Download it here on the GitHub

Datcord

Datcord is an open-source Discord client that respects your privacy, uses Firefox instead of Chromium, and renders emojis better than the standard Discord client. Keep in mind that it just removes some of the tracking, and Discord may can still track you (Just not as much). It will still feel the same as the original Discord client, just significantly faster, and if your computer can't run Goofcord or Webcord, this is a viable alternative! Download it here on the GitHub

SpaceBarChat

Spacebar is a free, open-source communication platform that is compatible with Discord. It is decentralized, adjustable, expandable, secure, and highly customizable. You can easily add your Discord bots and other content to it, and this is likely the best solution for people who prefer to selfhost. I would not call this an open source discord client, but rather a discord compatible alternative. There is actually no client used for Spacebar at all, you just simply make a account and use the website!

Mobile Support

Aliucord (Android)

Aliucord is a open source modification of the original Android discord app which blocks most Discord Tracking/Analytics (Not all of them), has support for Plugins and has a In-app updater system to keep Aliucord and your plugins up-to-date!

Unfortunately, there is no Open Source IOS Discord client available since IOS is proprietary (unless you jailbreak your phone, which is extremely risky) or until Apple makes IOS open source, which is highly unlikely going to happen in the future. You're probably better off using Discord on your PC only.

Will you now have 100% privacy with Discord? No, you won't, and as I previously stated, your best option is to use a Discord alternative such as Revolt or Matrix, but if you absolutely must use Discord (which I do not recommend), you can at least use one of these Open Source Discord Clients that will at least attempt to provide you with some privacy. Choose whatever runs on your computer best and stick with it!

As always if there is any incorrect information on this post, please notify me and I'll change it right away!

https://archive.ph/YKDBz

I noticed "The Ultimate FOSS Guide for Android" was very out of date and thought I'd try to make a new version with more current suggestions. But after a while I realized most of the time I was just copying off PrivacyGuides.org which has a pretty robust set of FOSS offerings with an unsurprising focus on privacy.

There are still some things it doesn't cover like Android launchers and keyboards, but we could have an additional sidebar post with more a la carte suggestions.

Thoughts?

I'm quite sure everyone understands how dreadful Twitter is: its user base, privacy policy, moderation, and everything else about it is terrible. People usually leave Twitter for one of the four reasons I just mentioned. Most of the time when people leave Twitter, they commonly choose Bluesky or Mastodon, which are both popular open source decentralized social media platforms, and one of them is also known for cats :3

Let's talk about which one is better and make a final decision on what platform you should use instead of Twitter.

Bluesky (Finally) and Mastodon are both open source, decentralized social media platforms. Both are constantly expanding with new features similar to Twitter, but they are all free to use and do not require subscription (unlike Twitter), and you can do a lot more with both! However, there are a few of negatives with one of the social networking networks over the other, which is Bluesky.

Now, while I give the Bluesky developers some respect for making it open source and decentralized, there are a few serious issues with it right now, including its user base and moderation.

One huge thing that BlueSky did was fairly recently released a feature that will make it even easier for people to harass you the moment they join the platform, the feature is called Starter Packs. This is not even an opt-out feature, and there is no genuine moderation involved. Not only that, but Bluesky is full of anti-Iranian racists everywhere on the platform; the Bluesky moderators have done nothing to address it, and it has not changed since, and if someone quits Twitter and switches to Bluesky, they are literally moving to the exact same platform, except slightly decentralized and open source. Bluesky is TWITTER and isn't really so much better in terms of privacy either even as it being open source.

Until Bluesky improves its moderation and other aspects, it is recommended to leave Twitter or Bluesky by deleting your account, find yourself a good Mastodon instance or create your own Mastodon, and make a account on it :3

Huge thanks to Cyrus and David's Creation for giving me some pointers on what Bluesky is doing, you should definitely check both of them out!

As always, if there is any incorrect information on this post, notify me and I will correct it right away!

Grab some popcorn, get a nice drink, and sit down, guys gals and non binary pals, because oh boyyyyyy, have I got a story for you.

Section one: """"private"""" advertising. Modzilla decided to incredibly stupid recently, you wanna know how? They added checks notes """"privacy"""" preserving advertising in their browser, which is the exact same thing that brave has got hate for, for obvious reasons.

Privacy cannot be achieved while advertisements are being shoved down our throats. This theory, that ads can be privacy friendly, is what corporations want us to believe and it is a disgusting view that goes against the very reality we find ourselves living in.

Direction to an advertiser isn't privacy friendly, as the advertisers themselves are not. Why is Modzilla adding advertisements to Firefox? Because they are getting desperate. They want to make sure that their big daddy CEO gets millions while we have to put up with the the bullshit that we all moved away from Chrome because of.

Section two: a telemetry and moral nightmare, teaming up with zionist bastards. Firefox turns on telemetry by default that goes straight back to Google. Guess what Google is doing about the war in Gaza right now? Funding it, the genocide of innocent people and making sure they are being killed. By allowing this telemetry we are thereby allowing Google to make money off of it and as such: Israel, the worst enemy of anyone with common sense, money.

Section three: teaming up with vladdy daddy (vladimir putin). You heard me right. Firefox is teaming up with the Russian Federation to stop people from forming their own opinion on the Ukraine war, therefore proving that they are extremely pro censorship. They've already stated before that they're willing to collaborate with western shills, but this is just the cherry on top of the cake.

Section four: the mortal enemy of the revolution must be avoided. Modzilla is a corporation, corporations are the enemy of the revolution. Modzilla abuses their developers and they have been found bullying disabled people behind closed doors. If we want a revolution to happen, then the least we can do is avoid the companies with blood on their hands, and like it or not, Modzilla is one of them.

Section five: what should I use instead? Glad you asked, if it isn't already obvious, I personally recommend only one browser: Librewolf. For a DeGoogled android operating system, I recommend you use Vandium, it's a browser made by the people over at the GrapheneOS project and it's amazing. For iOS? You aren't private, but I would recommend using Snowhaze.

Section six: wait, what does Modzilla have to do with politics? Ironically, a lot of things. They perhaps unintentionally, but still do fund the zionist project, by aiding Google. They are an extremely disgusting company that has hopped on the AI trend that silicon valley has adopted. They are joining Chrome in becoming a monopoly in themselves, and Modzilla is a corporation that has major donations from some of the most evil companies in the world.

Regardless of this negative rant, I hope you enjoyed the post, and please consider using another browser since it will be much better for you!

Sources (Beware of trackers! Nothing I can do about that unfortunately :(( ): https://www.heise.de/en/news/For-advertising-Firefox-now-collects-user-data-by-default-9801345.html https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/privacy-preserving-attribution https://miloslav.website/blog/2020/10/26/firefox-privacy/