I figured this may lead to an interesting discussion in the comments.

How has your use of Technology changed in the past year? I’ll start.

  • Due to the rise of streaming services and Sony/discovery removing content from libraries, I downloaded all my iTunes purchases onto a 2TB SSD (which I’ll soon need to get another).

  • Like many, I’ve stopped using Reddit outside of Google search.

  • I’ve reduced my subscriptions to just two. (Apple One and Google One)

  • I’ve purchased DVDs/Blu rays of my favorite uncensored shows (Family Guy and American Dad) and ripped them and watch them through Cloud storage (Google Drive via Infuse for Apple platforms, and Kodi for Windows)(I’ve also purchased MakeMKV just because it is so damn useful)

  • I’ve used Google App Scripts to bypass some Gmail limitations to make filters that I otherwise couldn’t. For instance, in Outlook.com, you can block email addresses and domains before you have ever gotten an email from them. In Gmail, you can’t. The best you can do is create a filter that deletes them. In my case, I’ve created a Google App Script that runs every hour and looks for (@.mil) domain emails and marks them as spam. (I am in college, and I fucking hate that they give my email to recruiters.)

  • FiveMacs@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    2 years ago

    I’ve stopped trusting anything online due to AI being a cancer on the internet and it’s only going to get worse.

  • Lettuce eat lettuce@lemmy.mlEnglish
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    2 years ago

    I’ve started archiving my media much more vigorously. Due to the corpos enshitifying so much, the amount of media I have ripped and preserved on my own NAS has exploded.

    I started torrenting again for the first time since college.

    I gave up reddit and use Lemmy and Fediverse exclusively, except for the occasional tech issue I have and then search old reddits for advice/solutions.

    I watch YT exclusively through GrayJay, NewPipe, and FreeTube now.

    I’ve become much more active converting people to Linux. So far I convinced two friends to buy Steam Decks, one friend to buy a Framework laptop and put Fedora on it, converted my parents to Linux Mint, and may have two more people switching to Linux on their main computers in the coming year.

    I’ve also been pushing more FOSS software and hardware to family and friends, trying to convince them to care more about right to repair, FOSS and the like.

    This year I am planning to build a new NAS that will be a self-hosted defeater for streaming and get my close friends and family onboard using it to slow the hopefully eventually give up their subscriptions.

    We’ll see how it all goes, but I’m very optimistic about FOSS tech in the coming months and years, so much great stuff happening!

    • BoisZoi@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      0·
      2 years ago

      I definitely feel the enshittification of such platforms had lead to some great software, updates and alternative front ends. It sucks seeing platforms decay, however, I love seeing the fightback from users who aren’t going to tolerate bullshit from any company.

  • Altima NEO@lemmy.zipEnglish
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    2 years ago

    I’ve been using the every living heck out of Stable Diffusion. Shit is so fun. It’s another tool for me as and artist to learn and utilize.

    • BoisZoi@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      0·
      2 years ago

      Same, but with Microsoft’s Image Creator. At least for me, I like using it to create pixel art for my own personal GitHub repos.

  • Hammerheart@programming.devEnglish
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    1 year ago

    I started learning to program in February, which reinvigorated my love of computers. I discovered awesome new software like syncthing, and just recently started daily driving linix (debian 12) and its been great. Just little things like customizing my wall paper which i havent done for years. 2023 was a great year for me and tech.

    Oh and i switched from chrome to Firefox, looks like that’s been a common theme for the year!

  • TheBatz@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
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    1 year ago

    I ditched reddit and twitter. Intalled Lineage OS and use as many foss apps as I can. I am also moving all my Google cloud to Proton Drive

  • u_u@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    I’ve done and tinkered with many things in 2023 like most of us here (migrated to lemmy, degoogle, unsubscribed to streaming services, linux, etc). Some things that are less known that I think worth to mention are:

    • Using shift+right click to open the full context menu in Windows 11
    • Finally set an Address bar shortcut for searching reddit content with Google. No more typing “site:reddit.com…”
    • Anilist with TachiyomiJ2K(mobile)+Taiga(desktop)+Mal-Sync(browser extension) for maximum anime/manga tracking automation!
    • My only shame in 2023: Creating a Facebook account (anonymous account) for the messenger and local hobby groups. All I can say is Facebook seemed to intentionally obfuscate its setting/option menus because they’re all scattered in different pages and just a plain mess. f u zuck
  • Dizzy Devil Ducky@lemm.eeEnglish
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    1 year ago

    Around a month or two ago I got flashpoint and ruffle so I can play flash games on my computer. I have never really used either program before. I got ruffle because flashpoint doesn’t have Nitrome games on their platform and I wanted to play a specific game. Haven’t done much with ruffle since the games run kinda slow on my desktop.

  • DrillingStricken@programming.devEnglish
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    1 year ago

    Ditched Windows for Linux, man, feelin’ free like a bird. No more Microsoft bullshit, nah. And instead of Google Search, I’m rollin’ with SearXNG. It’s like Google but decentralized, no data sellin’, straight up respectin’ my privacy. Open source all day, every day, that’s my way now.

  • d3Xt3r@lemmy.nzEnglish
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    1 year ago

    • Switched from GNOME to KDE

    • Switched to immutable distros (my own fork of Bazzite)

    • Started using the Nix package manager

    • Started using containers (Distrobox, Docker).

    • Started using mobox to play Windows games on my Android phone

    • Switched from Hacker’s Keyboard to Unexpected Keyboard

  • Pat@lemmy.caEnglish
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    2 years ago

    Like others here, I dumped Reddit and moved here (and to Mastodon) full time. I also moved to Linux full time on my home laptop and haven’t missed Windows one little bit. I’m looking forward to experimenting more with a couple of other distros of interest (currently Pop_OS) and am having actual fun using my computer again. Heavy emphasis on adopting as many FOSS alternatives as possible in ‘24, and starting to separate myself from the big G.

    • BoisZoi@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
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      2 years ago

      The process of trying to separate from Google is tough for sure. I believe Louis Rossmann said “it like quitting heroin cold turkey; you can’t, it’s something you have to lean yourself off of slowly”. In my case, Google Photos, Docs and Voice are the most difficult to switch from, but in the case of Google Photos and Docs, I have multiple backups in the event something happens to my account.

  • pineapple_pizza@lemmy.dexlit.xyzEnglish
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    2 years ago

    Self hosted a lemmy server for myself

    Switched to Firefox

    Got a VPN

    Using said vpn to share my dad’s YouTube TV(only works on my TV though, not mobile)

    Started using copilot which improved my productivity at work

    I got married, so now im sharing more online accounts

  • dotslashme@infosec.pubEnglish
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    2 years ago

    Redoubled my efforts to selfhost more services, abandoned reddit and generally started using the www less.