IRC: simplest way of communicating online, and a bouncer can be availed for free
Forums: great store of knowledge and friendly, helpful people. If you ask a question in discord, nobody will ever see the answer again.
Why use IRC when you could use matrix
Because setting up an IRC server is way, way easier than setting up a matrix server. It’s also a lot more reliable. The downside is that it’s text only
Man, I really want to get back into IRC. Is there any good client you can recommend?
Halloy seems to be a popular choice on desktop. Goguma on android according to https://libera.chat/guides/clients
I can’t related more on the second one. Slack and Microsoft Teams seems to be the default way to communicate in corporate environments.
Fax machines. Government and medical offices would grind to a halt without them. That’s just reality.
Even worse, the US military, at least, is still using teletype machines and COBOL.
That’s basically the answer to the opposite question: what is something that someone thinks isn’t obsolete, but really is?
Because it can do something that the alternatives can’t do or because they refuse to use something more modern?
“It can’t be hacked”
Of course, it can, and a lot more easily than a TLS stream, but try convincing them of that. So, more like they refuse to use something more modern.
Everyone even tangentially related to healthcare is terrified of violating HIPAA in a way that leaves evidence that can be traced back to them. So the corps force dumb shit like this, while the employees are perfectly happy to tell all kinds of private health information to anyone who will listen. Especially if it’s funny or gross.
Believe it or not, Canadian health services do this shit too.
I always thought email was more secure if it was encrypted. I also don’t understand the difference between a virtual fax (sent as a scan, from the computer, via a phone number but literally just some kinda email like thing) or from a low tech low res scan over the phone line that likely is a voip line anyway. I don’t even know the finer details of how those work, but the differences seem pretty minute to someone just staring at the parts.
Yes, email isn’t actually less transparent. If you’re using webmail over HTTPS it’s harder for a small adversary to intercept, but that’s it. Fax is way less efficient, though, while having no advantages I can think of.
Because it works. Every part needed to run those machines, even line of code, every possible cause of failure is well documented and there are layers and layers of redundant protocol to ensure that if something does go wrong downtime is minimal.
The entire purpose of these machines are designed to run for as long as they’re needed. They’re not replaced or upgraded because they were never meant to be. A lot of effort went into this being the case.
Came to say this. Fax just refuses to die.
Small phones, structuralism, and Mr. Rogers.
Fax machines. Phone lines are pretty private, and sending a fax is usually more secure than emailing something, especially if someone else manages your email.
Also all of german bureaucracy still works only with fax
Japan as well
It somehow suprises me but also not really thinking how traditionalist they are
They say that in Japan, they live in the year 2000, but have done so since about 1970.
Parts of Canada as well. Our province is terrible for this.
Counterpoint, fax is not encrypted and wire taps are very easy. At least e-mail can be encrypted so Joe shmoe on the street can’t see it.
Besides, all faxing these days is going through VOIP and computers anyways.
Secure fax is encrypted: it’s sent via https.
Thats just scan to email with extra steps
Having to physically wire tap the phone line is a lot more difficult and requires local bad actors. Email’s exposure to the internet makes it easier to hack. Yes, email can be encrypted, but if your server is compromised, that doesn’t matter. End to end encryption for email is much harder, and isn’t really used by any institutions (and usually can’t be because of data retention regulations), so the server has complete access to the unencrypted email in almost all cases. Compromising a fax machine that isn’t connected to the internet is a lot harder.
Not all faxes go through VoIP. Your everyday home fax machine probably uses VoIP, because having a landline installed in your home is stupid expensive and unnecessary, but faxes in institutions probably use the PSTN. These institutions most likely need landlines anyway, so having a dedicated fax line makes a lot more sense.
And if a fax goes through VoIP, it’ll be encrypted the same way email is. So in that case, it’s the same level of security as email, which is to say, easier to compromise. At least you can’t trick someone into clicking a link in a fax though.
Proton mail is encrypted on the server with your key and proton does not have access to it. If you lose your login credentials and have to reset then you lose your old email because that key is not getting recovered.
The email comes into their server unencrypted. They promise that they will encrypt it for you, though. Of course, you’re also relying on the sending server to keep the message secure as well.
Proton Mail’s end-to-end encryption and zero-access encryption ensure only you can see your emails. Not even Proton can view the content of your emails and attachments.
The vast majority of senders do not send email using end to end encryption. If you’re sending an email from a PM address to another PM address, sure, it’s end to end encrypted. If you’re sending to another service, it’s not end to end encrypted unless you’ve both gone through the painful steps of setting up PGP encryption. Same as if you’re receiving from another service.
You can read about it here:
https://proton.me/support/proton-mail-encryption-explained
So that quote you just responded with is saying exactly what I had just said above it. They promise that they’ll encrypt that unencrypted email that just came into their server for you. And they promise that they’ll encrypt that unencrypted email you just sent outside their service.
I know, but I was answering the question about encryption, rather than users. Proton also allows sending encrypted to non participating receivers. They get a weblink and have to open it to view the email a with password if supplied. That decrypts the email at the browser, and has an expiry time on the link.
you can choose whatever email provider you trust, and then they apply encryption on the transport level. but there is often very few phone companies, and zero encryption. they don’t have to install any kind of wiretaps, they can just record everything automatically that passes through
Obligatory thought to cobol, which is stil the backbone of banking computers.
I would also think to the good old electromechanical relay which are still pretty common
More political, but whatever what imperator Musk thinks Privacy isn’t obsolete
The latest version of COBOL came out in 2023.
Grace Hopper lives on
Not only is it not obsolete, it’s easier now than eight years ago when I started degoogling, there are so many decent alternatives nowadays to all kinds of services and apps.
Caring about your employees as if they were humans.
As if! 😂
That implies it was ever the norm. At best it’s had moments.
Caring about other people in general really
Hi, number! It’s your colleague: Another number!
So how about that SPORTING EVENT last weekend?
Something something ludicrous display.
I’d say vinyl. Looks like a thing from the 60s but it’s still pretty relevant today
I put vinyl siding on my house 15 years ago. Still looks brand new. Vinyl is here to stay.
I want tot go one further and say music cassettes. Love their sound and way more compact than vinyl. Sadly, there’s no good new hardware being made at the moment, although I really like my We Are Rewind player, it’s far from HiFi.
Nah, gotta got vinyl because cassettes deteriorate just sitting in their cases while vinyl stays pristine … until you actually play it, anyway – but if you want to store an audio recording for longevity, press a gold version of a vinyl album.
With both, it also matters how you store it. But like I said, (modern) cassettes are not for HiFi. If I really want to immerse myself in a record, I need the vinyl. The whole experience is just so much fun.
Measles
Handtools in woodworking. There are some people who refuse use a tool without a cord.
Developers. Yes, AI can sling a lot of code, but it can’t make business decisions and it can’t please a difficult customer.
Honestly, developers shouldn’t be the front line for that if you’re medium-sized or bigger anyway.
It’s even simpler: AI can’t really even begin with architecting, and will stubbornly defend nonsense code 5% of the time when you need >99% correctness for the thing to run at a basic level.
xmpp
Safty razors! Why would anyone spend 20$ on the new fangled 30 million blade razor that mighy last one shave? When you can spend pennies even if you change blades every shave.
electric razors are just straight up superior though
Electric and safety razors don’t necessarily serve the same purpose. An electric razor can never cut as close to to the skin as a safety razor. I use both
fair, I don’t care about having a close shave so electric does the job for me
At some point about a decade ago I realized I’m much happier just paying the extra $8 every couple months when I go to get a haircut and otherwise just letting it grow out.
I recently switched to a Leaf one and love it. It’s about the same as my Harry’s razor, but a hell of a lot less expensive when even Costco is selling their reloads at $27. The leaf blades are way less expensive, and they aren’t even proprietary.
Oh that is a BEAUTY
deleted by creator
Uh oh, what broke on it?
deleted by creator
I got two of these security razors back in 2017 for less than $50 bucks altogether. Best investment ever. Then, last year I got a Philip razor but I have since just stopped shaving at home. I ask the barber from time to time
That leaf one appears to be $120 lol
But I suppose if you find yourself on the Harry’s marketing train, jumping off for anything that’s actually recyclable is good.
Safety* $20* newfangled* might*
It’s like you consciously added misspellings and bad grammar.
Switched to a safety razor recently after years of using Gillette’s… It’s life changing! No more bumps or breaking out. Also it’s cheap!
Wired headphones
Your mom
I’d probably say something like my Sony Discman or any other CD player, if we’re talking the general public. CDs aren’t anywhere near as popular as they used to be thanks to streaming, but if you’re collecting like I am, a dedicated CD player is a necessity.
I hate that music nowadays is supposed to go through my phone. I’m on my phone constantly. It’s ridiculous that I can’t do that while listening to music. A dedicated music player is essential.
Although I eventually gave up on CDs and now I just use an old phone.
Those impracticaly large fragile things, failing in cars with the slightest shock? Never cared for them.
Casettes you could throw around, tape them if necessary.
Later minidisc for a short time and digital mp3/flac… So no thank you, like DVD’s spoiling plenty of movies by giving up in the middle due to a tiny scratch these things were a mistake.deleted by creator
deleted by creator
The first ever concert I ever went to November of last year I got super lucky. Headliner band, a local hometown Rock group, had a few different CDs for merch sales. All the other acts had vinyl if they were selling their music on physical media, which was a real bummer because I would have totally gotten a CD from one of the other acts I really liked.
I’ve also been seeing vinyl at walmart any time I am unfortunate enough to have to go there. It doesn’t feel right. Totally agree on the space thing since I can currently fit all my CDs (for now) in a small drawer in my desk but would absolutely struggle to fit vinyl just about anywhere on/in my desk without it sticking out like a sore thumb.
