A 50-something French dude that's old enough to think blogs are still cool, if not cooler than ever. I also like to write and to sketch.
10,000 is probably not enough. So:
- I would invest said money for a few years, in order to make it a lot more money and now:
- fund a trust for our local public library to become 100% independent from any power grab/censoring/book banning temptation. And, nope, it wouldn't matter the slightest from what political side or from what moral ground said attempt would originate from.
- Promote reading among the general population. Focusing on the younger generations, because they're our future and, even though it's starting to fade away, they're supposed to be the ones willing to make the effort of learning and be educated, but I would also not exclusively cater to younger people. I mean, unlike with kids, I tend to think that given a chance a vast majority of adults would hardly change their behavior/opinions, as they're already set in their path and most of them are way too proud to ever admit they could have been wrong, but I would still want to give them the opportunity.
Edit: typos.
However, I think the kind of media that would benefit from the original page layout would also need a higher resolution, and perhaps colour.
Indeed. Resolution will probably need to be higher in that regard. For books (not comics or art books), color should not be that important.
That being said, the issue of (not) owning and (not) controlling our ebooks is the reason why I stopped reading & purchasing them a few years ago (despite being heavy into those since the early 00s). So, I'm very much interested in that project :)
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Thx for commenting.
I think parents should support their children as long as they’re in education, whether its high school or college, so they can focus on learning without needing a job.
As I said, anyone is ok to think what they want. We both have an opinion. That is still just an opinion. No matter what our respective lives were at 18 and how expensive College was/is (most of us weren't rich at 18, at least not the people I used to spend time with ;)
I know we live in deeply screwed up times where emotions and opinions try really hard to become our new (undisputed) truth(s) but they're still just personal emotions and opinions. No matter how loud some people can be about them (not referring to you specifically here, it's just a general comment on what we can all witness happening). For the rest, I think I clearly stated my own personal opinion on that matter: there is the 'legal' aspect (the 'should' part) and then there is the personal and loving and/or family bound part, which anyone should be free to deal with as they like. They are different things and, oddly enough, they can co-exist.
For anyone downvoting: you're welcome to do so if this makes you feel better (really?) but if you're looking to show me I'm wrong (which I may very well be) downvoting won't do much, if anything if you don't also take the time to explain me why you think I'm wrong (or maybe why I deserve to be punished?). Like Michal just did, here. I may not agree with him (acute readers will have noticed I did not say much about my opinion on what parents should do, just that I don't think the answer should focus on some moral duty), but a least we can discuss about us not agreeing.
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'Should' is easy: as long as they're required to by law. After that they're free to keep on supporting the 'kid', or not. And there is nothing anyone should have to say about it.
'Want', well that's up to anyone isn't it? Personal believes, preferences, cultural/social/financial background, etc.
I don't get the 'dereferencing' part of your question (English is not my native language) but if you are wondering whether or not you're using them: if you use Google, Apple or Microsoft cloud you're using a GAFAM (the F stand for Facebook which doens't offer cloud storage). You may also be using one unknowingly by using a third party cloud provider that still uses one of them or even Amazon AWS storage, which would be the second A in GAFAM ;)
The two I use are supposedly not using gafam services and use either their own servers (for Infomaniak) or the German Hetzner (for Filen).
It depends the expectations, aka how those 2 hypothetical persons are used to communicate together. Any change in said habits may trigger questions but that is still very subjective and, to me at least, it also seems to be a little bit too emotional in that theoretical example you briefly described.
Imho, a better reaction would be
- to wait (its not a matter of life an death, right? And if it was one better be contacting a doctor or the police)
- to ask the other if there is anything wrong going on and, if so, if there is anything one could do to help them. Instead of instantly jumping to any conclusion regarding their real secret motivations for not immediately answering a message... that more often than not is probably not that important to begin with.
If that helps you worry a little less: I may spend days before replying any message. It may be weeks or more than that, before I reply some emails. And btw, that’s true for those odd people that, somehow are still willing to exchange with me despite me apparently being so rude with them: they’re treating me as rudely as I am. Save that we don’t call that being rude, we call that being ok with not being the center of the other's life because, well, we are not ;)
Also, it’s ok to not stay 'friends’ forever. Things and people change and so will their interests. We all can change.
Edit: rephrasing
You're welcome.
If you want to get extra 10Go storage for free use this affiliate link to create your account (there is no string attached, just a bonus 10Go storage free that you will keep for ever/as long as the company exist, even if you decide to switch to a paid plan)
I don't use GAFAM storage.
I barely take any photo anymore, but I use Filen.io fully encrypted cloud storage (they're made in Germany) to keep a copy of all my files, including the occasional picture. It's a simple copy of the files and folders on my drives. I also have local backups on external storage (two differents) that are simply encrypted and rotated on a bi-monthly basis.
For non-confidential work-in-progress I use a different cloud, Swiss this time: Infomaniak KDrive. It's working real nice but there is no E2EE (if they wanted they could see the content of the files, unlike with Filen).
Edit: I should have mentioned both services also offer an app that can backup the photos on your phone, if you need one.
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What were you doing at 18?
I was (not much) preparing for university. I was (and still am) constantly reading and writing, doing photography (B&W film, as there was no digital back then), I was much into scale models (assembling and painting little plastic planes & tanks). I watched movies (on VHS, when I was not going to the theater). I was also listening a lot to music mostly classical plus rock, and was obsessed with a few French singers (I grew up listening to my parent's records of Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Léo Ferret, Serge Gainsbourg, William Sheller, Edith Piaf, Julien Clerc and a few others). I'm now in my 50s and some are still among my favorite singers to this day (classical remains my undisputed favorite kind of music and lifelong passion). I was into Apple computers (had been since I was a kid and my dad purchased that Apple ][) and was considered the go to person for anything computer related (nowadays? I'm using Linux).
I didn't (& still don't) enjoy 'partying' if by that one means gathering in an overcrowded, over-heated, and way too noisy place with music blasting making it impossible to have a conversation. That being said, I was enjoying meeting (new) people and had nothing against sex, far from it, we just met at different and (much) quieter places. Places where we were able to have a discussion and get to know one another.
dont know what the consequences would be.
What could they be? I mean, if you don't like a specific instance, or if it stops working, you just stop using it and create an account elsewhere (saying that as a piefed user, btw ;)
Nothing. I don't use it anymore.
I write and I read. I wake up at 4AM every day just to be able to write while our apartment, and the busy city around us, is quiet. In the summer, I will often work on our balcony so I can also listen to the few remaining birds still singing when they wake up... before the noise of engine starts submerging everything under its constant roaring.
Contact them to at least let them know about the error regarding the refund. If they are not morons, they should let you keep the money. And if they ask you to send the money back, at the very least you will know you have done the right thing.
Logan's Run (1976 movie) save they were expected to all die at 30, and not by dropping dead.
What would happen? Nothing good, even though it may look otherwise on the surface. There would be a lot more fascism (aka, violence) and a lot more lies (aka, not be willing to think by oneself or let anyone think by themselves). Obviously, people in power would find workarounds to exempt themselves from that (stupid) fate because, unsurprisingly, most people don't like to apply to themselves the same rules they want to apply to others, even less so rules that are supposed to kill them or reduce their hold on power. While many other people, that have no power to resist or protest said rule, would be more than happy to suddenly get access to any form of power to avoid said fate... and just like that they would demonstrate how they're exactly the same type of persons as those in power, btw.
Taking note longhand, be it during a lecture or reading a book or a paper. Reviewing said notes later that day, or at most the following day. Sleep over it. Re-read notes (edit: more than one time)
Writing longhand being key here, as far as I'm concerned. None of the other methods were as efficient.
Edit: as suggested already: remove noise, aka distractions and that should include phone, computer, music, whatever is actually distracting you from studying. Back at uni, I used to study at the library because my room was really too noisy and because I had all my brushes and paint tubes available and would always be tempted to paint instead of studying ;)
There is not much I find inexcusable. Really not much. And it also depends the age of the person. I don't have the same expectations with kids (they're in the process of learning to be who they will be as adults, and to behave properly so it's to be expected they will screw up more or less seriously) and with adults.
I would say, for adults, I'm quite sad when I see people refusing to inform themselves, only relying on hearsay and slogans, instead of reading books (plural). It makes me sad for them but I will not go blame them. They're adults, they're supposed to be grown-ups that know what they are doing, and are responsible of their life choices and decisions... like I am of my own, no matter how stupid.
For me, it is always when someone asks me a question which answer could easily have been retrieved through their phone online. You’re meaning to tell me, that what you have in your pocket, is not some form of gateway to information that can answer anything you’re curious about at just about anywhere?
I probably will never ask you anything (age gap, distance and the lack of opportunity to cross paths, so nothing personal here don't get me wrong ;) but I don't use my phone for anything personal and/or for anything I still have the choice not to use it. Meaning that I don't use for social media, games, email, Netflix, music, stuff like that, and that I also don't use it to search for info online. I only have a phone because I'm expected to have one, that is all. It was not like that when I first purchased one (it was the back then brand new first iPhone and the few models following, I was really excited with them) but a few years later, the day I realized the privacy nightmare smartphones were, I stopped using mine for anything personal. Completely.
So you go and bother me instead,
Sorry to know that trying to have a discussion with you bothers you.
Personally, I much prefer to ask questions to people than use a search engine. Even for asking directions when I lost my way when I'm in some new place I don't know. Often times, starting a conversation, even just by saying 'hi', is an opportunity to get to know one another. Not always, that's fine too.
admit that I don’t know everything.
Knowing everything is never expected, hopefully.
When I'm asked something I can't answer I just tell that. 'Sorry I don't know' or 'I couldn't tell', with a smile, and then I will see if I can still help the person in any way. If only by referring them to someone else or suggesting they go ask some place where I think they would be able to help them. Or I will just apologize for not being able to help at all.
I met my first real love, and it was a passionate love story, the first (of two) person I was pretty sure I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, because she had questions about a book.
I was in the book shop of a girl friend of mine (much older than me, at that time) and this young lady was asking her questions about a book I was quite familiar with. My friend directed her to me with a smile, telling her I may be able to answer some of her questions. It was awkward (i'm shy and she was the prettiest girl I could imagine) but she was not shy and she wanted answers. So, we started chatting and we ended up getting a coffee deciding to meet again very soon. And we did. She was an incredibly wonderful and smart person, she changed my life in ways I could not ever tell. But we would have never met had she asked Google (or AI, to be more in tune with our times) instead of asking her questions to that librarian friend of mine. That would have been so sad, wouldn't you agree?
Edit: typos & clarifications.
France/omnivore (with a slight pref for veggies).
When the topic is food here or also on former similar platforms there is always this guy saying “omg you can’t leave your food for 30 minutes on the counter because bacteria you know” and I don’t get where that sentiment comes from. Many people agree and say you will get food poisoning from that.
To me it’s lack of education (fear of bacteria is not a bad thing, over-exaggerating it and forgetting or whole body is made to deal with them and some are even legit part of our body is… excessive), and a cultural thing.
I mean, in the US for example they will even shrink wrap individual fruits because ‘food exposed to the air is bad’ even though fruits have developed their skin just for that purpose, and even though most of the fruits sold over there have been so intensely chemically treated they could last for centuries before starting to decay (there may be hint of sarcasm here, just a hint).
Also, I wonder how many of those ‘worried persons’ systematically wash their hands before they grab any food? The same hands they grab their bacteria saturated phone with all day long, or pick their nose, or scratch their balls (or whatever part of the body they need to scratch), or shake hands with other people (whose personal hygiene and what they do with their hands they have no idea)… The risk is at the very least as high to grab some nasty thing just by not washing one’s hands before eating and preparing something to eat.
On the other, being French, I have no shame in admitting I appreciate some of our cheese that don’t fear being left to… age, attacked by bacteria ;)
My opinion is that food should not be left out in the air without any reason (it’s messy and risky) but depending the food it can. But it certainly is not a matter of leaving it 30 minutes, unless weather conditions are very specific. Never heard that 30 minutes remark, btw.
If you say so, it must be true.
Why would you classify that as a need? It’s a biological -intuitive- desire, is my interpretation.
Your remark is 100% correct, don't worry. I (too) hastily replied to the OP as in regards to the reproducing mention I should have specified I was not considering the individual but the species.
As a species, we need to perpetuate. All species do, us included. which does not mean all members of said species must/should/need to reproduce. More often than not, it will be quite the opposite. Edit: says I, a 50+ years old married dude without children ;)
Not sure what I can answer to your remark. I mean, you realize it's a very theoretical question that was asked by the op, as none of us is about to invest 10k or even 1 million to help our city, right?
So, why do you think it was useful to point out what I already mentioned to begin with (the amount is too small to do what I would love to do)? Was it to show you can do math? Congrats, I do Origami quite nicely myself. Or was it something meaner? In which case I don't think this deserves much congrats.
That being said, without being an expert in investing myself allow me to point out that 'a few years' does not mean a couple of years which, after a quick check, is the time it would take to earn a little over your 2K by investing 10k in the S&P and not doing much. That is on average, it has been more in recent years and it could easily be much more depending one's expertise and willingness to take risks. And that is also not considering other types and modes of investments than just buying good old stocks. I don’t think a 10% yearly return is something our crypto friends would be satisfied with but I may be wrong: I don't do much crypto (I do Origami).
So, even if it's hard to conceive, in that imaginary world where I would have 10k at my disposal to do some good in my community I would do exactly as I said and would invest that money. Long term if needed. Patience is key, in investing like in everything else, even if that goes against the immediate gratification that seems to have become our new religion.
And only after it has made enough money, I would use it. Also, since you want to turn that little fantasy of mine, into something more realistic, I did not exclude the possibility to regularly invest more money to add to my initial capital. Neither did I mention the possibility that people good at math, maybe even you, could notice my endeavor and, despite its naivety, realize my objective is a decent one and they may then feel motivated enough to contribute (al lot more, since you and they are much better at math). And voilà, problem solved. We now are sitting on so many cash that we won’t be able to spend it. Amazing.
Edit: typos & clarifications.