Vendor lock in is the reason I went to a fully open source workflow like fifteen years ago. When you rely on these companies for tools, they own your work. They can jack up prices, change TOS whenever they want, paywall features, train AIs on your work, and jerk you around on a chain at their whim. I don’t mind a little jank or having to do some workarounds for a certain result to keep my freedom. And also, when a new release comes out that fixes an issue ive been having, I feel grateful! In the closed ecosystem you feel entitled and resentful and powerless. It’s not worth it.

Ha! I’d love to read a hillbilly lotr

Be peaceful but prepared for the possibility of violence. There has to be a threat behind the protest or it is for nothing. It has to cause pressure. It has to make life difficult for power. Sometimes that means disobeying police and causing damage. By no means, start a riot, but if the police order you to disperse, make them make you disperse. I recommend people to open carry at protests. It sends the message that we aren’t afraid to fight.

Excessive wealth concentration is an existential threat to humanity on the scale of the atomic bomb or supervolcano.

For the first time in awhile, I’m proud of my dumb state. Way to send Elon home crying!

If others don’t have rights, you don’t either.

Want to help? Plant pollinator gardens. Easy peasy. Even some pots of local wildflowers on your patio. It all helps.