Seriously, that we have become so reliant on 100% 24x7x365 connectivity is chilling.

"...even though there are very few Cobol-literate coders available to maintain them."

I had a programming opportunity that involved programming in RPG on an IBM platform. I had zero experience with the language or platform, but wanted the job, so I did a very deep dive into all things RPG and IBM, nailed the interview, got hired, and have been modifying and developing new programs for short of two years. It was a wonderful change from 35+ years as an IT generalist, and I haven't looked back.

I program IBM RPG professionally, and while I do use several AI tools for reference, relying on one is simply absurd. I always keep multiple tools available.

As to using AI to write code, for my use case, AI is a great tool to explain code and to suggest rewrites to code, but for actually writing new code, it's not reliable. It's great for pointing me in the right direction, but in the end, my programming experience is what helps the most.

We may all process colors the same, but colors that I see looking through my left eye appear to be what I would consider "normal" to me, while colors seen looking through my right eye have a very subtle sepia tone. Nothing striking, but when I look at mostly flat surfaces, alternating between my left and right eyes, I see a very slight, but distinct difference in color.

"I grew up playing in the mud, drinking from water hoses, riding bikes without a helmet, attending family gatherings where every adult smoked, and somehow, I've survived this far in good health, so...whatever."
- Gen X

If only [Windows 10] had some sort of, I don't know, [L]ong-[T]erm [S]ervicing [C]hannel to that could provide a solution.

Unfortunately, such a solution could cause a [mass]ive departure from normal support channels resulting in [grave] consequences.

Jonathan Jernigan is a WordPress developer, YouTuber, and an all-things WordPress proponent who attended the WordCamp where Matt Mullenweg went off on WPEngine.Here's his Blog post about his experience as an attendee at the Keynote: https://jonathanjernigan.com/y...

Sadly, no. That would have been...let's see...about 41 years ago. Seriously, though, the VIC-20 was stunning when it came to programming graphics and sound. Not as much as the C-64, but still, what you could do in under 3.5K RAM on the VIC-20 was amazing.

I got a Commodore VIC-20 in High School and learned to program in BASIC. My biggest achievement was a simple Defender-like game where I could actually fly a ship around in front of a moving background and fire a laser...all in under 3.5K of RAM with lots of room to spare.

High School was programming in BASIC and FORTRAN on a DEC PDP-11, and college was programming in several languages a PRIME.

Fast forward to my first job post-graduation from college where I programmed in VAX BASIC supporting an unsupported ERP system.

Over the last 35 years, I've programmed in several languages and after a long stint in IT support and management, I'm back to programming in RPG and loving it.

But it was BASIC that got me interested in programming.

When I was in college in the late 80s, I purchased an Amstrad PCW-8256 Word Processor, and it was a Godsend, making writing term papers a breeze over typewriters. It had the competing and ultimately passed over 3" (not 3.5") floppy drive, and it performed extremely well. I didn't realize when I purchased it that it could also boot into CP/M, opening up the ability to run games, third-party software, and programming. Offerings were limited, but it opened some otherwise unknown doors, helping me in my eventual career in IT.

I live in rural America, and an EV charging infrastructure is largely non-existent. In concept, EVs have their merits, but in execution, they are not usable everywhere. And frankly, I can't afford to replace 2 ICE vehicles and a farm vehicle with EVs and the supporting charging infrastructure. And besides, when the power goes out, all of my vehicles can still run.

When it comes to food, we generally avoid Palm Oil, and most other "mainstream" oils as well. We focus on fresh meats and veggies, EVOO, Avacado Oil, and some cheeses. We've cut out most processed foods including products with high grains, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, refined flours, etc. Within 9 months I lost 72 pounds (down to 180), my wife lost 50 pounds, and our lab numbers are all now within normal ranges (no more high Glucose or high A1C levels.)

Obviously all of these things can't be completely avoided. And ingredients like Palm Oil are not limited to just food items. But by making the effort to significantly reduce their use, we feel great, look great, and are much healthier.

(In the U.S. at least) freedom of speech does not nor was intended to protect you from being offended.

Many companies have gone through cutbacks over the past couple years, and Big Tech is not immune. Since COVID, the manufacturer I work for cut almost 35% of its workforce. Hell, our IT department went from 7 to 3, and I've been expected to pick up the slack. Yes, it sucks that so many are gone, but I continued to work hard, I showed consistent commitment, and since then, I received a promotion.

You aren't entitled to a job. You have to prove your worth. Do companies take advantage? Absolutely. But your position and worth, at least in part, come from how you conduct yourself.

...this is about control over consumers and making more money at the top level.