how to troubleshoot by yourself when you have a technical problem

what common file types are

some very basics on how to use ""developer tools"" on your computer (because i cant think of a better way to refer to them) like task manager and command prompt (and their mac equivalents, terminal and activity monitor ofc)

how to read and understand a privacy policy and what your personal data is, as well as what it being collected actually means and steps you can take to keep it private

how to understand terms of service (hey. if you have trouble with reading legalese and worry about being able to understand these policies anyways, here's a site that gives basic summaries of privacy policies and ToS)

what a cookie actually is

internet privacy and your digital footprint!! seriously i dont know why we stopped teaching people that they shouldnt be putting their entire real identity online in a world where your online actions can ruin you irl

basic safety measures like antivirus software (and why you should use it or if the built in one on windows or mac is enough for you) and backing up your computer (also a mac guide)

common keyboard shortcuts (and on mac)

as an additional note: things i think everyone should know on computers and the internet but schools may bit hesitant to teach about for whatever moral/legal standards schools pretend to operate on

vpns and adblockers! (btw for most of these where you can pay for things im purposefully not recommending any specific software but seriously just use ublock origin for an adblocker)

how to not get a virus while pirating something

what a temporary email is and when to use one

red flags that you shouldn't trust a website (and how to quickly check the security of a site)

an online compiler so you dont need to download anything or worry about running code directly on your computer if that makes you nervous

a basic video guide to introduce you to python and walk you through beginner steps

a guide to some syntax and commands you should know (this was literally my lifeline in my first CS class)

I recently read one where the main character is banished from her village. Great, could be conflict there... except she still goes to the market and pays for things, seemingly without worry. Another one had a penniless MC welcomed with open arms wherever she went. A third had a stowaway character instantly forgiven by a supposed desperate crew, who - again! - seemed to have no problem putting food on the table.

And like, I get it. Not having to think about characters paying rent or worrying about when they can eat next is a relief these days. Everyone likes chosen family. But there is a huge lack of conflict to these stories that also results in a lack of character development. No one faces a hardship that is both the result of the environment around them and their own personal flaws. Bad choices don't have negative consequences characters have to learn from, because there are no consequences at all. Endings just kind of peter out or feel unearned. There is no real stress in the environment that feeds into stakes at all.

Think of the Murderbot Diaries, which I have bafflingly seen people refer to as cosy. Murderbot doesn't have to worry about feeding itself. Murderbot would rather watch its shows, but it repeatedly has to get involved in situations it doesn't want to instead. Murderbot would like to pretend it doesn't have to deal with icky emotions, but the driving core of the books are its attachment to its human friends (and ART). Murderbot makes choices that have positive and negative consequences, and has to learn how to deal with its own emotions and anxiety while also learning to accept that other people like it. While you might not be writing science fiction, it's a great study on how a character tells you one thing about themselves while their actions tell you another.

Another series I liked a lot is Daniel M Ford's Warden books, which take a lot of the dressing you see in cosy fantasies - generic DnD tropes, found family aspects, and romance - and injects it with mystery, plot, and stakes. Aelis de Lenti is rich, powerful, and connected, but she steps on toes, insults other characters on accident, and is locked out of the great path she believes she deserves. Throughout the first book, she learns and grows, and carries that forward into the next books.

No subscription. Just program.

On your computer. You got to use it forever and ever and never had to worry about it going away.

Because it was physically on your computer. As a program. That you actually owned. Not because you got it separately, but because it was a standard inclusion with your computer.

I'm sorry but I'll just never get over it. I remember when companies cared about their products being usable out of the box. I remember when our things belonged to us.

ghost in the machine: thats complicated

me when I get home:

me the entire weekend:

Amazon made their service worse, to force people to pay for Prime.

Nowadays, if you order from Amazon, there is a week long delay before your package is shipped. (on purpose)

I remember when orders would ship out the same day. (I remember - it was real)

YouTube didn't used to have ads. Now, ads play in the middle of videos. (it's worse than TV ever was)

The best can opener I have owned is over 40 years old. Modern ones just don't hold up as well. (The ones I bought new broke ages ago)

The bread machine my mom got for her wedding lasted 30 years. It's been replaced twice in the last 5 years. (How can you fuck this up?)

The cardboard tubes in the middle of toilet paper rolls have gotten larger. (This too?) Companies increasing the price of the product while selling you less. (REALLY?)

It sounds crazy. (it's the truth) When you talk about it, YOU sound crazy. (it's true)

Even when people believe you (do they really), all they can say is "it sucks". (it's too big) Because the problem is so big, so pervasive, what can we even DO about it???

To get the necessary laws written and passed, we need politicians, to get the politicians elected we need information campaigns, to fund campaigns we need money, and all the money is being hoarded by the people profiting from enshittification. (it sounds so fake)