TURN OFF the CLOUD + a few
There are numerous reasons to abandon the cloud, push for elimination of AI features, and shut down data mining operations, (including things like Bitcoin “farms”). The best reason: Together these 3 things use more electricity than all of the electric vehicles. How can we conscientiously use these tools AND be in the midst of “saving the planet?” These 3 things use more power than residential air conditioning and pollute more than gas ranges. Where’s that story been?
The second reason? Security. How can your encrypted data be secure if you don’t even know whose computer holds it? Do you even know what country it is physically held in? NOPE! A.I. is even worse, as it has no conscience and will gladly share any data which it has access with whomever it wishes. [Dumbest “smart” thing” we’ve ever created.] It will gladly lie if it doesn’t know the right answer. It will give a conglomerated answer including info from fake news sites. You can’t trust it. Data mining is the sifting through mountains of data. It reminds me of Arthur Dent (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) who asked the ship computer why it would not make tea at just the moment they needed the computer to save their lives. The data services gobble vast amounts of power and computing bandwidth to deliver the results…just so some soap company can design a box with the most pleasing colors. Meanwhile, you and I are just trying to download that stupid monkey video and it won’t download because there isn’t enough bandwidth.
We need to STOP and re-assess our priorities.
I didn’t mention that many companies are sorry they ever joined cloud computing. They talk in tech circles about the limitations of “cloud speed.” It is a bloated, disjointed system. And if you ever wondered why the page you are trying to view takes so long to load … cloud speed is the likely cause. Sure! There are benefits, but the list of problems is constantly growing. So, as a result, many local government organizations have created their own local “cloud” of servers to speed their systems and add a layer of protection to their encrypted data.
SHARING YOUR LOCATION
A recent article gave instructions about how to share your ETA using Google or other maps. Stupidest techy thing I’ve ever read about. WHY, for goodness sake, does anyone not in my vehicle need to know that? They don’t. They will see me when I arrive. I will send ONE text about 20 minutes out … maybe. ”Get the meal started, I’ll be there in about 20 minutes.” How does a turn-by-turn improve on that? They should be paying attention to the cooking anyway, not their phone. If there’s no food or money involved they don’t need to know at all.
THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL
If you buy a pound of hamburger, by law it must weigh approximately 16 ounces, not including the packaging. A gallon of gasoline falls under the weights and measures statutes and must be 128 liquid ounces. A gas pump which does not deliver that is shut down by the state.
BUT, when it comes to internet speed … its a whole new ballgame. Suddenly they can charge for “up to 12 Mb” but deliver less than 1 Mb and no one cares?? I’m not talking during “peak” activity, either. It happened to us. We complained. We complained. We complained. Nothing changed. However, the provider had no problem charging us full price every single month without fail.
When we moved we changed providers and the salesmen from the “we don’t care” carrier kept bugging us to “come home.” I told them we don’t support liars. I meant it, and each one acted “hurt,” like I had just stabbed him in his slow-speed heart. I don’t care, because when it mattered HE didn’t care.
This should be illegal.
Charge for the average of what you delivered (1.3) instead of the maximum you HOPED TO deliver (12.0 on a Tuesday in July if the temperature falls below 17 degrees F.).
!HVAC WARNING!
We just had to replace our HVAC system. It had survived 17 years which is within the “normal” range. Still, it did not feel good to pay so much for another home system that needed to be repaired.
Then today I found out that we were actually fortunate that it failed THIS summer and not in January of 2025. You guessed? Government is mandating another change in HVAC to improve “efficiency.” Efficiency is never the same as cost savings, it seems. So, can you guess also how much MORE your next HVAC system will cost for standard furnace/AC?
The new system will have a new coolant. It includes PROPANE. Yup! They want your home to explode when the furnace kicks on! Oh, they “solve” that problem by adding “sensors” and “monitors” and “fail-safes.” Each of those additional “solutions” means added HVAC fees.
MY POINT: If your system is nearing 20 years … replace it NOW, NOW, and NOW!
If you wait until next year you will pay an ADDITIONAL $5-10 thousand. Consider yourself warned.
[PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him if you post it elsewhere.
ALSO, Don is always open to offer his thoughts on various topics. If you have a specific request, you can let him know in a comment; he reads – and replies to – them all. ~ Sherry]
See more GUEST POSTS from Don!
Comments