Software
I use a lot of software in my day-to-day life. And, as much as possible, I choose free and open source software (FOSS) over proprietary software. In general, FOSS alternatives to proprietary software tend to be more privacy-preserving, and using FOSS software rarely enriches unethical corporations and terrible people.
- Firefox
-
I use Firefox as my primary web browser on all of my devices, and I highly recommend you do the same. It's free and open source software, and as of January, 2025, it's the most privacy-preserving of the "mainstream" browsers.
- Tails
-
If privacy is your thing, you might want to check out Tails, a privacy-focused Linux distribution you can run off a USB stick on almost any machine.
- Ubuntu
-
Today, I use the Ubuntu distribution of Linux as my "daily driver" operating system. I've used pretty much every OS at one point or another in my life, and while Linux has some rough edges, I much prefer it to the spyware that we call Microsoft Windows. There are other distributions of Linux, of course, but Ubuntu annoys me the least.
- GNU Emacs
-
Because I'm old and quite mad, I use Emacs for almost everything. Programming, email, organization---whatever I can make Emacs do, I do with Emacs. Let me be clear: I do not recommend this! Maybe someday I'll write up my reasons for doing this to myself.
Social Networking
I've stopped using the big, corporate social networks whenever humanly possible. I still have accounts on several of them, but they're really just placeholders now. Instead, I'm leaning into the Fediverse.
- Mastodon
-
Mastodon is the most well-known member of the "Fediverse" and it works for me. I'm on the flagship instance, but you can pretty much join any instance you like, and connect with anyone else on any other instance.
News
I try to keep up on the news, particularly on issues related to security, privacy, and politics. This means I spend more time than I'd like drinking from the "mainstream," corporate-controlled media firehose. The following are links to sites which don't fall under that umbrella.
- Citation Needed
-
An excellent newsletter written by Molly White with a focus on critical examination of events in the cryptocurrency sphere and the tech industry in general.
- ProPublica
-
One of the few independent, non-profit newsrooms doing evidence-based journalism. No paywalls or email harvesting needed as of January, 2025.
- OpenSecrets
-
A research group which tracks money in United States elections, as well as its effects on public policy.
- Techdirt
-
A blog about legal and economic issues related to technology, usually with a focus on intellectual property and copyright reform.
- NPR
-
The only corporate-funded news I pay any real attention to. Better than most. And their Tiny Desk concerts are pretty neat.
Entertainment
All work and no play etc., etc. I have fun. These are sites where I have that fun.
- Chess.com
-
I'm bad at Chess, but I love it. I spend most of my Chess time on this site, and even pay for a premium membership.
- lichess.org
-
If you're more principled than me, lichess.org is a free and open source Chess server run by volunteers. All of their offerings are free to use, but they accept donations to keep the lights on.