Bonum Certa Men Certa

Techrights Turns 16.5 Years Old and for the First Time I Can Devote 100% of My Time to It

I left my job in December, one month after Techrights had turned 16 (it was known as "BoycottNovell" at first). Yesterday the site turned 16.5 -- a fact that I only realised about an hour ago. Here's "whois":

BoycottNovell domain in 2023

Summary: Another small (or semi) milestone for us; it's an opportunity for reflection

The site started when I was 24. I was a student at the time. I had begun writing my thesis months earlier and I didn't feel eager to find a job in some centralised office. In 2007 I started working from home exclusively and that hasn't changed since. The working environment evolved and improved over the years. When working in front of a computer it's important to make things pleasant and last year I moved everything to a dedicated room, formerly the dining room. Here's what it looks like this morning (minutes ago; I've since then added a plant to the beige table on the left, as there's available space there).

Working 2023

The photo shows the 9 screens, 5 webcams, 4 mice, 3 large speakers (from 1994; they still work), 7 keyboards (two are external), and as of this morning (2 hours ago) there's a cactus-like pair of plants on the table that I took out yesterday (because it's getting warmer), the 16.5-year anniversary of Techrights.org. All these computers run GNU/Linux and they're not expensive at all (refurbished, old, low-budget). Each serves its set of purposes. The electric bill is 1.5 pounds per person per day (inclusive of everything, cooking as well) as these machines dim down while AFK and there's no GPU.

If 16.5 years from now the Web site does not exist it's likely it'll have already evolved for whatever comes after the Web, maybe something like Gemini or IPFS. We're flexible enough to handle change and budget isn't a problem because we are not a company.

Last year I started experimenting with a standing desk. With two soft carpets on the floor and ample space for weights it's possible to also exercise a bit while reading. It's like a form of therapy that is healthy not just for the body but also the mind. I'm stationed near the desk about 15 hours a day, on average.

Recent Techrights' Posts

2025 Will be Fought and Fraught With LLM Slop or Fake 'Articles' (Former Media/News Sites Turning to Marketing Spam)
The elephant in the room?
Brittany Day Can Rest and Let Microsoft/Chatbots Write Fake 'Articles' About "Linux" This Christmas
Who said people don't work on Christmas? Chatbots or plagiarism-as-a-service work 24/7, every day of the year except during Microsoft downtimes
 
Microsoft Openwashing Stunts Initiative (OSI) is A Vulture in "Open" Clothing
it's quite telling that the OSI isn't protecting the Open Source Definition
Gemini Links 25/12/2024: Reality Bites and Gopher Thanks
Links for the day
Links 26/12/2024: Japan-China Mitigations and Mozambique Prison Escape (1,500 Prisoners)
Links for the day
Links 26/12/2024: Ukraine's Energy Supplies Bombed on Christmas Day, Energy Lines Cut/Disrupted in the Baltic Sea Again
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/12/2024: Rot Economy, Self-hosted Tinylogs
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, December 25, 2024
IRC logs for Wednesday, December 25, 2024
[Meme] Time to Also Investigate Bill Gaetz
Investigation overdue
IBM Has Almost Obliterated or Killed the Entire Fedora Community (Not IBM Staff)
Remaining Fedora insiders are well aware of this, but bringing this up (an "accusation" against IBM) might be a CoC violation
Links 25/12/2024: Fentanylware (TikTok) Scams and "Zelle Scams Lead to $870M Loss"
Links for the day
Links 25/12/2024: Windows TCO Brought to SSH, Terence Eden 'Retires'
Links for the day
Links 25/12/2024: Latest Report Front Microsoft Splinter Group, War Updates
Links for the day
Links 25/12/2024: Hong Kong Attacks Activists During Holidays, Xerox to Buy Lexmark
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, December 24, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Gemini Links 25/12/2024: Open Source Social and No Search
Links for the day
Brittany Day Connects Windows Ransomware to "Linux" Using Microsoft LLMs (FUD Galore, Zero Effort, No Accountability)
FUD and misinformation made by Microsoft LLMs again?
Links 24/12/2024: Labour Strikes and TikTok Scrambling to Prop Up Radical Politicians That Would Protect TikTok
Links for the day
Where the Population is Controlled by Skinnerboxes Inside People's Pockets (or Purses)
A very small fraction of mobile users practise or exercise freedom/control over the skinnerbox
[Meme] Coin-Operated Publishers (Gaming the Message, Buying the Narrative)
Advertise (sponsor) to 'play'
Advertisers and Their Covert Impact on Publications' Output (or Writers' Topics of Choice, as Assigned or Approved by Editors)
It cannot be trivially denied that sponsorship in the form of "advertising" impacts where publishers go (or don't go, won't go)
Terrible Year for Microsoft Windows in Cyprus
down from 86% to 72% since January
[Meme] How to Kill Unions (Staff on Shoestring Budget Cannot Afford Lawyers)
What next for the EPO? "Gig economy"?
The EPO's Staff Union (SUEPO) Takes Legal Action to Rectify the Decrease in Wages (Lessening of Purchasing Power)
here is what the union published
Gemini Links 24/12/2024: Deedum Gemini Client Gets Colour Support, Advent of Code 2024
Links for the day
Microsoft Windows Slides to New Lows in Colombia
Now Windows is at an all-time low
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, December 23, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, December 23, 2024