[helmholtz]

That honestly is a tool that should be used more often.

"Oh, Twitter is a cesspool!" Agreed, don't use it.

"Oh I hate Instagram influencers!" Don't use it.

"Fuck Facebook." Great, don't use it.

"Windows 10 is awful." Other alternatives are available.

I know what people will say. "Hurr durr, I can't quit it for XYZ reason". Fine, you can judge that for your own life. But I will say that life is SO much better when you are able to deploy this absolutist hammer with a force of an anvil. I DON'T use Facebook or Twitter or Instagram so I just don't know how much of a cesspit those places really are. There is SO much life to live beyond staring at a rectangular lamp. As my mum says, if it's a chronic problem, either accept it or find a coping mechanism.

[i_love_music]

Yes, it is a shame people don't take action in their lives to fix all these supposed problems. "I can't quit for XYZ reasons" is bullshit. Unless we're talking life critical systems here, you absolutely can quit. Period. People's inability to do inconvenient or uncomfortable things is the main problem. Their lack of willpower does not absolve them from being complicit in continuing the supposedly terrible, toxic systems.

[mekkkkkk]

That's simplifying it a lot. Things can be really bad, but still be the best/only way to achieve some goal. If you wat to play games on your PC, Windows is your best bet, regardless how bad it is. If you want to keep up with acquaintances, you gain a lot from Facebook, even though it might be terrible.

It's crazy to think that you are not allowed to complain about things if you are using it. Arguably that's the most valid critique.

[helmholtz]

I'm saying too many people don't even consider the idea of "Could I possibly quit playing video games?" I've found an enormous amount of liberation in using that line of thinking. It's a kind of Zen "Eliminate the Inessential" freedom that comes through this attitude; "I just don't use facebook, and let the leaves fall where they may".

[jleahy]

That was true in the past, but at least for me Steam Proton has completely removed my need to use Windows for games.

It’s a point where you can apply aforementioned anvil (something I frequently make use of) and just not buy/play any game that doesn’t work on linux.

[mekkkkkk]

Proton is a compat layer, and it often incurs performance cost or glitches. In a few cases games are not even playable. Granted, some games work perfectly.

Nonetheless, I've done my fair share of Linux gaming, and I'd never ever recommend an average gamer to put Linux on their rig.

[p_l]

When it comes to influencers...

For over a year I was bombarded IRL with ads in public spaces promoting some influencer instagram.

Sometimes you can't escape.

[helmholtz]

Agreed, sometimes you cannot. Hence my comment about being able to judge for yourself.

I am just railing against the (perceived) lack of consideration given to the all-in solution of not using services that are not satisfactory. I think people have way more agency in the matter than they appreciate.

[radoslawc]

> "Fuck Facebook." Great, don't use it.

I agree, but sometimes you just cannot. In facebook case - it basically killed most of internet forums as people switched to facebook groups. My experience is with car restoration/old car aficionados forums that were replaced by fb groups, but I'm sure it also aplies to other. So now you cannot find anything as they are not indexed by google, facebook search just sucks and if you set up you own forum then people just don't use it as it's "to much hassle" to open one more tab. And if you're in market for some exotic part fb is your only choice nowdays. Second thing, I don't remember where (maybe here?) I've read article how guy missed his childhood friend's funeral, because he has no faceboook account, and it was the only way that family informed his friends - by posting on fb that he died.

[walleeee]

I swear half of the Twitter posts I see are just people disparaging Twitter... I hope your downvotes are just for tone, not content.

[fortran77]

Then why are you here?

[helmholtz]

I like HN.