shinratdr

If you genuinely want to know the history & evolution of Fastpass and why it is the way it is: https://youtu.be/9yjZpBq1XBE

WeChat is an anomaly and not proof of anything. It only works in China because the Chinese government controls who can and can’t operate, and thus can pick winners and losers.

If suddenly everyone with a better take on a service that a theoretical X “everything app” offered couldn’t operate without applying for a license and possibly never getting it or having to find a domestic partner to operate in every country they want to do business in, then yeah this X app would take off, because it would be essentially the only option.

Since that will never happen, then an everything app will never exist outside of countries that exercise end-to-end control. This is also why American tech companies outside of entrenched operating system vendors and hardware companies (think Apple & Microsoft) have a hard time making inroads there. Because if you get too popular and it’s something they can copy, then suddenly the Chinese copy gets all the market advantage and boatloads of funding, and you get shut out.

Someone needs to browse AliExpress more.

But the Libertarians always have to say it. Nevermind that anything free from a corporation is paid for though advertising, or selling your data, or folded into the item cost, or future purchases, so by this strict definition that “someone is paying for it” means literally nothing is ever free.

It has to be said EVERY TIME someone mentions that public services are offered at no charge.

The next question is a visual skills challenge. To the best of your ability, embody a gazelle.

Threads has momentum and easy signups, it’s simple for people. I wouldn’t use it myself directly but I’m sure it would help expand the communities that are available via a Mastodon client.

Not sure via the mobile apps, and there are so many. From the regular Lemmy web interface, you just tap their name anywhere which takes you to their profile and then tap “Send Message” in the top right corner.

Sure, that would be amazing. Thank you!

Strange to measure it against an invite only site, I would love to sign up but I haven’t been able to find invites. I think between Mastodon, Bluesky & Threads via ActivityPub (eventually) will get most of my communities back.

I love Mastodon & prefer it in many ways but there just aren’t enough people there. The tech & dev community is lively, everything else is essentially non-existent.

Apparently Brazilians make a variation of beef stroganoff that uses ketchup. If I had been signed up for these alerts I could have done something to stop that.

I’m kind of glad the main dev team is seconded to visionOS this year. iOS 17 doesn’t have anything too crazy but the QoL improvements and long-standing feature gaps like this one being closed are really where the attention needs to be.

Apple has really polished Maps, Mail, Safari and Home over the iOS 17 beta period and I hope that continues during the minor updates.

Somehow the fans are always the first to know.