same
February 16, 2024
I made a reply on hacker news that I want to plant a little firmer in the ground.
I don't use the NYtimes app; though I pay for a subscription. I do not accept advertising into my life. I think its wrong to let wealthy people have a shot at manipulating me. I trust the nytimes journalistic standards but not their advertising.
I don't push this shit on my kid. but I did make a social media app for us to share so she knows what I mean. It's the best way I knew how to guarantee she'd understand. That's it.
The only way I can enforce my beliefs on the nytimes (and Washington post, WSJ, youtube, and amazon prime) is to use the web. I know this is a minority position. And I know I have no recourse against Applications that are compiled into native apps and hosted by Apple. In Apples world they can get at me all they want.
I will pay extra to maintain my dominance over companies that think advertising is a legitimate revenue stream. Fuck you guys. Rich people telling poor people to ignore what benefits them is gross to me.
The web protects me and because it's text out in the open I can live my personal morality directly. I don't have to ask permission — I can enforce.
This change Apple has made to PWAs in Europe has laid clear that my personal beliefs are not a priority. I'll need to compile and submit to live in their ecosystem; where apps are free to manipulate me; advertise at me.
You're not the only Unix in town buddy.
I have been loyal to Apple since my first purchase, a classic II, to use with Opcode's Studio Vision, it was a requirement for the class about computer music I was taking at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. I fell in love with Opcode. It was heaven with my Korg M1. A personal universe opened up before me. A place all my own. I could make something here; all broken on my own.
When OSX came out I was heavy into Emacs; working at Covalent and surrounded by Unix masters. I had a mac running Apple's Unix within a week of it's release. Damn the torpedos. Its that the input boxes worked with Emacs key bindings, that I could navigate natively just like I do when I code, a subtle attention to detail; an artistic promise to do excellence. I was in reliable hands; Apple was gonna do Unix right.
Droping PWA support in Europe means I am no longer welcome in Apple's ecosystem. That the web is a privelage. And you and I over here in 'merica had better be good boys or we're next.
The choice is stark but clear – No more apple hardware, no more wealthy paternalism telling me they are here to keep me safe. I accept that apple has only made me safe for others to manipulate. I left instagram, facebook, twitter, never even considered tiktok or snapshot. I will not be your victim.
I get to pick what goes into my eyes. PWA is the only guarantee I could find that can cut the mustard for the standards I want to live by. You don't get to point and be scared about it. You don't support me mother fucker I don't support you. Fair enough.
Who I do support is Europe. They are the noble warrior in this fight. They should go hard here. They should force Apple to suppot PWA cause it's PWA support or make a third party the arbiter of what spec shit Apple has to implement. Apple is turning an EU mandate into an excuse to grab more control.
No mercy.