Notices by Raymond Russell (raymierussell@mastodon.scot)

@georgetakei
Rules for thee but not for me.

@dalias

Yeah, fairly similar in the UK. You are really entering into a credit agreement to buy an expensive piece of hardware over 24/36 months with some air time added on.

I have mostly bought Moto G's over the years Unlocked SIM free with separate SIM only deals. Its the best way to do it unless you absolutely have to have the latest flagship phone and don't have the cash up front.

@dalias

I better not mention how much 'the civilised world' pays for their service.
I hear US cell service is super expensive.
I have two SIMs.
One is genuinely unlimited (including tethering). I pay £18 gbp ($24 usd approx) per month for that SIM. I use it as home internet in a 4g router and I have a much cheaper other SIM in my phone with a good chunk of data and unlimited calls and text.

@dalias @vfrmedia @neil @UkeleleEric

I know the UK and US back in the day had incompatible cell systems but I have never had a phone without a SIM card in it. Even back in the very late 90's with my Pay As You Go phone.

@vfrmedia @dalias @neil @UkeleleEric

This was SIM free phone and when buying my previous phones from a different retailer (Argos) they never asked for any traceable info so I expected the same on this occasion.

I did find out from a work colleague that this retailer sold customer info to a broker for around 8 quid a customer - he has a friend who worked for the shop.

I toddled off to Argos paid cash, kindly declined their warranty and credit card offers. I continue to buy from Argos

@vfrmedia @dalias @neil @UkeleleEric
I have had SIM only deals for at least the last 15 years so my details are associated with SIM contracts over that time but there is absolutely no way I was giving details to a retailer for a phone that was Unlocked that I was paying full retail price for.

@dalias @neil @UkeleleEric
Lol

I can't even be bothered with going to that effort.

After we reach a stalemate of "I am not giving you my information" vs. "It is required for security reasons" then I wasn't wanting to transact business with quite obvious lairs.

@neil @UkeleleEric
I had this happen many years ago when I was purchasing a mobile phone . The phone was brought from the stock room, place in front of me and I had the cash out and was asked "Whats your name, address and telephone number". I refused and they would not sell me the device so I went elsewhere that I knew did not ask such questions.

@neil @UkeleleEric
Sounds like a deliberate attempt to exploit the sunken cost fallacy that many of us would engage in when presented with a 'just one more thing' moment at the end of a process that has taken some time and effort.

@phooky
Folk who think that IQ is a real measure of anything tend not to be the most intelligent.

That time you spent $1Trillion on Tulips and put Tulips in all your products even though it didn't make any sense and people were becoming weary of products that had fully integrated Tulips, even when given away for free.
Your massive warehouses where store all your Tulips were costing more in water and plant food to maintain than Tulips sales. So you borrow money using your Tulips as assets despite their finite life.
Now customers don't want Tulips because THEY are ignorant fools.

I might be a bit slow on the uptake since I haven't been following the news closely today but has the Pink Panther been stolen or sumfink?

@Noortjevee @itsfoss
With strings.
You need to do one of the following

1) Redeem a load of Microsoft Points
2) Give them access to your personal data via a Microsoft Account
3) Pay $30 USD (or local equivalent)

@brezelradar @Noortjevee @itsfoss
I Linux Mint-ed my two Win 10 laptops a couple of months ago so all moot to me. Plus I have a chromebook.

I know it has fallen out of the news but the UK Govt's proposed Digital ID has not gone away.
The petition to stop it is stubbornly sitting around 2.6 million signatures.
If you feel inclined and have not already done so it is still open for signatures.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730194

@LadyDragonfly
I have an even more extreme related view.
If you are extremely wealthy everything in your life is functionally free.
When a regular person goes to the store they may have to choose off-brand goods, forgo some treats they would like, wear those shoes for an extra while rather than buy a new pair they really need.
If you are wealthy enough none of those choices functionally matter, you are not limited by the cash in your pocket.
(1/2)

@ai6yr
This a modern self build radio kit I bought earlier this year.
There seems to be more components to drive the display than doing the radio bit.
I think the small IC is the tuner chip and the small board above is the oscillator crystal.

@georgetakei
To quote Lord Farquar "Some people may die but that is a risk I am prepared to take".
Now Official US Gov't policy.

@BeAware
The phrase I have made up to explain Mastodon after normies wonder what the hell I am talking about is - "the good twitter without Elon Musk".

It tolls off the tongue...smashes thru the floor and heads off to the centre of the earth.

@Nigel_Purchase @CloudyMrs
Yup. the biggest con is the attempt to keep an unsustainable private business going by public subsidy to protect the debt holders rather than letting it take its 'natural' course and going bust.