In the past, most software I used was paid and proprietary and would have some sort of limitation that I would try to get around by any means possible. Sometimes that would be resetting the clock on my computer, disabling the internet, and other times downloading a patch.

But in the past few years I’ve stopped using those things and have focused only on free and open source software (FOSS) to fulfill my needs. I hardly have to worry about privacy problems or trying to lock down a program that calls home. I might be missing out on some things that commercial software delivers, but I’m hardly aware of what they are anymore. It seems like the trend is for commercial software providers to migrate toward online or service models that have the company doing all the computing. I’m opposed to that, since they can take away your service at any time.

What do you do?

    • heeplr@feddit.deEnglish
      11·
      1 year ago

      We live in the real world. If you don’t submit the government forms how they want you to, they shrug and fine the shit out of you.

      Then you just don’t know the law. There is no legislation that enforces Acrobat in any civilized country without alternative.

      Quite the opposite: Send macroridden documents to any decently secure infrastructure and you get a big fat warning in the subject if it’s not filtered entirely. Officials LOVE to do that extra call ensuring that this document is really from you before opening it and no phishing attempt…not.

      Source: working >25 years in IT, >15 years for government IT

      EDIT: we got some real Adobe Acrobat Fanboy here, eh? ;-)