Are you sure you’re not talking about the wrong toll? I haven’t been to NYC recently enough so don’t know how they implemented congestion tolls, but that’s different from the tunnel and bridge tolls.

All I can find online is “MTA installed license plate readers around the city”

That’s all part of my reasoning, at least for myself.

I used to spend a lot for an excellent tv and sound system for the immersive experience. However over time I tend to choose options for convenience. The sound system stopped being used and no longer exists. I use the TV itself less and less.

This is the same pattern as for music. Over time I found connected speakers in every room more compelling than my good sound system, and stopped spending money on it.

I could argue a similar pattern for cable, for a landline, for CDs, for computer desks, for many things I’ve left behind.

Some of these similar patterns left behind are a trend, not just me

Wow, narrow minded because I asked for other viewpoints? Narrow minded because I wondered if it there’s a trend or if it’s just me? Maybe you should revisit your definitions

While there are usually options to opt out, past behavior has shown that manufacturers can’t be trusted. It starts with opting you in by default, and trying to trap you into one sided terms of service that you can’t even see until you’ve “agreed” by opening the box. However most manufacturers have been caught ignoring these options in the past, so we have no reason to trust they won’t again. Especially here in the US where what little consumer protection we used to have is being shut down

The only thing keeping me from taking down my bedroom tv, is that I’d have to patch the holes (and it’s old enough I wouldn’t offer it to anyone)

For sure, maybe one of the reasons we almost never use the big screen is I haven’t hooked up broadcast TV yet, but one of the reasons I haven’t bothered is live sports is increasingly paywalled. It was all too easy to say I’m not that interested in watching the Patriots every Sunday, when there are more barriers to watching or enjoying (and the Bellicheck/Brady era is over: I’m not sure I can name a single player anymore).

For the Super Bowl, I’d buy one month of whatever parasite you’re paywalled behind. However I’m not paying a subscription to watch regular games

I really think this is yet another scenario of short term profit seeking ruining the longer term profits. I’m sure a paywall is more profitable in the short term, but watching sports seems to be a habit , a ritual, and there are many of us less intense watchers that will lose the habit with too many obstacles. Are they really getting more profit when their paywall shrinks the audience? Heck, I’m also much less likely to attend a game in person, since I don’t really follow teams anymore. I used to always goto a couple mlb games every summer, but if I can’t watch at home, why would I be interested?. I really only follow college hockey now

I just had similar I gave to my kid. OLED was a huge upgrade. My new TV is much higher contrast, much smoother, more detailed, especially in high activity scenes

I’m not worried about me using the smart bullshit. I’m worried about it using me. Beyond the ones that literally spy on you through camera or microphone …

A few years back I started to see descriptions of media recognition, so a tv could know what you’re watching even if it’s not through one of its apps. While I have no idea how widely that’s deployed, it’s awfully dystopian. There’s a specific reason to keep your smart tv off the network, even if you never use the apps.

I’ve also read articles (not sure if legit) about smart TV’s piggybacking on other networks, such as using WiFi even when you disable it, or picking up your streaming devices network over hdmi

Does anyone still use a tv? What do you use it for?

As we’ve built up a plethora of small screens in the house, we almost never use the big screen anymore. I wonder if this is going the way of landlines, and cable - a huge expense that is no longer relevant.

With all the choices of media and activities, it’s not like we have a family activity of sitting to watch whatever dreck, on the broadcasters schedule. We’ll still probably be in the same room relaxing at the same time, but the kids will be gaming, the wife will be cackling at Instagram, and I’ll probably be doomscrolling. We all have screens that are more suited than the big screen, and the big screen would just interfere with someone else’s enjoyment

I suppose we did watch the Super Bowl together, but that may be it for the last few years. Is a big tv worthwhile for one event? Even when I’m home alone and want to watch something, I have a better suited small screen (heck, that bedroom tv hasn’t been turned on in years)

It’s good in some ways, but I read one of the points as a generational turnover. Graybeards are the people who invented a lot of foss and stayed true to the calling. True heroes. But there needs to be a continuation, fresh blood, a bright future, and the graybeards won’t be around forever.

Graybeards are also people who got into foss when it was easy to start. The fear is there are higher expectations now, higher complexity, creating barriers to entry for the next generation

It can be really hard to get that motivation back. I said the same thing way back. However now I’m a a solid career point, my kids are in college, and I’m divorced. I have to reinvent my life according to only my priorities. This is my opportunity. Yet I’m doom scrolling. Time flies with useless crap and the motivation to create is not as strong

We don’t have a Krogers but that behavior is enough to not use the stores that do this.

Ok, zero matches within 100km, and I live just outside a major US city. Of course I’m probably not the typical age …. But it must be those pesky metric units, they mean nothing here

If that’s the criteria, those of us who cover many operating systems will be in high demand. Hot girls in my area want to see my home lab

And effing Trump just leapt out of his grave to cost me so much more money ….

Just did the FAFSA form for my kids college and it sure is ugly. Apparently the new rules were written by a republican on 2019, and shoehorned into the huge COViD relief bill at the end of trumps first term. Remember the one where it was produced just like a day or two before it had to be voted on, so physically impossible to read. I’m so pissed, my second kid may not be able to go to his college choice

Also for laziness. I’m not answering the door every time someone comes around to sell me solar panels or driveway seal coating, but there are people who I do want to answer for

Plus I suppose there’s “is my dog barking for a reason, or just another dog walking by?”

Wasn’t Solar City’s whole gambit ….

Yes there were and still are too many scammers. Sometimes I think that’s held the industry back even more than the price. If we had any consumer protections, it would blow up the installer industry.

That doesn’t change my point

But people will always be interested in generating their own, just like we don’t use communal bath houses, or community heating, or unfortunately mass transit. Yes, group services can be a lot more efficient and more reliable but they’re also out of your control and become an ongoing cost

Maybe they’re also nudists, or otherwise like their privacy

Rooftop solar has a huge upfront cost and requires the building owner/operator do it. It’s out of the control of individuals and out of their price range.

Balcony solar is completely under your control, within most people’s budget, and you simply plug it in

While tracking might let you collect more energy, you also lose more of your balcony, and you’re back to making the install expensive and complicated. Not worth it