Category: Tools

Alternatives

Posted on by Morgan

In the recent years, as I feel powerless facing the enshittification in mainstream tech and social media, I've opted for alternatives to many of my previous favorite digital places and tools, namely:

  • Audible ➡ AudioBookShelf (or Plappa on iOs), alternatively Jellyfin (also supported by AudioBookShelf).
  • Google search engine ➡ DuckDuckGo.
  • Chrome browser ➡ Brave.
  • Google Calendar ➡ Fastmail.
  • Gmail ➡ Fastmail.
  • Google Tasks ➡ TickTick.
  • Google Office ➡ Obsidian.
  • Google Reader ➡ InoReader ➡ FreshRSS ➡ Miniflux.
  • Google Authenticator ➡ Aegis and Vaultwarden.
  • Google Play Store ➡ F-Droid, Aurora Store.
  • YouTube ➡ SkyTube (Android).
  • Browser* Passwords Manager ➡ Vaultwarden.
  • Trello ➡ Google Tasks ➡ TickTick.
  • Spotify ➡ Navidrome, Seeker (Soulseek client), DSub (Navidrome client), AntennaPod (Podcasts).
  • WordPress ➡ After looking for SSGs, I'll likely go raw HTML/CSS.
  • Wallabag ➡ Shaarli and with my own tool, Tapas.
  • InvoiceNinja ➡ Replacing with my own invoicing software.
  • Netflix, Amazon Prime Video ➡ Plex.
  • Windows ➡ Linux, MacOS.
  • GitHub ➡ Gitea.
  • LinkedIn ➡ Account closed, didn't attempt alternatives.
  • Facebook ➡ Account closed. Attempted Mastodon, didn't like it.
  • Instagram ➡ Account closed. Attempted Pixelfed, but it's too buggy.
  • WhatsApp ➡ I use it mostly because everyone is on it, but I use Signal instead ideally.
  • SensCritique ➡ Account closed due to their authoritarian moderators.
  • Lobste.rs ➡ Account closed due to their elitist culture.
  • Twitter ➡ Account closed due to their enshittification. Attempted Mastodon, didn't like it.
  • OVH ➡ Account closed. Hostinger.
  • Docker Hub ➡ Docker Registry self hosted.
  • Dropbox, iCloud ➡ Replacing some of it with Syncthing.
  • Zerobin ➡ Privatebin.
  • Most Newsletters ➡ Kill the Newsletter! + Miniflux, alternatively Changedetection.
  • Last.FM ➡ ListenBrainz / MusicBrainz.

This is an ongoing list and non exhaustive, plus it's only about my digital life. I have a lot to say about work and housing as well. Opting for alternatives has also expanded my technical knowledge and independence (see also https://sive.rs/ti).

The main lesson: diversify, stay in control of your life, stay curious and choose freedom, privacy and security over convenience.

Soulless code

Posted on by Morgan

Code isn’t just a tool—it’s a reflection of the coder’s mind, a part of their soul turned into logic. When I write code, it becomes mine. I take care of it, I understand it, I think about it. Even when I stop working, the code stays with me, like a thought I can’t let go. It feels alive, like something I’ve created, something that matters.

But when the code comes from an LLM or someone else, it’s different. I might use it, but I don’t really make it mine. I don’t take the time to fully understand it. I let others—or the machine—do the hard work. And often, it feels easier to just start over or forget it.

This kind of code feels distant, like it has no home. It’s less work for me, and that can feel good, like letting go of something heavy. But at the same time, it feels empty—like something is missing.

Maybe when we stop owning our code, we lose more than just control. Maybe we lose a piece of what makes coding human.

// Functionally correct. Morally bankrupt.  
// Just like the rest of us.

Sans

Posted on by Morgan

Can you live a day at work and at home "sans"?

Sans smartphone?

We used to boot a computer and even a modem and be actually productive and enjoy life without checking for news, notifications, or email every 15 minutes.

Sans version control conflicture crap due to using Git-ware conflict-friendly patterns?

We used to just work together on code and discuss code, without focusing on the version control tooling.

Sans CI/CD tools to validate your work?

We used to validate our work before committing, in the old days.

Sans markdown?

We used to be able to read and write text without non-sense formatting, HTML was even a thing.

Sans proprietary note taking digital tools (Obsidian, Notion)?

We used to take notes on paper or in our own text editors in the past and format our notes in "raw" HTML.

Sans LLM for coding?

We used to reason about code and go read a programming language book or ask for help from colleagues in case of doubt.

Sans daily upgrades and ads and other modern web crap?

We used to have nice experience with computers.

In a world that used to be simple, what other "sans" would you can think of?

Blog Questions Challenge

Posted on by Morgan

Influenced by https://kevquirk.com/blog/blog-questions-challenge based on an original idea from https://brandons-journal.com/bear-blog-questions-challenge/.

This is a meta post you will find on various blogs nowadays, anyway I find the answers so interesting when shared by other people, hence are mine.

The questions are:

  1. Why did you start blogging in the first place?
  2. What platform are you using to manage your blog and why did you choose it?
  3. Have you blogged on other platforms before?
  4. How do you write your posts? For example, in a local editing tool, or in a panel/dashboard that's part of your blog?
  5. When do you feel most inspired to write?
  6. Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
  7. What's your favourite post on your blog?
  8. Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?1.

1. Why did you start blogging in the first place?

I wanted to share cool links to free games and free apps, in french, and mostly because I couldn't find such specialized blogs in the French speaking community.

2. What platform are you using to manage your blog and why did you choose it?

My first blog was hosted at Jeuxvideo.com, it was about free and open source video games and apps. Then I pivoted to blogotext hosted on free.fr to write about some productivity tools.

Following the hype I tried static site generators such as Hugo and Zola without much success as it was painful to feel like debugging whenever I wanted to maintain the tooling or customize my blog.

I've migrated the content of my blogotext to a WordPress hosted on OVH and that got me back into writing, for a time at least.

Nowadays I'm using WordPress managed on my Cloudron instance and hosted at Hetzner on my own VPS. I like the stability of WordPress and the ease to just be able to write anywhere using any device, any browser. Without caring about the maintenance of any tooling, upgrades etc.

3. Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?

I tend to write best when I don't overthink, yet I suffer ADHD and I have 51 blog posts in draft state, I can't help.

4. Have you blogged on other platforms before?

I've only posted on a hosted platform in the past which was jeuxvideo.com. I do not believe anymore in the longevity of platforms after exiting a few social networks and few forums and communities. I've also observed the death of platforms I had invested time into.

5. How do you write your posts? For example, in a local editing tool, or in a panel/dashboard that's part of your blog?

Right in the WordPress editor, in my browser (btw, it's Brave).

6. When do you feel most inspired to write?

When I need to escape my thoughts and surrounding. When I'm expressing a problem or rant or anxiety. Or when I have to think clearly about a topic or elaborate my answer to an existing thread.

7. What's your favourite post on your blog?

Not posts but likely the 😵‍💫 Guilty page which is about things I like too much.

8. Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?

I'd like to keep the tooling minimal with HTML or plaintext. I do not like Markdown much, likely I'm a nostalgic.

Make your own universe

Posted on by Morgan

A good house is one you have contributed to build or improve.

A good version control system has a good UX and you are done learning it in your first day. Git is far behind.

A good static site generator should not force you to read hundred documentation page beyond HTML/CSS.

A good service or platform or social media is one you do not fear to lose access to.

A good blogging platform is not one for which you pay thousands dollars for a CSS transition effect.

A good game engine is one you understand very well and can optimize to your needs.

A good CI or build script is the one you own and maintain.

An awesome meal is one you cook.

A perfect blog post is one you write without help, without filter, without caring about comments.

Everything you will build yourself is awesome, because it is unique and not forced by anyone.

I wish you an imperfect but awesome new year!