Apr 13, 2021

Tech For Everyone #14: Nuke and pave the news

By Jason Evangelho • Issue #14 • View online

Greetings my wonderful Waddle! This week I’m starting the process of rethinking how I CONSUME my news and calling on you for advice!

And haaaaaaaave ya met Dark1LTG? You may also know him as MattDLN. He’s a Linux-first gamer with an encyclopedic knowledge of the industry, and he’s bringing you “Games For Everyone,” a weekly series that recommends a great game you’ve probably never played.

Also: You may have seen me post this on Twitter or Telegram, but episodes of the Linux For Everyone podcast resume on May 5th. What can you expect? A monster 2-part episode featuring an interview with Jeremy Soller of System76. We had an incredible, nearly 3 hour chat last night and it’s chock full of knowledge bombs and mic drops.

You can subscribe to the show by just searching “Linux For Everyone” in your favorite podcast app.

Speaking of podcasts, let’s give a big round of applause to Stephen Cross, host of the Talking Drupal podcast. Not only is it a great show for dedicated Drupal web designers and developers, it’s also the sponsor of this very newsletter because Stephen has been following my work for quite some time and wanted to financially support it.

There are very few things more uplifting than the community supporting the community. You guys continue to rock, and I will continue to love writing words for you.

On that note, I can’t wait to start building the new website. But more about that later. Let’s get on with it!

~Jason

PS: Hey Matt L? The bottom of this issue is for you!

🕹⌨️ GAMES FOR EVERYONE | By Dark1LTG

Welcome to Games for Everyone!

This little section of the newsletter is where I will be making weekly gaming recommendations. The thought process behind these recommendations is they must play on Linux either natively or through Steam Proton, with no extra configurations needed. So that means no custom Proton versions, no winetricks or protontricks, and no Lutris.

Remember Me - Launch Trailer

So the first game we have Remember Me, a game that will make you question just what makes up your memories? Are they like how you recall them? You take on the role of Nilin in a cyberpunk dystopian neo-noir action game with combat that plays similar to the Batman Arkham games.

But this game’s unique feature is the “memory remixing” that Nilin does at different points in the game, and seeing the various outcomes from them are easily the biggest treat of this game. Unfortunately, this is one game that will sadly likely never receive the sequel that it deserves.

Game on!

~Matt

Talk to him on Twitter | Watch him onYouTube

NUKE AND PAVE MY NEWSFEEDS

Navigating “free” news on the internet has become a bit of a gamble, hasn’t it? It’s a time-sink. A joyless grind through inflammatory headlines that promise every iota of information you’re craving, but repeatedly renege on that promise.

Instead, articles are stuffed full of half-truths, regurgitated press releases, and front-loaded with lengthy preludes that force you to scroll and scroll so the site can serve you more ads. More pop-ups. More infuriating auto-playing videos.

This newsletter exists, partially because I grew exhausted being forced to write for algorithms and for search engines, instead of writing for people.

Now I’m growing exhausted with my nightly routine of discovering what’s new in the world of tech and video games. Typically I’ll use Google Discover or Google News…

I know, that was my first mistake. But I’ve “trained” these services for years and I feel invested in them now, despite the constantly disappointing results.

It feels like the majority of mainstream tech sites on my feeds are pumping their headlines through virtual megaphones, shouting into the void, and not delivering nearly enough bite to match their bark.

Even once-refreshing platforms like Medium that emphasized independent voices and substantive writing are succumbing to templatized listicles and vapid career advice.

Here’s an (admittedly minor) example of what frustrates me, just to drive the point home:

TechRadar not only uses the headline to imply that everything about Age of Empires 4 has been revealed, but they reinforce it by writing “We have all the information on gameplay, civilizations, campaigns, combat,” etc.

Then they go on to admit that although there are 8 civilizations to play at launch, Microsoft has only revealed 4 of them…

Again, a minor example, but a real-world one that typifies how headlines frequently mislead us.

Clickbait sucks. It’s also a tragic necessity.

If you or someone you know complains about clickbait, you can thank things like Google’s search algorithm. Honestly, none of the writers I’ve ever spoken to want to craft clickbait headlines. They want to frame their story with a clear and sometimes clever title. They don’t want to use negativity. They don’t want to use ALL-CAPS or consult a list of 120+ power words that spark (mostly negative, because that’s what we react to the strongest) emotions in their readers.

But it works. And it works because Google rewards it. It works because these are the results you’re presented with, and Google has made search so convenient.

It works because we’re clicking those damn headlines, aren’t we?

I need to nuke and pave my news feeds.

I’m not suggesting some dramatic, sweeping boycott of major news outlets. I’m just seeking a new solution for myself, and wanted to ask for YOUR recommendations!

For far too long I’ve been reliant on Google – and not independent voices – for my tech and game news.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: I’ve been passive and lazy.

So it’s time to nuke and pave. This probably means not only ditching that reliance on Google, but also ditching the tech I’m using to read the news. Maybe some carefully curated RSS feeds? Maybe it’s a subscription or two to some quality newsletters.

🎤 Tell me what platforms you utilize to get your tech news. Who are your favorite writers? Your favorite newsletters? Any RSS feed collections you love? It’s as easy as hitting “REPLY” to this email, or by sending an email to “linuxforeveryone@pm.me”

BY REQUEST: PHOTOS FROM CROATIA

Matthew emailed me (like you can) and said:

I know you’re working hard for the community. Thank you. I wanted to respond and let you know that I look forward to the newsletters. It’s a pleasant break from the bleak news cycle. I would love if you could sometimes include some pictures of Croatia at the end of your newsletter every once in a while. I’d never really thought about visiting Croatia but after hearing you talk about it and seeing some pictures. The place seems amazing. It’s on my bucket list now. I hope the community continues to grow!

Wish enthusiastically granted, my friend! Last week Lana and I escaped to the Istria (Premantura specifically) for a short Easter break, and we were yet again reminded how achingly beautiful this country is.

What stands out the most is how many elements of nature come together in one small area. Natural rock formations, lush forest, see-through sea.

Here are some of my favorite photos from last week.

Njive beach inside Kamenjak. Lana shot this one. Can you spot me?

The same beach later in the day, just as the sun dipped into the sea. Shot by Lana.

There was something fascinating about seeing this giant tree trunk on the shore.

The entrance to Safari Bar... but Safari bar deserves its own issue :D

Thank you for being here, for reading, for engaging.

This newsletter will always be free. You can support it or all things Linux For Everyone via Patreon. Or you can just buy me a cup of coffee.

Take care my wonderful Waddle. And take care of each other!

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By Jason Evangelho

Linux, gaming and tech conversations for everyday people. Delivered to your inbox with a heavy dose of storytelling and fun!

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