Technology, Freedom of Speech, and Rush Limbaugh
One of the great pillars of modern liberal democracy is its protection of the right to free expression. The first act of any authoritarian government will be to censor critical voices: the Chinese Communist Party thus exercises ever-tightening control over both legacy media and the internet; Putin has put all
Fake News and Conspiracy Theories
We are at a very dangerous and unprecedented point in American politics today. As noted in my last post, something strange has happened to the Republican Party. It has been shifting from a party built around ideology and ideas, to one that resembles a cult of personality focused on one
Why You Should Also Switch to Linux
In my last post, I explained why it’s a good idea to build your own PC, rather than use a Mac. I would go further than this, though: I would build a PC, and install Ubuntu or Debian or some other major Linux distribution on it rather than the
Why Everyone Should Build Their Own PC and Stop Using Macs
I’ve long felt the same way about personal computers that Matt Crawford feels about cars: it is important to build your own PC so that you can have more control over a technology that you use every day. I have been building my own PCs since the mid-1990s, when
Technology and Autonomy
I am beginning this blog primarily in order to write about technology. Like everyone else in the modern world, I make extensive use of technology, even when doing things that don’t seem tech-related like woodworking. Beyond that, though, I’ve gotten deep into a number of technologies as a
Constraints
Over the past few weeks I’ve been teaching myself how to use Autodesk’s Fusion 360. Fusion 360 is an amazing software package written primarily for mechanical engineers. It incorporates a CAD (computer assisted design) program for making drawings of anything from a small screw to a giant imaginary
