That icon didn’t exist on Piefed on Safari on a Mac for this post when I was trying initially. After cross posting using Voyager on an iPhone, the icon is visible on the mobile version of the site. It shows that’s it’s been cross posted.

No worries, done. I couldn’t see a way to crosspost from Piefed on the web, but Voyager on iOS seemed to let me do it no problem.

How the grass at my house is currently looking

If you’ve got a VPN, just install that on your Apple TV. Google doesn’t show ads in certain countries (the list is Googleable). That was an absolute game changer for me.

I use an Apple TV, but I assume it’s the same as any other streaming box or appropriate smart TV.

The absolute piece-of-piss way to block all YouTube ads on it is to install a VPN like Proton, choose a relevant country (easily googleable), and there will be no ads whatsoever in YouTube.

Google doesn’t serve ads on YouTube in a handful of countries.

Yeah, no doubt.

The technical implementation, or the law itself?

Not a single word in this rant has any relevance to my comment.

Mixed feelings about this.

However, ethical questions aside, and from a purely legal conformation standpoint, if the phone validates the user is over 18 and passes only that info as a token to whatever application or website requests it, then it’s a good implementation. It means elimination of multiple validation requirements, minimal transfer of data to third parties, fewer sources holding personal data, etc. Whether it works that way remains to be seen.

Ha yeah, very good point. Reminds me of Lego. The entertainment is mostly in the building. Once complete, it’s mostly untouched.

I had a similar Ubuntu experience in the Windows XP years too (2006ish?).

Everything had a barrier. WiFi drivers always seemed to be a problem, but if I wanted to do anything non-standard it was an exercise in frustration. At one point I owned a Sony digital camcorder that I wanted to get video files from. Eventually, following hours of forum research I learned I had to recompile the kernel to do it, which did actually get me there. To this day I have no idea what a kernel is, and I have no desire to. I remember thinking how wildly complex it was to do something that worked so easily in Windows. 

Entirely off topic and potentially triggering anecdote when accounting for Linux’s general prevalence here, but that wasn’t what turned me back to Windows from Ubuntu 20 years ago, it was actually something that most would could consider a positive for Linux. It was the fact that it was so customisable. I had weird multiple desktops that were mapped to a rotatable cube, I spent ages configuring translucent live performance stats on the desktop, hours updating icons and themes etc, whatever I saw on forums that looked cool and wanted to replicate. 

Then one day I acknowledged I just wasn’t ever actually using the computer. I literally spent more time modifying and customising stuff than I did actually doing anything. I realised I was never satisfied with the current config and just kept tweaking.

It’s probably not surprising to hear I’ve since been fully into the almost entirely un-customisable Apple ecosystem for a while now. While it’s taken my money, it’s given me back my time!

Absolutely wild that there was a time when Microsoft had three generally well regarded consumer products in Windows 7, the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7 all at the same time, compared to where they are now in all of those product spaces.

Windows was Windows, but 7 was largely consistent and didn’t need to be fought with like its successors.

The 360 was the go-to console for developers and gamers, despite the RROD issues, which I’d even give them credit for for handling (eventually) after lots of us got 2 free games and a free controller from them following the debacle.

Windows Phone 7 had a superb interface, great hardware and genuinely stood out.

Now they have nothing and are hated more than ever.

In the 2010s I had a Windows Phone which I thought was amazing. I bought the original Surface Pro too, because at the time I thought it was incredible. A full operating system in a tablet form factor that was incredibly fast and touch screen.

In the IT office I worked in, we had a dartboard. It was great for just stepping away from your desk if a problem had stumped you, throwing a few darts to take a break, and inevitably the answer would come to you. It was our rubber duck.

Trouble was, all of us were terrible at the basic maths involved with darts matches. So I thought, what if we mounted the Surface to the wall, and could just tap where the dart had hit, and get scores instantly.

So I wrote this darts score-keeping app that worked on everything from Windows Phones to tablets, and even an Xbox at one point, thanks to the way Microsoft had implemented their cross-device app deployment.

We used it every day in the office. I think in 10 years it’s sold about 3 copies.

Lovely Darts

Which is essentially where we are now. Multiple services providing age verification on a per-site basis.

I’d recommend Googling “device-based age verification” to get more information. I’m not here to convince you of anything.

You’re welcome to Google “device-based age verification” to get any answers you need, from wiser minds than mine.

No, I don’t know where you’ve got that idea from.

No, the site wouldn’t know the account, it’s the device providing the verification.

I think it’s worth remembering that this is a suggestion, and not even originally mine. If you’re happier to use the current multitude of age verification services that differ on a per-site basis, with all the security vulnerabilities, risk, and inconvenience that entails, then feel free. Or bypass them using the methods suggested.

I’m literally just providing a better technical solution than has been implemented. What I’m not suggesting is “this is the answer to everyone’s problem”.

No you don’t, but like I say, I’m talking about the majority of users.

Again though, and I’m copying this from a previous response, I think it’s worth remembering that this is a suggestion, and not even originally mine. If you’re happier to use the current multitude of age verification services that differ on a per-site basis, with all the security vulnerabilities, risk, and inconvenience that entails, then feel free. Or bypass them using the methods suggested.

I’m literally just providing a better technical solution than has been implemented. What I’m not suggesting is “this is the answer to everyone’s problem”.

The difficulty you might end up with there is governments not permitting their age verification system for certain sites if they desired. Meaning even greater governmental control of what sites you can access.