BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[briantrumpet]

Vaguely interesting thoughts from Dan Snow...

 

[Pblakeney]

Vaguely interesting thoughts from Dan Snow...

View attachment 10175

I agree with those thoughts.
The conclusion won't be cheap though. Then again, are US weapons cheap and/or value for money? I doubt it.

 

[briantrumpet]

I agree with those thoughts.
The conclusion won't be cheap though. Then again, are US weapons cheap and/or value for money? I doubt it.

The other consequence is that a big chunk of the US economy is centred on the military and arms, so the only way to replace the demand would be to turn them onto their own population.

Oh.

 

[briantrumpet]

So, who's going to switch off their ad-blockers to keep free access to FB/Insta, and who's going to pay?

They are avoiding the choice in the EU, because they told Meta to bog off.

https://www.theverge.com/news/786313/meta-pay-or-consent-uk

I guess I'll probably convert some of my Meta income back into subscription, given it will help keep it as a tax loss.

Meta is bringing its “pay or consent” ad model to the UK after months of wrangling with regulators over the controversial policy. The update will force Instagram and Facebook users to pick between being served up personalized ads or shelling out for monthly subscriptions to ad-free versions.

Subscriptions start at £2.99 a month, around $4, for users logging in over the web, Meta said. Android and iOS users face steeper charges of £3.99 a month, around $5.33. Meta blames this on “the fees that Apple and Google charge.”

It’s an all or nothing approach, with users forced to either subscribe on all accounts or none. Each additional account garners another fee of either £2 or £3 a month.
Meta was forced to walk back a similar model in Europe after regulators there slammed the “binary choice” it offered users. Meta warned users they faced a “materially worse” experience as a result. The fees were significantly more expensive there than in the UK, starting at €9.99 per month when purchased on the web or €12.99 per month if purchased through Google’s or Apple’s app stores, around $11.67 and $15.17, respectively.

 

[matticus]

Facebook is frustrating ... I long ago realised how sh1te it is, but there are so many organisations that use it as sole news feed that I almost "need" it!

(example: local cyclocross league - yes, really! - puts almost all information, league results etc on there, as well as all the chat being there. aaaaargh!)

And when they move (because everyone hates facebook) it's usually some terrible idea like Instagram or Whatsapp
aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

 

[briantrumpet]

Interesting...

 

[briantrumpet]

Facebook is frustrating ... I long ago realised how sh1te it is, but there are so many organisations that use it as sole news feed that I almost "need" it!

(example: local cyclocross league - yes, really! - puts almost all information, league results etc on there, as well as all the chat being there. aaaaargh!)

And when they move (because everyone hates facebook) it's usually some terrible idea like Instagram or Whatsapp
aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

Yep indeed. It's going to be a dilemma, as FB becomes almost unusable when you don't block the ads, which is what they are relying on to turn people into paying $ubscribers. I guess that Zuckerberg isn't rich enough yet.

 

[Ian H]

Interesting...

View attachment 10177

Ah yes, he came up on Ancestry the other day - 4th cousin many times removed.

 

[First Aspect]

Is it just me or does that look like Homer Simpson?

 

[PurplePenguin]

So, who's going to switch off their ad-blockers to keep free access to FB/Insta, and who's going to pay?

They are avoiding the choice in the EU, because they told Meta to bog off.

https://www.theverge.com/news/786313/meta-pay-or-consent-uk

I guess I'll probably convert some of my Meta income back into subscription, given it will help keep it as a tax loss.

Have you tried to use the browser Brave? It often seems to get around these things.

 

[briantrumpet]

Is it just me or does that look like Homer Simpson?

I thought the likeness was more MAGA-ish.

 

[briantrumpet]

Have you tried to use the browser Brave? It often seems to get around these things.

No, but maybe worth a go, thanks. Though I suspect that Meta will have a way of seeing if ads are getting through.

 

[PurplePenguin]

No, but maybe worth a go, thanks. Though I suspect that Meta will have a way of seeing if ads are getting through.

I don't really get how it works, but it seems to.

 

[briantrumpet]

I don't really get how it works, but it seems to.

I think the crunch will come when the stark choice is offered. Currently Chrome with adblockers works fine on FB, but other websites (usually journals and newspapers) say "accept all ads or trackers, or subscribe", so I'd expect FB to go down that route when they change the terms.

 

[Pblakeney]

I think the crunch will come when the stark choice is offered. Currently Chrome with adblockers works fine on FB, but other websites (usually journals and newspapers) say "accept all ads or trackers, or subscribe", so I'd expect FB to go down that route when they change the terms.

I think you’ve finally found the problem I have with watching Discovery+ on my laptop. It’s the only device with ad blockers.
Ah well. Apologies for the diversion.