Privacy Policy

This policy was last updated on 2 August 2018

Sarcasm

Your privacy is important to you. As such, you should take proper precautions to ensure you protect your privacy. With that said, I personally respect your privacy and don't care to track you or anything you do. I just want to have a blog and say stuff that is meaningful to me. I don't harvest email addresses or cookie data or anything. To be honest, I don't care if you comment or don't comment. I write the things that are important to me. If you have any concerns that somehow, someway, in some alternate reality I am violating your personal privacy, then go away and don't view my blog. I'm not your father and I'm not responsible for any irresponsible browsing habits you may have. This is the Internet in 2018. There are cookies. There is tracking. I have nothing to do with it.

Privacy Notice

So then, the policy below is considered to be legally required in the EU nanny state because God forbid, people should browse the Internet and - gasp - have a cookie track their session. But I will follow the rules and post this privacy policy. The text below outlines how your personal information is collected in the shadows of a monstrous search engine that I have no clue about when, where, and how it does this. I can tell you how it is used when you when you access my blog: it's only used by whatever Google does. I don't use it, don't want it, and don't care.

So, the use of this blog site and reading it constitutes consent to whatever Google has to do to make it work. If you disagree with this, then opt out.

How do you opt out? Like this:

To be clear, you agree to the terms of this policy when you use this website. This privacy policy may change from time to time. If any changes are made, then you will be notified by the revised date at the top of this policy. The only foreseen changes are to make it more sarcastic. If that offends you, good. I don't care.

Who I Am

I am Kevin Farley and go by the pseudonyms sixdrift and neuronstatic from time to time. I started that long ago. So long ago, I don't know when it was. This blog was started in 2005 and is based in rural America where I don't give a flying flip about EU regulations except I don't want some pansy getting all stupid that I might harvest their email address and pitch a hissy fit. This website is a blog about stuff that I am interested in.

Here in the US, I can say pretty much anything I want because we have free speech and we use it. If you find anything offensive or hateful, see above how to opt out and do so. if you leave a nasty comment, I'll just delete it to protect your privacy.

So what will you find here? Thoughts on technology, operating systems, Linux, open source, philosophy, religion, parenting, morality, immorality, firearms - ooh, yeah, I went there - and anything else that I have a notion to post. My blog address is: https://sixdrift.blogspot.com/

Parental Consent

If you are under 16 years old, you must first have parental permission before accessing this blog or providing any personal information. If you are under 16, I seriously doubt you are reading my blog. If you do, you must be a free thinker. Good for you.

What Personal Data I Collect and Why?

None.

I do not share or sell your information to anyone. I have no affiliates, partners or advertisers that I share your information with. Google collects the data that enables our blog to run and they may have ads on the blog. Wooh! So scary. The following is the information collected by Google on and what we use the data for.

Cookies

The site makes use of cookies from Google to deliver services and to analyze traffic. Your IP address and user agent are shared with Google, together with performance and security metrics, to ensure quality of service, generate usage statistics and to detect and address abuse. You can also find more information about privacy, data, and security here: http://privacy.google.com/privacy.google.com or by visiting Google's Privacy Policy.

Comments

Love a post and want to comment? Leaving a comment is a great way to do that. I love hearing from you and love your feedback - rolls eyes. If you choose to leave a comment - and that is totally your choice - you have the option of commenting anonymously or including your name. Note that if you type in your name and the comment is approved, your name can be seen publicly. If you are signed in with Google and comment under your account (signed in as you) then your name and profile photo can be seen publicly. Your email address is never shared or disclosed to me.

Got that? You do those things. If you comment, you consent to public disclosure of the comment because that's how the Internet works.

It is recommended that you do not leave detailed personal information in your comments. Seriously. Why would you? That's just stupid. Refer to the first paragraph of this privacy policy.

Comments are moderated and will be published as soon as possible if approved. Any comments deemed as inappropriate, threatening, profane, or spam will not be approved. Or if I simply don't like it, it will be deleted while I laugh maniacally at your pitiful attempt to usurp my blog.

Contact form

I don't even think I have a contact form, but just in case Google does and some fool accidentally clicks on it and fills it in, this is what to expect:

The contact form is a great way to do that, I love hearing feedback and hearing from you - not really. If you choose to use the contact form, the name you type in and your email address will be sent to me along with your message. I will only use the email you have given to reply back to you. I never share your email address or disclose it to any other company or spam you with emails. This is a Blogger thing and covered under the Google privacy policy. You can also find more information about privacy, data, and security here: http://privacy.google.com/privacy.google.com or by visiting Google's Privacy Policy.

Location

Google collects information about your location (what country you are in) using cookies. This enables me to see what countries my audience is from. That's so the easily offended and scared in EU countries get an automatic notice that a cookie might be obtained.

Browser and Operating system information

Google collects device and browser information through the cookies it uses. Browser and operating system information enables them to see which browsers and operating systems are represented. This is used for statistics and allows Google to resolve issues when anyone has issues connecting to the site.

If your operating system shows up as something other than Linux, you should disconnect from the Internet immediately and shoot your computer. Get another one, the old one is beyond salvation, and install Linux. Or get a brand new Linux computer from https://system76.com/ and enjoy a much safer computing experience.

Or get a Chromebook and be safer still.

Referring URL

The referrer URL is provided by the computer accessing the blog page which includes the IP address of your computer and the URL of this blog site. This enables Blogger to send the content of my blog to your computer to allow you to view my blog's content. From the referrer URL, Blogger creates a server activity record which includes your IP address and the URL of my blog. The server activity record is displayed in my statistics. I use this information to see what websites my traffic is coming from and to see how many views posts or articles have had. This enables me to work out the needs of my visitors and what articles they are interested in so I can write more articles like these.

HAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, I don't look at them but it sounds cool.

Advertisements On My Blog

To support this website, third-party advertisements may be used in the future. I currently run no advertisements but reserve the right to do so in the future.

Social Media Privacy

I use various social media platforms. I am not responsible for what you post on any of my social media channels. That's all on you, baby!

Google+ Follow

You can choose to follow me by using Google+ follow. I do post to Google+ from time to time and you can follow me which enables you to stay up to date with my blog posts. This also enables me to see visitors that are interested in my blog. I can see that you are following and your profile photo information which is public. I can also see which blogs you follow. This magic is brought to you by the information that is collected by Google.

Links to other websites

I may have links to other websites. As such, I am not responsible for the privacy policies of other websites or the third party applications it uses.

Updates

This privacy policy may change from time to time. If any changes are made, then you will figure it out if you choose to click on this privacy policy and happen to notice the old date of the last update you remember and the new date of the latest update are different. Yeah, it's a stretch. Keep track of it. It's up to you, not me.

More information

You can also find more information about privacy, data, and security here: http://privacy.google.com/privacy.google.com or by visiting Google's Privacy Policy.

Final Note

You have the right to access your personal data and know how it is being processed. Hopefully, the policy above adequately explains how your data is used.

Personal information will not be transferred unless I am legally obligated to do so. You are entitled to receive personal data so that they can be used by another processor. You can request to be removed at any time and you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. If you would like information to be removed from my systems, please contact kfarley@gmail.com.

Final Final Note

I don't care about your feelings. I don't care if you are offended. I don't care if you feel that I said something hurtful. And, I don't care that you disagree with me. You see, this is my blog and represents my thought flow. I am under no obligation to cater to your sensitivities. If you find this difficult to deal with, go find a safe space and stay off my blog.

Questions and Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns please contact with my email address: kfarley@gmail.com

Fonts

I've been watching a number of videos of people experimenting with Linux, my favorite operating system. A lot of those videos have been specifically related to single board computers. We simply call them SBCs.

If you are into technology, then you've no doubt heard of the Raspberry Pi, currently one of the lowest cost and most popular SBCs for hobbyists, professionals, and those just dabbling in technology. Basically, these computers contain everything needed for a complete desktop computer in a tiny package about the size of a pack of playing cards. All that you need to add is a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

In almost all cases, the operating system of choice on an SBC is Linux. There are some running an embedded version of Windows, but that is the exception and not the norm. So naturally, when someone is creating a video to demonstrate the performance and abilities of these little machines, they load the vendor's preferred version of Linux or one that was created for the SBC.

Are you with me so far?

Anyway, all is good. They load Linux on the SBC to test it out. In almost all cases, the preferred version of Linux has a desktop environment so you can use the SBC just like your desktop. You login with a username and password and access graphical applications.

It seems that many times when this is done for a demonstration in a video, a comment is made about the lack of Microsoft fonts on the SBC. More specifically, fonts like Verdana, Times New Roman, Calibri, and Comic Sans. They cite this as a disadvantage and a criticism. 

Now, the better of these content providers know and show how easy it is to add Microsoft fonts to your Linux computer. In fact, it is extremely simple to add fonts to Linux.

But I have to ask, why add the Microsoft fonts to Linux in the first place?

Some will argue that it is needed for document compatibility. I submit that is invalid. Linux has equivalent fonts and most software, like LibreOffice and AbiWord, are pretty good at figuring out which equivalent to use. So you get the same look and feel of the document.

I can see the point that for ultimate compatibility, people want Microsoft fonts. I offer the counter-point that people could use open fonts that are not licensed by Microsoft instead.

Font availability is superb on Linux. Any TTF fonts you can find will work. Furthermore, some of those actually look a little better than the Microsoft version.

What's my point?

Saying "Microsoft fonts aren't available on Linux by default" isn't a criticism. Or at least, not one that should ever be a credible reason to avoid Linux. If you're that hung up on font selections, you probably have a lot of other requirements for your software that would eliminate Linux simply for the availability of your favorite commercial proprietary software that only runs on Windows (and maybe MacOS).

Don't get hung up on fonts. Be free from worrying about them too much.

---

Did you know I like to write: The Trillborne Wife, Policy, Some Reason, and Fractured Unity.

Facebook Author Page

Why Do You Need A Computer?

Why do you need a computer? This is a serious question. I've asked a number of people over time and they give me all sorts of reasons. Some of them are obvious and others are dubious at best. Clearly, it's getting difficult to navigate modern America without access to some kind of computer. It's still possible, but that is changing.

Note that I'm not talking about needing a smartphone. The line between smartphone and computer has blurred considerably in the past few years. I personally use a phone more advanced and more powerful than thousands upon thousands of Americans' computers. I'm talking about an actual non-phone computer, be it a laptop or desktop.

So what are the reasons usually for needing a computer? This is a partial list of the most common ones. I tried to rank it in order of most mentioned to least mentioned but I make no promises.

• e-mail
  
• games
• social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• work
• YouTube/online video
• Google
• online shopping
• paying bills
• banking
• Internet TV
• e-book reader
• writing/journaling

Those are the responses I get most of the time. There are others including the more forward types who answer with honesty and list "porn" as one of their main criteria. We can just leave that in the "online video" category and avoid it for now. However, those are the main ones.

Now, given that list, how many of those activities do not require an Internet connection? Basically just one: games. There are a lot of online games and MMOs that require Internet connections, but you can still buy a large number of games that you can play and enjoy without any Internet connection at all.

What does that mean then? Well, it could mean a lot of things, but one that stands out is that people generally need a computer for just one of three purposes:

• work
• Internet access
• games

Clearly, the work requirement is a big one and results in a lot of requirements for the type and power of computer you would need. For the sake of argument, let's set aside the work computer requirement for the moment and look at the other two.

Computer games have become increasingly complex and require hefty CPUs, graphics chips, and memory just to maintain decent frame rates. Note that we are not talking about games like Solitaire, Candy Crush, and Temple Run in this category of games. We're talking about major video game releases that tax even the most robust computers when running. So once again for the sake of argument, let's set aside the video game requirement.

What does that leave us with? Internet access. 

So what are we talking about when it comes to using a computer for Internet access? Well, most of that original list. That's what we're talking about.

So do you need a computer? I would think that nearly everyone needs some kind of computer in this day and age. That could be a laptop, desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Whatever it is, you need one.

Now, I ask you again. Do you actually need a personal computer?

That depends on our tech skills and abilities. Are you comfortable using virtual keyboards on tablets and phones? Do you need simple portability? Do you need larger displays either because you need to see lots of stuff at once or your eyes are a little less than they used to be and you need to make things larger?

Consider all those things and if you decide you need a laptop or desktop computer or can you get by with a tablet or phone. If you need that personal computer, may I offer a suggestion? Keep it simple.

You see, most laptops and desktops these days run Windows of some kind. That means you are in a perpetual cycle of software updates, anti-virus updates, security updates, the inevitable virus infection, and your computer simply locking up. Mac users get that smug look off your face because you face the same things as well. Anti-virus software is needed on your Macs and yes, from several years of experience, I know that Macs can and will lock up or become corrupted.

Let's add to this the problem of how you back up your data. You see it's not a matter of if your computer's main storage (think hard disk) will become corrupted, it's a matter of when. It will eventually happen and you don't want to lose all those digital images you take simply because no one owns film cameras anymore. You also don't want to lose that family recipe for rum cake, that old email from a significant other, or your school thesis project.

Why have I set the stage as I have? What is my point?

It's simple really. If you need a personal computer and you are not a gamer and you need Internet access, you need a Chromebook.

What is a Chromebook you ask? It's simple. A Chromebook is a laptop of a different breed. Instead of Windows 10 or MacOS, Chromebooks run Google's Chrome OS which is based on the Linux operating system. These machines are designed to be used primarily while connected to the Internet, with most applications and documents living in the cloud. That being said, they continue to operate when not connected to the Internet and have local storage. However, the local aspect is secondary to the connected aspect.

What can you do with a Chromebook?

• e-mail
  
• social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  
• YouTube/online video
  
• Google
• online shopping
• paying bills
• banking
• Internet TV
• e-book reader
• writing/journaling

Basically everything you would typically say you need a computer for except for work and games.

Also with a Chromebook, you never have to worry about updates, about anti-virus, about virus infections, or about disk crashes. If that wasn't cause enough to celebrate, here are most of the benefits given in the following list:

• very fast boot times, usually anywhere from 6 to 10 seconds
• automatic system updates without the impact of Windows updates taking tens of minutes
• immune to viruses because you can't modify the operating system on the machine
• access to the Internet via Chrome browser that always stays up to date
• can view and play all standard Internet document and file formats
• full suite of typical office tools including document publishing, spreadsheets, presentation generation, drawing, image manipulation, etc.
• everything is backed up to the cloud, it never loses data
• simple to use, simple to administer, simple to maintain

And finally, I saved what may be the best for last: price. 

Chromebooks generally use fewer resources than traditional laptops and that means they can be made at a lower cost. That means you can buy them at a lower cost. That does not mean they skimp on the materials, parts, or workmanship. I have a Chromebook that cost about $500 that has an aluminum body, touchscreen, and the best keyboard I've ever used on any laptop with any operating system.

For comparison, a $500 traditional laptop is kind of on the lower end of the middle of the pack for traditional laptops. But for Chromebooks, $500 is on the expensive end of the spectrum and represents a high quality and high power laptop.

So, why did I write this?

I've been working on restoring some laptops lately and trying to help people get a computer to use when they don't have much money to spare. Because of that, I felt this is the kind of public service announcement people with modest incomes need. Everyone needs to understand that if you aren't a graphics artist, video editor, or music composer, you don't need a full priced traditional laptop.

Instead, you need a computer on the Internet. You need a Chromebook.

Wild dogs of Wake Forest

The Dinner Fight

Picking a place for dinner is never an easy task with two young sons who constantly disagree over where to go. This was especially true for Tom and his boys, Roger and Dennis.Tom liked to take his boys out to a restaurant each Sunday after church. And nearly every time there was an argument.

Most of the time, Dennis ended up crying. They almost always settled on something Dennis liked because he usually threw the biggest fit. Roger could be a pain too, no doubt. But, it was Dennis that usually ended up crying and screaming despite being old enough to know better.

On a recent Sunday, Tom asked Connie to join them for lunch. Connie and Tom were friends and she agreed. After church, Connie arrived at Tom's house and they all talked about which restaurant to go to.

"What about Olive Garden?" Tom asked. "I know we all like it and we haven't been there in a while."

"Sure," Roger agreed. "That's okay with me. I'm getting spaghetti!"

"Cool," Tom said. "Is the OG okay with you, Connie?"

Connie nodded. "Sure. I have no prefernce."

"I hate Olive Garden!" Dennis cried. "They don't have hamburgers!"

"Dennis," Tom started. "Having hamburgers and fries all the time isn't really good for you. Come on. You like spaghetti and you know it."

"I hate spaghetti!" Dennis lied. "I want to go to McDonald's!"

"I honestly don't mind if we do that," Connie said. "I don't have a preference."

"Dad! I don't want to go to McDonald's. I don't like it," Roger moaned.

"Okay, how about Julio's?" Tom offered.

"Sure," Roger answered.

"No! I hate Julio's!" Dennis wailed.

Tom pursed his lips and looked at each of his boys. "Okay, then. I see where this is going and I don't want to have another argument. Roger, Dennis, suggest alternatives."

"How about Chili's?" Roger asked. "They have hamburgers and I can get fajitas."

"That sounds fine. What about it Dennis?" Tom asked.

Dennis folded his arms over his chest and dug his heels in. "I want McDonald's! I won't go anywhere else but McDonald's!"

"Tom, it's okay to go to McDonald's," Connie offered. "I really don't mind. Like I said, I don't have a preference."

"Dennis, I don't want to go to McDonald's and Roger doesn't want to go to McDonald's. Your brother offered an alternative. So, I want you to suggest someplace else you'd like to eat."

"I don't want any place else! If we don't go to McDonald's I'm not eating! I'm sitting right here! You can't make me go."

Tom was getting upset and Roger was frustrated. Connie sat quietly and said nothing. The simple task of deciding on a restaurant was rapidly expanding into a full meltdown for Dennis.

"Dennis, why do you want to go to McDonald's?" Tom asked.

"I told you! I want a hamburger!"

"But there are other places to get hamburgers," Tom chided. "Since you don't want OG or Chili's, how about the Ale House? They have really good burgers."

"He just wants a Happy Meal with a free toy!" Roger sneered. "That's the only reason he likes it. You know he never eats all of his hamburger anyway!"

"That's not true!" Dennis wailed. "You just never do anything I want to do!"

"We always do what you want, you big baby!" Roger yelled.

"Alright, boys. That's enough," Tom said with mounting frustration. "Dennis, Roger's right. You always cry and scream to get your way. It's time to compromise. Suggest someplace else. We're not going to McDonalds's!"

"Fine!" Roger shouted. "If you want a hamburger so much, let's go to Burger King!"

"No!" Dennis screamed while stomping his feet. "I only want McDonald's!"

"Dennis, there's no reason to get this worked up. Let's just agree on something we can all enjoy and try to get along," Tom said attempting to reason with Dennis who was already in full tantrum mode.

Tom and Roger were frustrated as usual. When Dennis did this, he made life miserable for everyone. Connie was uncomfortable being there.

"Tom," Connie interjected. "It's okay wherever we go. So why not compromise and go to McDonald's?"

Tom was even more frustrated. Connie wasn't helping. She was only encouraging Dennis to be more of a tyrant.

"Let me guess," Tom said knowingly. "You have no preference. Right?"

Connie's eyes drew down. "You know, what? I think I should just be going."

"Fine. Sorry, today didn't work out. You know how Dennis can be," Tom said.

"I suppose. Then again, you didn't exactly try to work with him," Connie said before leaving to the sounds of Roger yelling at Dennis and Dennis crying and throwing himself on the floor in a tantrum.

The next day, Connie was having lunch with some coworkers.

After talking about work and other things, Mary pushed salad greens around on her plate as she thought out her question. "So, how did lunch go with Tom yesterday?"

"It didn't," Connie lamented. "They couldn't agree on a place to go. As far as I know, they didn't go anywhere."

"Wow. Those boys are a handful. Especially Roger. He's always trying to get his way," Alyssa added.

Mary nodded. "Tell me about it! And Tom is such a tyrant. He never bends on anything. It's his way or the highway."

"What happened?" Fran asked.

"Oh, the same," Connie sighed. "They tried to decide on a place to eat and none of them would compromise. Tom suggested Olive Garden, but Dennis wanted McDonald's. It degraded from there."

"That's usually how it is with Tom," Mary said smirking.

"Yeah, and Roger suggested a couple other places that Tom was fine with but none of them would agree to McDonald's for Dennis' sake. They completely wouldn't compromise."

Fran's face pulled into confusion. "Wait. Tom and Roger offered alternatives and Dennis didn't. It sounds like Dennis was the one not compromising."

Connie, Mary, and Alyssa stared at Fran.

"Clearly you don't know the meaning of the word compromise," Mary said. "This is all Tom's fault.

Exasperated, Fran blurted out, "But, Dennis was the one not willing to compromise. Surely you see that?"

"You don't understand kids and parenting, do you?" Connie said. "Tom and Roger were just being difficult. If they didn't go out for lunch yesterday, it's their fault."

"That's right," Mary and Alyssia agreed.

"Clearly, you three are morons," Fran said and picked up her check to leave.

Did you know I like to write: The Trillborne Wife, Policy, Some Reason, and Fractured Unity.