Toying with the Darkside

Operation: Reconnaissance and Retreat

I've served on all fronts of the desktop operating system wars: MacOS, Windows, ChromeOS, and Linux. For most of my enlistment, however, I've been a loyal Linux user. I've valiantly carried the open-source torch, evangelized its gospel, and generally assured anyone who thought differently that their intelligence was likely compromised.

And look, I see the latest intelligence reports: it's supposedly the "Year of the Linux Desktop," Omarchy is operational, and System76 has launched the Cosmic Beta. Those are indeed awesome advances. But if I'm being brutally honest—and frankly, the truth needs to be spoken louder than any motivational parade—I no longer find Linux as stable as it once was. If I'm going to conduct an honest After Action Review (AAR), I find the performance of Windows to be significantly better overall. Yes, Windows. The very entity we've long painted as the bane of all things OpenSource. I know, a bitter pill to swallow for the good of the mission.

Shifting Priorities in the Communications Sector

Another area I’ve been conducting a personal assessment on is the entire perimeter of privacy services. For years, I’ve been locked and loaded with ProtonMail, Standard Notes, Ente, Signal, Proton Drive, and various other privacy- and encryption-friendly apps.

In general, these apps are a genuine pain in the arse. They execute their core mandate perfectly, but that commitment to security comes at the heavy cost of inter-operability and, more critically, widespread adoption. I’ve been on Signal for years, and I still only have contact with the same four people—a communications network about as robust as two tin cans and a string. It is nearly impossible to get others to fall in line and use it.

Proton Mail keeps my bills and junk mail safe from prying eyes, but I have yet to actually send an encrypted email—nor can I think of a single operational reason to. I am not a journalist, a freedom fighter, an activist, or any other high-value target that would genuinely require a deep-cover service. It turns out, my biggest threat is likely forgetting my own login credentials.

Mission Reroute: Prioritizing Convenience

So, what does this massive shift in strategy mean?

Well, for now, I'm executing a tactical retreat back to Windows. The main objective is to dive deep into Flutter Android development, and let's face it: my emulators simply work better in the Windows environment. They. Just. Work. No extra paperwork, no calling in favors, just seamless deployment.

Furthermore, since I'm playing with more Android development, I'm going deep into Google Services. At 52, most of my private data is already "out there"—there’s no hiding this troop movement. I’m trading the constant vigilance of a privacy warrior for a more comfortable retirement. I would much rather easily add a calendar event from my email and receive cool, smart notifications than worry about Big Brother intercepting my monthly electric bill.

This deployment may not last long. I have a known history of being easily distracted by shiny new equipment, especially anything in the Linux theatre that causes me to drop all my current orders and spend a week meticulously setting up my dotfiles.

But until the next crisis, we’ll stick to the current operational plan.

Cheers!