Category: Technology

LEAVING GOOGLE WORKSPACE

I’ve exported all my Google emails in .mbox format and threw them into my Apple Mail app, which I don’t ever use, but it’ll be there for safekeeping (and easy searching).

I’ve exported all my Google Drive docs as xls and doc files. Anything shared with clients and such, I told them to make a copy so they own it.

I’ve been changing a lot of emails I use for services away from this account, so if anything happens when I transfer my MX records, it won’t matter so much.

I think I’ll do that this weekend – copy all my existing MX records from my DNS host. Then update the new info from Fastmail, so all those emails go into my existing account. I don’t get a lot of emails at this “work” account, so it’ll be fine.

I have a Gmail account I can use if I need to view / share Google Docs or Sheets.

Email is taken care of.

Those are literally the two things I used Google Workspace for. Years ago I worked with some VAs, and they needed email accounts with my business, and that worked out well. But hey, Google Workspace is like $7/mo now, for something that I don’t really need. It’s going up to $8.40/mo for all this new AI bullshit that I really don’t need, so whatever.

The $100 I save per year can buy some groceries, which is lot more useful than the garbage AI that Google is pushing.

IMMEDIACY IS KING

I love the idea of having a blog that you update on occasion, more often than social media.

Those platforms made is so that every time you post something, something happens – usually a like. Then a comment.

When you post on your blog, the reaction isn’t quite so quick. Or sending a newsletter. The feedback loop is longer, and the social media platform makers knew this.

Make their product light up when you post something. Make it as simple as possible to post a video, go live, five photos. Try doing that with most apps for modern blogging platforms or website builders.

GIVE FANS A CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

Let people get lost in your world.

If you’re an artist, and you’re shoveling everything onto social media, you’re missing the fuck out.

Every smart phone ships with a web browser.

Not everyone has a Facebook account anymore in 2025.

No one in the U.S. can install TikTok right now.

People are ditching Instagram and Twitter because of reasons.

You might not realize this, but some people fucking love music.

Like, that get band names and lyrics tattooed on their bodies. They wear nothing but band shirts. They dig through bins at record shops. They go to shows on Tuesday night.

The people who just load up automated playlists? Those aren’t your people.

Give people who discover you the ability to fall in fucking love with what you do.

If people find your music on YouTube, or Spotify, or Bandcamp, they can click on a URL and be on your website.

But if you website is just everything you already have on YouTube, and Spotify (a bunch of embeds), and a link to Bandsintown, well, what’s the point?

Wow, news and offers, huh? Sounds thrilling.

People still buy vinyl and CDs and cassettes. Yeah, a lot of people stream music these days, too, but fuck them.

Let people fall in love with you.

Give me a fucking bio. Where are you even from? What other bands were you in?

Stop posting every god damn bit of promo, behind the scenes, and assorted other photos on social media platforms and put that shit on your website.

Let people fall into your world and get lost in how damn cool you are.

Uploading all your cool vibes and good taste to fucking Facebook? In 2025? For 96% of your “followers” to never see?

In this economy?

GOOGLE AI WEAPONS ARE THE RIGHT THING, APPARENTLY

Google changed it’s motto from “Don’t be evil” to “Do the right thing” in 2015. And now a decade later the “right thing” has taken quite a turn.

“Google on Tuesday updated its ethical guidelines around artificial intelligence, removing commitments not to apply the technology to weapons or surveillance.”

I’m so glad to be moving away from all Google Products this year.

(From the Washington Post, via Hacker News)

“I understand that Gmail is trying to make the product more user friendly, but I think it’s making some questionable decisions without the user’s knowledge. And unlike some email clients that allow users to choose whether to include contact names when sending, Gmail enforces this behavior with no setting to disable it.”

Maybe you wanna check your CONTACT NAMES in Gmail. Yikes. Read more here.

LISTENING WITHOUT A STREAMING SERVICE

Since cancelling my YouTube Premium subscription, I’ve had to find alternative ways to listen to my ambient music for work and sleep. Thankfully Focus Soundscapes isn’t just on YouTube, but they’re also on Bandcamp.

I don’t have a membership to Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music now either, so last night’s run on the treadmill was a challenge. Thankfully the Bandcamp app did the trick, and I was able to pull up the albums I’ve purchased over the years and continue running.

Now I need to find a straight MP3 player app for my iPhone, or maybe look into a dedicated MP3 player that isn’t tied to the Apple iOS ecosystem. Man, I just want to plug things in and move files around, you know?

1,000 DISPLAY ADS

We’re in 2025 and websites are still jamming as many ads as possible onto every nook and cranny. There are eight display ads on this one page, every three paragraphs.

Absolutely boggles the mind that this is the best we’ve come up with, the only way we can make it work.

Consider 1,000 true fans? Fuck no, how about 1,000 display ads? That’s all this is.