Linux Journal isn’t dead! I’m curious to see what the new publication is like.
Mozilla’s Thunderbird email client isn’t dead yet
Thunderbird is one of my favorite tools. It’s easy to customize, yet not overly-fiddly. It does one thing well (two, if you count its calendar). I’m glad Mozilla is keeping things rolling with Thunderbird. There have often been rumblings they were trying to bail on it.
Are you still using an RSS reader?
I’ve been public with my love of RSS (I even pay for my reader). One thing I never considered is that RSS allows me to consume news without any filter. It’s just a pure feed sorted chronologically. My reader doesn’t think about what I want to see. Instead, I think about that.
Looking back on the past few years, I really, really, really wish RSS had caught on more. I think we might be living in a different world.
Mint 18.3: The best Linux desktop takes big steps forward
If Mint had a GNOME-native spin, I might give it another look. It’s an interesting project I never really look at or think about anymore (and its security issues seem to have been addressed, which I also appreciate).
How to Ditch Apple Completely
I’m not sure going all-in on Google is the best solution to the challenges of the Apple eco-system. As Charles Schwab might say, it’s best to have a diverse technology portfolio.
Ubuntu 17.10: Return of the GNOME
My main desktop is Ubuntu GNOME 16.04, which I guess is now just Ubuntu. I think it’s great. The author of this article seems to think heavy-duty Unity users will have some trouble adjusting to GNOME. Maybe I wasn’t enough of a Unity power user, but it seems like a very easy transition to me. Unity is a failed experiment, but it did help give birth to MATE and Cinnamon, so some good things did come out of it.

Ten Apps I Paid for in 2017
Last year, I wrote about the seven apps that I pay for. I thought it might make a nice annual post, since things fall in and out of that list, and I think it’s always good to highlight products that are worth paying for.
Also, I know everyone has different financial constrains—especially this time of year—but if you do have some extra money, consider supporting a free and open source project that’s saved you money. My go-tos are Debian, KeePassX, and the Software Freedom Conservancy. For me, it’s a convenient way to give back to those communities (I also try and regularly donate to my beloved MetaFilter).
Here are the things I use and pay for (and that I think are worth paying for!):
- Fastmail: I wrote about why it’s great here. The service and uptime is amazing. It’s well worth the cost. I pay $35 a year on an old plan, but the new plans, which include more space, are $30 to $90 a year. If you depend upon email, you should pay for it.

- CalDav Sync: Fastmail comes with a great calendar. To sync it to your Android phone, you need CalDAV-Sync, which is around $3. It’s a small price to pay for a calendar that syncs almost instantly and that I never have to think about. Plus, it’s a one-time cost.
- WordPress.com: It powers this site. On the one hand, using the WordPress-hosted WordPress is pretty limiting. There are very few plug-ins and customizing can be tough. However, they have great support, I get to use the latest-and-greatest web interface, and I never have to worry about updating it. The fact that I don’t have to think about folder permissions makes it well-worth the $4 a month.
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NYTimes.com: I subscribe to the digital New York Times (which is also an app, which is why it’s on this list) because it’s important to support journalism you believe in. My academic institution actually provides free access and I still pay for a personal subscription. It’s not expensive and it helps me feel like I’m doing my part to make sure my government always has someone to answer to. Plus, if we don’t pay for publications we like, the publications tend to go away.
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The Athletic: This is a new sports site (and app!). It has nothing to do with Linux or technology. I just really enjoy their reporting. And I want to support alternatives to mega conglomerates, like ESPN, which aren’t always interested in reporting news, but instead seem more interested in generating clicks and revenue.
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Trello: I haven’t written about my use of Trello (although I touched on it here), mostly because I’m not using it in a particularly interesting way. I use it to keep lots of lists and for project management and it’s been great. My girlfriend and I used it to plan a housewarming and a move and it was amazing for that. I still use Google Keep for a digital junk drawer, but I use it less and less. I couldn’t tell you the difference between free Trello and Trello Gold, the paid tier. I just wanted to support a project I enjoy. And yes. I tried the various open source Trello alternatives, and they’re just not as good as Trello. Yet!

There’s also some of the same products from last year’s list:
- Remember the Milk: AKA, my brain.
- LastPass: It’s just so convenient–especially across multiple computers.
- Newsblur: The best RSS reader. I’ve tried them all. Literally. Newsblur is well worth the $24.
- Dropbox: The product is great. The company is super annoying. They’re constantly launching new products that seem like the current one, removing functionality, and, in general, acting like they’re improvising a business strategy. But the tool itself works and they have an effective Linux client, so I’ll keep paying until someone else comes up with something better (that I don’t have to host myself).
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Episode 7: Technology isn’t mysticism
This is an interview with Boone Gorges for my podcast. Boone is a developer who understands the importance of free and open source software, and in this episode he articulates why it’s so important. He also talks about how the term ‘coding’ makes computers seem more magical than they actually are. I think readers here will enjoy Boone.
Linux Journal Ceases Publication
I read Linux Journal for many years but actually bailed when they went digital-only. Still, it’s sad to see a once-beloved publication go.
Software Freedom Law Center vs. Software Freedom Conservancy
I don’t understand the particulars of this situation but it’s weird. My only comment is that I donate to Software Freedom Conservancy every year and if you want to support lots of great free and open source software projects, you should consider it, too: https://sfconservancy.org/supporter/#annual (the t-shirt is great, also!)
Software Freedom Law Center vs. Software Freedom Conservancy