By request, I am making “Lifetime Subscriptions” to The Lunduke Journal once again available… but only until end of day tomorrow (Friday, December 30th). So, if you want one, chop chop.
The “Lifetime Subscription” (which runs $300) has the same benefits as the “Founding Member” subscription… with the added bonus of lasting forever. Meaning you get absolutely every perk The Lunduke Journal offers… and you never need to pay again. For life. Which is pretty cool.
Worth noting: If you are a current Monthly, Yearly, or Founding Member subscriber — you can apply the total amount you have already paid during 2022 towards your Lifetime Subscription. Good way to save some bucks. If you need assistance in figuring out how much you’ve paid for your current subscription, feel free to ask and Lunduke can look it up.
How to snag a Lifetime Subscription:
Go to the Lunduke.Locals.com subscription page. Select the “Annual” option, and select “Card”. Then enter the amount for a Lifetime Subscription ($300 minus anything you’ve already paid in 2022).
You will then be contacted by Lunduke to finalize setting up your account (it’s super easy).
Just be sure to do it before end of day on Friday. Because, on Friday night, I’m putting the “Lifetime Subscription” option back in the vault and it will no longer be available for folks to purchase.
This is the first and last note you’ll see about this. No reminders.
Linux Hardware Maker System76 Speaks Out on Age Verification
"With New York's bill, liberty is lost," says System76 CEO, Carl Richell. Plus: MidnightBSD will no longer be available in Brazil, California, Colorado, New York, & Illinois.
Illinois Joins "Age Verification for Operating Systems" Bandwagon
California, Colorado, New York... and now Illinois have proposed laws requiring age verification for all OS's (Windows, Linux, etc.). Which state will be next?
Ads are filling the entirety of the Web -- websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. -- at an increasing rate. Prices for those ad placements are plummeting. Consumers are desperate to use ad-blockers to make the web palatable. Google (and others) are desperate to break and block ad-blockers. All of which results in... more ads and lower pay for creators.
It's a fascinatingly annoying cycle. And there's only one viable way out of it.
A week or so ago, someone on here posted a truly awesome video: one where a retro-loving geek like me (but whose sysadminnery and cybersorcery skills are way above mine) created a FreeDOS rig... that was really Linux under the hood. This is kinda genius:
It works around the issues FreeDOS can have on not-retro hardware (networking, sound, storage devices, etc.)
True Linux super-experts can do all kinds of tricks. I managed auto-login and auto-boot-into-DOS. It doesn't look pretty, but it works.
It's super-customizable. If I wanted to, I could even create DOS commands that use file-based IPC to interact with the host system (so for instance, a SHUTDOWN command, since that has to run as root for some reason). Or a DRIVES command that detects and mounts new storages devices and maps /dev/sda1 or whatever to D:\, E:\ etc. Or... too many ideas.
So I spent way too much time last week trying to learn this incredible trick. I still don't have it half as ...
I understand some are having a hard time with the thought of the change in coding…as if using AI means “build me a fart app” is all that’s left of the career you loved. I have good news. Your excellent mind, that problem solving super computer of flesh - will continue to be your meal ticket long into the future.
Here was my evening. I’m in the middle of a very difficult project. 20 other projects depend on mine. Visibility at the VP level of a Fortune 500 company. Crazy amount of human coordination - and I say that from a 40 years in the business perspective. With a month before due date, we are going back to square one and redoing the requirements.
One of my struggles is AI written code. Yep, tis true. I have code, it gives data, but the requirements are shifting and my ability to shift quickly is hampered by not fully understanding the code. Which is due to not having fully understood the requirements and having to come up with SOMETHING out ...
If you are already a Lifetime Subscriber and want to be added to the 4th (or the start of the 5th) wall, email me (bryan at lunduke.com). There are only a couple of spots left on Wall 4.
The new Lifetime Wall designs are locked and loaded, and will make their grand debut at the end of all new shows starting either Friday or Monday.
I also wanted to take a moment to thank all of the non-Lifetime Subscribers. The Lifetime Subs may get a little extra attention at the end of the shows… but every subscriber (Monthly & Yearly) helps to make this work possible.
79 Million Views in 6 Months for The Lunduke Journal
Welcome to February, all of you amazing nerds!
January was a fun month for The Lunduke Journal (thanks to all of you). For those interested in a little Inside Baseball, I’ve pulled together some stats and charts below.
The short version: Great month. Crazy news stories. Solid growth. Can’t complain!
Revamped Lifetime Wall
Oh! And the “Lifetime Subscriber Wall” is getting a “retro” facelift.
This is what the four Lifetime Walls currently look like:
Once that 4th Wall is filled (a little over 75% of the way there as of this morning), I’ll be introducing the new designs (for all the walls) along with the starting of Wall Number 5.
Each Wall now has its own, distinct look and theme. Very Retro Computer-y. You’re going to dig it.
To make that “Wall Number 5” get here as fast as possible, I’ve gone ahead an reinstated the “$89 Lifetime Subscriber” deal. But only until Wall Number 4 is full.
Want to be on the Wall? If you don’t have a Lifetime Subscription, grab one. If you already have one, email me (bryan at lunduke.com) to let me know how you want your name to be displayed.
A huge thank you to everyone who has signed up during this crazy deal. We are this close to filling up the 4th Lifetime Subscriber Wall (there’s a possibility it might fill up in the next few hours).
Far beyond anything I was expecting. All of you are absolutely amazing. The Lunduke Journal would not be possible without you.
If you were on contemplating grabbing that Lifetime Sub, I’d jump on it right now. The price goes back up to normal ($300) in about 12 hours or so.
There are some options. For both subscribing and donating. They're all on this page.
Bonus: At the bottom of this page you will find the invite link to the super-secret Lunduke Journal Discord Chat Server. This is only available for full subscribers, which makes it a nice place to hang out. No riff-raff.
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