A consortium of the major Internet companies — including Google, Twitter, and Facebook — held an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss the fate of Edward Johnson.
Johnson, the first “Arch-using, Vegan, Steam Deck owning, Rust programmer”, was facing a potential complete banning from the entire Internet.
In response to concerns about Age Verification features in SystemD, the CachyOS team says, "If you don’t want to use SystemD find another distribution," tells users to "STOP being radical".
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Michigan's proposed Age Verification law would apply to all Operating Systems (including Linux), and would require commercial Age Verification.
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Two very different reactions to Age Verification. One says, "I doubt these laws would survive a challenge." While the other says, "It's a matter of hopefully, just adopting a standard API."
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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.
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Those in power with openSUSE make it clear they will not allow me anywhere near anything related to the openSUSE project. Ever. For any reason.
Well, that settles that, then! Guess I won't be contributing to openSUSE! 🤣
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I'm curious, with all this age verification crap...
I have no clue what Elon's stand is on all this but, if I understand the law correctly, then technically, a Tesla would have to verify the age of the driver. So, if he wanted to show malicious compliance, he could require that in order to drive your Tesla, you would have to scan your driver's license before the car will start.
Just take that update and push it to legislators for a few weeks.
I don't use X, so I don't know how to tag him at all. I'm just saying...
The Age Verification Con
https://reclaimthenet.org/the-age-verification-con
How Big Tech and politicians built a digital ID system for everyone while pretending to fight each other.
[from article] The question of whether a 14-year-old can use Instagram becomes the mechanism by which every adult is required to show a government-issued ID to use their own phone.
Three Years Prep About to Pay Off
I saw ChatGPT and began skating to where the puck was going. I’m a consultant who sells his skills for premium rates. There is a challenge to switch to a new technology while maintaining or increasing your value.
No one will pay principal level oracle rates to a consultant for the delivery of Hadoop work the oracle consultant doesn’t know but will learn on the job as you pay him.
So do you ride out the Oracle skill until no one will pay principal rates for that skill anymore? Or do you step down in value to learn the new skill to climb back up?
What I do - is try to detect the tech shift and prepare for that brief time - the hockey stick moment - when demand surges and supply isn’t there.
That time is now for GenAI. It’s no longer new. Adoption is already high and about to explode. And here I am with self developed skills but next to zero stories of “I’ve deployed these systems in enterprises at scale”. Precious few people have - for now.
...
A few quick reminders for all of you amazing Lunduke Journal subscribers:
First: If you have any kind of payed subscription (Monthly, Yearly, or Lifetime) there are a bunch of cool perks available to you. MP4 Downloads, PDF eBooks, and access to the Lunduke Journal Forum. All the details on how to gain access to everything is right here.
Enjoy.
Second: At the end of this next week I’ll be unveiling “Lifetime Subscriber Wall of Shame” number Six at the end of all new Lunduke Journal videos.
At that same time I will be updating and permanently locking down Walls 1 through 5.
If you are already a Lifetime Subscriber, and would like to be added to the new Wall number 6 (or to one of the couple remaining spots on Walls 4 and 5), email me (bryan at lunduke.com) with how you would like your name to be displayed (full name, first name only, nick name… any way you like).
CRT Linux Pico Wall: Full
DOS Word Wall: Full
Win 3.11 Notepad Wall: Full
MacOS 9 Wall: 2 Spots Left
PalmOS Wall: 1 Spot Left
Mystery Wall: Open
Those final spots on the MacOS and PalmOS Walls are first come first served. The first people to request those spots get them.
Everyone else will roll over into Wall 6. Which is a secret, retro computer platform. You’ll dig it.
If you have already contacted me regarding being added to one of these walls (or changing the way your name is displayed), I’ve already got you on the list for the changes later this next week.
If you don’t already have a Lifetime Subscription, grab one and get yourself on the wall.
It’s pretty sweet.
-Lunduke
Woo-hoo! The 4th Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscriber Wall of Shame Awesomeness is almost full!
That means that, within the next day or two, the massively discounted Lifetime Subscriptions will go back to their normal price. So if you wanted to snag the $89 / $99 Lifetime Sub (instead of paying $300), now’s your last chance.
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.
All of you rule.
-Lunduke
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!
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.
Once Wall 4 is full, the Super-Mega-Ultra Discounted Lifetime Subscription goes back to regular price. And, the next day, the new Lifetime Wall design appears at the end of new shows.
At the current rate, I expect that to happen in the next couple days.
Now let’s look at the stats for January.
Can’t lie. I’m pleased.
30 new shows (just shy of one new show every day)
15.2 Million views (including podcast downloads)
2,326 new subscribers
The most popular story of January, 2026:
Taking a high level view: This means that, in the last 6 months (Aug ‘25 - Jan ‘26), The Lunduke Journal has had:
79.4 Million views
21,694 new subscribers
Bonkers, right?
Here’s a chart of “views” for last 6 months:
The long-term trend continues to be solidly upward, with February (in the first 7 days, so far) currently tracking slightly ahead of January.
For those interested in the specific platforms: The Lunduke Journal is seeing the most growth on X and the Audio Podcast.
Here’s a combined subscriber chart for January (up 2,326 subscribers from the month prior):
Wild. It is truly amazing to me how widely these stories are spreading nowadays.
Over 15 million. In one month.
These are numbers that most of the big, “Main Stream” Tech Journalists could only dream of.
The reach of The Lunduke Journal, thanks to all of you, is now wildly exceeding any other publication I have ever worked with.
Even though most “Main Stream” Tech Journalists are refusing to cover some of the biggest stories in Tech… those stories are still getting out there.
They are being seen. Far and wide.
Thanks to all of you.
-Lunduke
