Ramblings — Relativistic Ramblings

Linux – I’m giving up again

Ideals and patronizing Microsoft policies be damned – I’m coming back to you, Windows.

Every few years, I have a brief stint with Linux as my primary operating system (dual booting with Windows for gaming etc.). Each time I try Linux, I hope “they” have finally fixed all the little annoying details that made me quit last time. And this time, I thought it was finally for real, and I lasted longer than ever before. But in the end, like every other time, I left disappointed.

Telegram vs. Signal

It’s not about security, it’s about getting away from Messenger.

Messenger, Telegram and Signal having a fight

Every once in a while I recommend Telegram to my Facebook friends, mostly as a privacy-centric alternative to Facebook Chat / Messenger. Recently a friend of mine pushed back against this recommendation, and suggested that I try out Signal instead. Incidentally, I use both, so here are some ramblings on Telegram vs. Signal.

Why I support Wikipedia and why you should too

Knowledge is power. Giving everyone free access to knowledge is one of the most democratic things we can do.

Wikipedia has often displayed donation banners at the top of articles. Lately they’ve been getting a bit more dominant (in a perfectly fine non-flashy way, mind you). Now, at long last, instead of filing it away in the dark recesses of my mind, I actually read the message and reflected on the whole “knowledge is power” thing. Easiest reflection I’ve done – five minutes later I was a Wikipedia supporter. Here’s what went though my head:

Why I blog

Writing makes you better at thinking, learning and communicating.

I enjoy writing. I know I write fairly well and that some people enjoy reading what I write. But getting read isn’t the most critical aspect for me. The three main reasons I blog are reflection, communication, and learning.

My PhD project in 570 words

I usually say I study the aurora. That’s a convenient lie.

Normally, when people ask what I do, I just say I study the aurora. That’s not strictly correct. Yes, the aurora is involved in my studies, but it’s not the actual topic. It’s just that when people ask me what I do, it’s way better than saying “I study plasma irregularities in the high-latitude ionosphere and their effects on trans-ionospheric signal links” because, well, the image explains it all. But let me try to explain, in understandable terms, what I actually study.