Age verification started with porn and social media. Now, governments are passing laws requiring operating systems to collect your age before you can use your computer at all.
If such non-sense was to ever reach the EU (good luck, USA), which is quite likely seeing the non-sense we have already going on, and If I’m ever required to prove my age/ID in order to be allowed to use ‘my’ computer, said computer will instantly be disconnected from the Internet and turned back into what I always used mine for: a glorified typewriter.
And if for some even more absurd reason that was not doable, I would dust off the Olympia SG1, a typewriter from the 1950s that I inherited from my grandfather in the early 70s… The same typewriter I used up well into the 80s to publish my first texts and fanzines of back then, before I switched to a computer and a printer.
This 70 year-old or so typewriter still works perfectly well today, and the only updates it requires is once in a while a new ink ribbon which one can still purchase. Plus, it looks as cool as it ever looked ;)
And good luck forcing it to check my age or ID before I can type on it.
If I remember correctly, the typewriter (and, to a lesser extent, the VHS) is precisely how the heroes of the movie Public Enemies get through the political killings panopticon and bring in the fight.
Hmmm no then it wasn’t that one. It’s well older… I must have gotten the name wrong which means it would be harder for me to find. I do remember Jon Voight as one of the main villains and was basically a prescient film to PRISM, the DMCA and Edward Snowden.
Depends where you happen to live. Alcohol is sold without question in my country (France) provided you look old enough. If you don’t then, indeed, you will need to prove you’re of legal age.
Guns are not sold as easily as, say, in the USA. There is a lot of limitations on who can ask to own one (where and when) and also on the type of gun: don’t even think of buying some of those (semi-)automatic killing machine gun too many US people seem so obsessed owning… the only way to get your hands on one in France if you’re not a military is through illegal means, like being a member of some serious gang)
That being said, I doubt one will as often find guns or alcohol in a yard sale as they can find old typewriters lying around (the model I mentioned is ~72 years old)? At least here in France, maybe it’s different in the USA… it’s such an odd country ;)
2027, the year of the typewriter once again?
If such non-sense was to ever reach the EU (good luck, USA), which is quite likely seeing the non-sense we have already going on, and If I’m ever required to prove my age/ID in order to be allowed to use ‘my’ computer, said computer will instantly be disconnected from the Internet and turned back into what I always used mine for: a glorified typewriter.
And if for some even more absurd reason that was not doable, I would dust off the Olympia SG1, a typewriter from the 1950s that I inherited from my grandfather in the early 70s… The same typewriter I used up well into the 80s to publish my first texts and fanzines of back then, before I switched to a computer and a printer.
This 70 year-old or so typewriter still works perfectly well today, and the only updates it requires is once in a while a new ink ribbon which one can still purchase. Plus, it looks as cool as it ever looked ;)
And good luck forcing it to check my age or ID before I can type on it.
If I remember correctly, the typewriter (and, to a lesser extent, the VHS) is precisely how the heroes of the movie Public Enemies get through the political killings panopticon and bring in the fight.
Public Enemies, or do you have another movie in mind?
Hmmm no then it wasn’t that one. It’s well older… I must have gotten the name wrong which means it would be harder for me to find. I do remember Jon Voight as one of the main villains and was basically a prescient film to PRISM, the DMCA and Edward Snowden.
Enemy of the State?
THAT THING! Thanks!
You’re welcome ;)
How do you think Alcohol & Guns are sold?
Depends where you happen to live. Alcohol is sold without question in my country (France) provided you look old enough. If you don’t then, indeed, you will need to prove you’re of legal age.
Guns are not sold as easily as, say, in the USA. There is a lot of limitations on who can ask to own one (where and when) and also on the type of gun: don’t even think of buying some of those (semi-)automatic killing machine gun too many US people seem so obsessed owning… the only way to get your hands on one in France if you’re not a military is through illegal means, like being a member of some serious gang)
That being said, I doubt one will as often find guns or alcohol in a yard sale as they can find old typewriters lying around (the model I mentioned is ~72 years old)? At least here in France, maybe it’s different in the USA… it’s such an odd country ;)