After mostly de-googlefying earlier this year, I've now taken a leaf out of @CiaraNi's book and started de-microsofting too.
Notepad++ is a no brainer and I've downloaded @libreoffice too.
Started going through my personal documents and changing the format from Office to Open Document Format.
Ah - the thrill and satisfaction of removing big tech...
Freier Text-Editor: Notepad++ 8.8 bringt Fehlerbehebungen, aber auch Neues https://www.computerbase.de/news/apps/freier-text-editor-notepad-plus-plus-8-8-bringt-fehlerbehebungen-aber-auch-neues.92398/ #notepadplusplus #notepad
Saw a great post complaining about #AI in #Notepad
It was well written, but warned that it was not an invitation to all the #Linux folks, because he doesn't want his full time hobby to be fixing stuff on his one computer.
I get where he comes from. Linux did indeed used to be that way not so long ago.
But in the past few years, I spent more time fixing random #BrokenByUpdate shit in Windows than I do now in Linux.
Factors:
1. Accessibility. Not everyone has really fast (or stable) internet.
2. Environmental. There's no reason to use more computing power than necessary for the task at hand. It's wasteful. Very few people need the fancy features advanced text editors introduce.
3. Interoperability. Text files I write and send are readable *everywhere.* Try loading up Google Docs on a 1024x768 screen with a 256MB RAM Pentium 3. You'll be lucky if Google Docs even loads.
4. Privacy. A text file is easy to protect. GPG is the most straightforward. It remains small, and there's no way middle-men can read it. Google Docs? Google has root and they're not encrypted from them. So, good luck.
5. Account requirements. Text files require no accounts anywhere. All you need it an Internet connection and a DNS server that'll point your computer the right way. SaaS requires that you also have up-to-date software, a powerful computer, and that you register an account with them to access files shared with you.
6. Storage space. A text file takes kilobytes. A .docx file takes megabytes. My daily journal, which granted has some meta-data but is still plain text, is nearing on 580kb after three years of diligent, detailed journaling. I can't help but doubt that Word would even open a .docx file that large if formatted natively. (Thousands of headings, links, timestamps, etc.)
6. Feature-set. Plain text lets you do enough for 99% of all tasks. Yes, it's not as pretty, but within the bounds of putting characters into a file, you have complete freedom. Proprietary services, on the other hand, have a very very rich feature-set, most of which is irrelevant for 99% of users. The drawback of this is that every user is forced to load these rarely-used functions onto their own computer when the applications load up. That's wasteful, and likely cost the world hundreds of millions in unnecessary energy expenditure already.
TL;DR: Use plain text unless you absolutely positively can't help it. It's seriously better in every way.
#plaintext #emacs #txt #notepad #bloat #bloatware #saas #googledocs #msword #microsoftword #rant
RE: https://fed.bajsicki.com/notes/a6uy06mot0
When #microsoft adds #CoPilot to effin' #notepad and #meta adds an #AI option to #WhatsApp you know that the lunatics have taken over the asylum. Rational decision making has gone completely out the window with these companies. They see a shiny new bandwagon and by golly they're going to jump on it, whether it makes sense or not.
For the love of all that is holy, or unholy, make it STAHP
#Microsoft is too addicted to #AI. Not everything needs a fucking AI tie-in (or in this case summaries from #Notepad!)
So thankful that there's no AI integration into #LinuxMint.
How do people not realize that all these AI integrations will most definitely be used as a #surveillance mechanism? #privacy #security
https://www.theverge.com/news/629412/windows-11-notepad-ai-summaries-snipping-tool
@scottwilson WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?
Microsoft is rolling out a Windows update to testers that adds AI summarization to Notepad, which is quickly becoming less of a simple text-based app and more of a... I really have no idea. An earlier update added an AI Rewrite tool. #AI #Notepad #Microsoft #Windows https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/03/13/snipping-tool-and-notepad-app-updates-begin-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/
Ok just found another instance of notepad being a password holder.
Listen, never put passwords to notepad - Beginning with Windows 11 it keeps the password in on-disk cache if you only close notepad.
@mike Which is stupider, putting AI in #Notepad or trying to charge for it? I would say #Microsoft has lost its way, but they never really had any idea where they were going.
@AmbianceAsunder I mean, given the listed sample of a state-sponsored attack, we can assume the attackers have some basic project management skills and being able to collect both #OSINT and mobilize local assets to collect #SIGINT on street level.
After all, they most likely only realized that #WiFi-connected / authenticated devices are exempted by having collected #INTEL on the targeted org's employees and their workflows.
It would however make sense to have someone inside as a #canary even if they ain't in #IT nor have any privilegues…
Since #Notepad is now going to be shipped with a built in version of Copilot that will "summarize, edit and spell check" your entries... has anyone tried Notepad3? Saw it the other day, apparently open source. Is it full of ads and shit or is it useable?
Potentially weird question. Are there any ad-free, freeware* that works on android, that's basically just Notepad? I don't want anything fancier than a plain Notepad but it's really hard to find because of the noise to content ratio. Thank you.
*Happy to pay for once only fee too, I don't sub anything though
@schizanon Boy, do I have an app for you.. #notepad
If you use Windows Notepad, make sure you've got the latest version. Spell check has been added, auto correct as well as auto save. I still save important stuff but whatever you type is still there the next time you open Notepad. Yes, I know Notepad ++ has all that but I find the Window interface much simpler for the simple person that I am. My version is: Version 11.2406.9.0.
Notepad’s spellcheck and autocorrect are rolling out to everybody after 41 years - Testing spellcheck... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=2035496 #windows1123h2 #windows1124h2 #microsoft #windows11 #notepad #tech
Windows Notepad’s midlife renaissance continues with spellcheck and autocorrect - Enlarge / "Notepad.exe but with spellcheck" looks pretty much exactly l... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=2012109 #windows11 #notepad #tech
Microsoft is bringing a spellcheck feature to Notepad, beginning with Canary and Dev Channel builds of Windows 11. It can be toggled on and off, but it's off by default for log files and some other apps "typically associated with coding." https://buff.ly/4a2UlkF #Windows #NotePad #SpellCheck #Microsoft
@fairtradestu I am a huge fan of Notepad++. Also Greenshot for screen capture!
If you enjoy these, it's important to support them!
Why Not Zoidberg? 
