I used to hoard data, feeling amateur though only like 4 tb, I stopped doing it once all the streaming platforms came online like 5 plus years ago. My plex media server is technically broken right now.
I think the algorithm is so distorted by right-wing engagement that it will end up recommend right-wing content, even if you actively try to avoid it. I watch youtube shorts and I always skip if it’s Shapiro, Peterson, Tate or Pierce Morgan. I also skip the moment I feel like the shorts might be right-wing. Scroll enough and eventually the algorithm will go “How about some Shapiro, Peterson, Tate or Morgan?” Give it enough time and it will always try to feed you right-wing content.
I suppose if you do nothing but scroll YouTube endlessly, it just starts to recommend anything to keep you in the platform.
But I’ve had an account since they started and even watch The Young Turks and C-Span here and there and almost never get anything political, let alone right wing.
My algorithm is at the point where I get Korean commercials, which is honestly fine with me.
To add on to the other top comment right now, it’s not like learning a spoken language. Once you know one, you can pick up another similar language without too much bother. Or should be able to, if you’re not crap.
As for what employers want to see, that’s something I’m less qualified to tell you.
Learn how to code. Look up some YouTube tutorials on python or Java to get started then go from there.
Write/ journal. Laptops are great for being in new and different locations that may inspire new thoughts and ideas. Write them down, make them into a book. This works best when you don’t have WiFi imo.
If your hardware supports it learn how to 3d model. Look into blender.
You can do a lot without knowing a lot going with unreal(game engine), mixamo(character animations), and whatever free models you can find. Unreal has some starter projects, a small 3D arena with a default character already controllable and animated, you can ease into it learning how to replace whats already there and then add on new things.
Symbiosis in nature….it always brings up feelings of awe and wonder for me. Especially in forests. The “wood-wide web” or “mycorrhizal network” being my latest obsession . The fact that the fungi joins the trees together through the roots to allow for exchange of nutrients, water, and chemical signals between plants. And then there’s the forest canopy, and the role it plays in keeping the forest healthy.
Nothing wrong with a cheap, refurbished laptop. Hopefully it has a warranty of some sort.
First thing is wipe all the crap off. The amount can vary dramatically depending on where you got it.
Then go through and configure your windows settings. This is pretty personal, you can just play around with most of them, but probably stay out of advanced menus if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Then start downloading free software you’re going to need. The very basics is an unzipping program and your web browser of choice. Beware windows defender, the default security software with windows, is intended to work specifically with their browser, not other people’s.
Then start downloading optional software you want. Steam, discord, crap like that. Start installing and configuring the settings of the programs one at a time.
Here’s some other people’s opinions. I haven’t watched these, but the sources appear reputable:
Adding on to the Windows Defender bit: it’s also a very good antivirus, so you can pretty much just get away with that and an adblocker on your browser of choice. Been running Firefox with uBlock Origin and Windows Defender for years now at this point and have not had a single virus nor infection on my computer - and I used to use Norton and Avast before that.
That being said, if you’re the kind of person that goes onto hella sketchy sites a lot of the time, might be worth looking into a paid antivirus.
Also, do not delete the Ninite installer exe from your computer. It comes handy in updating all the apps at once. Just double click the installer again.
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