Yes, I am as sure as you are. IMHO, for a group that seems

intent on

protecting peoples' privacy, there are some ways where they

really want to

invade it. That digital wallet idea is one of them. Not being

able to

pay cash means there are no ways to buy anything without a

digital paper

trail.

The term "paper trail" is ironic since a digital wallet and electronic purchases are all done online

Which is why I put the word "digital" in front of it. ;) Having every transaction done digitally, without any paper money or coin transactions,
will make every transaction traceable.




--- Talisman v0.53-dev (Linux/armv7l)
* Origin: possumso.fsxnet.nz * telnet:24/ssh:2122/ftelnet:80 (21:4/134)

Am 06.04.24 schrieb poindexter FORTRAN@21:4/122 in FSX_GEN:

Hallo poindexter,

I posted somewhere recently about an alt.history of the web - I'll have
to look it up. Digital Research signed the deal with IBM, but kept the rights to CP/M, made a GUI with GEM desktop, merged with WordPerfect,
then bought Cello browser and ended up with the market running a GUI, browser and office suite tied together with the early web in the mid
'90s, around the time Microsoft Windows 95 came out.

In this world, I wonder if Gary Kildall and Digital Research would have turned out differently from the predatory business practices of Bill
Gates and Microsoft at the time?

As I've heard that Gary was a completely different type of person than
Bill Gates was/is - more friendly and helping and not that uber
capitalist...

So I guess it really would have turned out differently.

Regards,
Anna

--- OpenXP 5.0.57
* Origin: Imzadi Box Point (21:3/127.1)

Am 05.04.24 schrieb Warpslide@21:3/110 in FSX_GEN:

Hallo Warpslide,

German state moving 30,000 PCs to Linux & LibreOffice

Following a successful pilot project, the northern German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein has decided to move from Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office to Linux and LibreOffice (and other free and open source software)
on the 30,000 PCs used in the local government.

[...]

That's some great news :)

But just one key information here: It's a long-term plan with several
steps towards the goal of a digital sovereign desktop.
Replacing M$ Office with LibreOffice is one of the first steps,
replacing Windows with Linux will come later -- as some of the
specialised software packages won't run in a browser or on Linux.

Munich (the bavarian city with the Oktoberfest) tried something
similar many years prior but made a rollback to the M$ world.
It might just be a coincidence, but the rollback followed the move of
the german M$ headquarters to Munich...

Regards,
Anna

--- OpenXP 5.0.57
* Origin: Imzadi Box Point (21:3/127.1)

Nightfox wrote to Blue White <=-

The term "paper trail" is ironic since a digital wallet and electronic purchases are all done online.

"dial tone".




... Adding on
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

Mike,
Reading about digital money made me think about the IRS tax form line that asks if the person/family use BIT COINS.

I heard a family member in another State tell me of a (I think) restaurant that does not accept cash.

I couldn't eat there, Coins and Green Back Dollars are what I'm use to.
Checks too.
Ed
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (21:1/175)

On 09 Apr 2024, Ed Vance said the following...

I heard a family member in another State tell me of a (I think)
restaurant that does not accept cash.

I couldn't eat there, Coins and Green Back Dollars are what I'm use to. Checks too.

Yeah, Checks are more or less dead except for utilities and intra-personal payments. Hell, most places won't even bother with ACH because of the risk of it bouncing.. and god forbid ChexSystems get wind of a bounced check, then there goes your chances of opening a bank account anywhere.

I personally am preferrential to debit cards, and using things like NFC payment with my phone - primarily because I do not trust myself with cash, and would rather limit my physical attack surface for people who wish to rob me. Though I wouldn't be caught dead using crypto for anything outside of a speculative way to make money.. and even then I only plan to do so when it drops again.. and hope it climbs back up bigger than it is now.

----------------------------
Nodoka Hanamura
Nugget BBS SysOp @ NeoCincinnati BBS
neocinci.bbs.io

Born too late to experience the scene.
Born too early to go back in time.
Born at the right time to look back.

... The only place I want data loss is on my credit card!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
* Origin: thE qUAntUm wOrmhOlE, rAmsgAtE, uK. bbs.erb.pw (21:1/158)

Nodoka, I am just used to using physical Money at places that I frequent.
When I saw the ACH (and later the NFC) abbreviations I looked to learn what they meant by using the WordWeb program on the XP PC.
I learned ACH is Automatic Clearing House but didn't see the definition of NFC.

Cute Tagline in the post. Makes Me more want to get back to using the REAL computer(s) here instead of banging on a Android screen.
I definitely would have stolen Your Tagline!
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (21:1/175)

Re: Re: German state moving 30,000 PCs to Linux
By: Ed Vance to Nodoka Hanamura on Thu Apr 11 2024 12:27 pm

I learned ACH is Automatic Clearing House but didn't see the definition of NFC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-field_communication

Your phone and/or tablet likely has an NFC radio in it.
--
digital man (rob)

This Is Spinal Tap quote #5:
Nigel Tufnel: Authorities said... best leave it... unsolved.
Norco, CA WX: 79.8øF, 33.0% humidity, 2 mph W wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (21:1/183)

Thanks again for EDucating Ed.
I will read that link later.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (21:1/175)

Ed Vance wrote to Blue White <=-

Reading about digital money made me think about the IRS tax form line
that asks if the person/family use BIT COINS.

My answer was "Why, what have you heard?" :)

I heard a family member in another State tell me of a (I think)
restaurant that does not accept cash.

I couldn't eat there, Coins and Green Back Dollars are what I'm use to. Checks too.

Some restaurants during COVID went cashless and stayed that way, because
of (looks in notes) increased crime and coin shortages.

I miss the days when I used to commute, and to get the cash discount at
my local gas station would just take out what I needed for the week in
cash and didn't worry about card skimmers, worn chips, needing to swipe
a card several times, squiggling a signature on a LCD pad...



... Potatoes are a social construct.
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

Nodoka Hanamura wrote to Ed Vance <=-

Yeah, Checks are more or less dead except for utilities and
intra-personal payments. Hell, most places won't even bother with ACH because of the risk of it bouncing.. and god forbid ChexSystems get
wind of a bounced check, then there goes your chances of opening a bank account anywhere.

My grocery store still takes checks, I'll see a retiree pull out that
checkbook and fill it out in beautiful cursive - a lost art.

I was at a Walgreens pharmacy recently (getting a tetanus shot,
different story) and read a notice that said that writing a check to
them authorized them to make an ACH debit from your account. They
wouldn't actually cash your check, so you wouldn't see a cancelled
check in your monthly statement. I thought that was odd, but it made
sense.

I personally am preferrential to debit cards, and using things like NFC payment with my phone - primarily because I do not trust myself with
cash, and would rather limit my physical attack surface for people who wish to rob me.

IMO, you're much better using a points credit card and paying it off
monthly. You have much better fraud protection with a credit card, you
can get points against day-to-day purchases, and if someone does charge
against your card fraudulently, they're not taking cash out of your
checking account, just making a credit transaction that can be easily
reversed.

If you're worried about physical attacks, I suppose having an ATM card
with you to be able to get money out and give it to a mugger makes
sense, just don't use it for everyday transactions.

I've been traveling for work, and every time I travel to Texas, it
seems, I get charges on my account after I've left. Had to get 2 new
cards in 2 years. I'll never travel with a debit card again.







Though I wouldn't be caught dead using crypto for

anything outside of a speculative way to make money.. and even then I
only plan to do so when it drops again.. and hope it climbs back up
bigger than it is now.

----------------------------
Nodoka Hanamura
Nugget BBS SysOp @ NeoCincinnati BBS
neocinci.bbs.io

Born too late to experience the scene.
Born too early to go back in time.
Born at the right time to look back.

... The only place I want data loss is on my credit card!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
* Origin: thE qUAntUm wOrmhOlE, rAmsgAtE, uK. bbs.erb.pw (21:1/158)

... BIRDS AREN'T REAL
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

I entirely understand, to each their own and all, I just wanted to provide my position on it all.

My apologies, Ed. NFC is short for Near-Field Communications. It uses programmable chips inside smartphones or even payment cards that can provide contactless payment without using cash or inserting a payment card into a slot. On phones, card data can be saved to allow you to use your phone as a wallet. A lot of debit and credit cards these days have integrated NFC chips that can be energized in close proximity (literally either by tapping against the Point of Sale system's card reader) to read the card data.

And thanks! The taglines are from here on TQW, Meat's got a massive list of 'em you can pick from before you post.

----------------------------
Nodoka Hanamura
Nugget BBS SysOp @ NeoCincinnati BBS
neocinci.bbs.io

Born too late to experience the scene.
Born too early to go back in time.
Born at the right time to look back.

... A Skydiver is taken by the gravity of his situation.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
* Origin: thE qUAntUm wOrmhOlE, rAmsgAtE, uK. bbs.erb.pw (21:1/158)

Re: BIT COINS

I only seen the bit coin question on a line near the top of the SR1040 form.
I don't use bit coins and check the "No" box.
Don't know anymore because I'm not interested in that topic.

So I guess I will never achieve becoming a Mr. Know It All.
I will still act like one.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (21:1/175)

On the old 486 box & the XP box I have collected many Taglines.
Can't recall if I did it on the C=64. Could have though.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (21:1/175)

--- Maximus 3.01
* Origin: Another Millennium - Canada - another.tel (21:1/162)