I think the subscription overload has to do with the whole 90s kids are the only ones who know how to build and fix computers. We know how to go out and find alternatives or roll our own services. Hell we invented digital piracy so we are comfortable with not subscribing.

I only subscribe to two services, Google storage so my family's mobile devices can auto backup and Spotify because I like the suggestion engine and it's easier for my kids to stream music. For everything else there's piracy.

So then there is this new generation that are clueless in tech so these companies can nickel and dime them because they don't know any better. I know I try to teach my kids how to use tech but they just don't have an interest like I did.

I have a bunch of smart devices - light bulbs, wall plugs, etc. They all connect to Home Assistant running on my own server and I don't need to pay any subscriptions.

IoT is not the problem, corporate greed is.

Microsoft expects me to pay for Office 365? No, fuck you, I’ve got LibreOffice and your older Office software still works as good. Your word processing program, Word, hasn’t really changed that much since 2007 or even 2003. Hell, maybe not since 1997!

So I moved to foss probably about 20 years ago and have been going back and forth between libre office and open office.

A couple of years ago my wife wanted me office, so I got the subscription...and man it's so much better than either of those two, and to suggest that maybe it hasn't changed since 1997 is mindboggling.

I'm a big proponent of not signing up for these services, but this paragraph really misses the mark for me.

Hell, maybe not since 1997!

Office 2000 was peak office: it had the definitive version of Clippit, and every actually useful feature you'll probably ever need to type and edit any sort of document.

...I will say, though, that Excel has improved for the weirdos that want 100,000 row spreadsheets since then, but I mean, that's a small group of people who need serious help.

This has nothing to do with anything, but whatever.

I pay for music streaming on Tidal. I have a pretty big library of music from attempts to get away from streaming (and keep it up on Soulseek), but I use curated playlists too much to get away from streaming