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#1

General Discussion / Remove your personal info from...

Last post by ssfc72 - January 09, 2026, 09:28:04 AM

I found this info and am passing it along, as it seems to be a very good podcast.


Podding Along - Issue 638
From: John A. Figliozzi
Date: Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:48:07 PST
Podcasts permit a shift of listening time from a set appointment to virtually any convenient occasion. I do it while taking my daily (more or less) 3 mile walk, while I'm "plodding along". While there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of great podcasts from other sources, the ones sponsored via public radio have been vetted through the worthy objectives of the medium. Here's what I've been listening to recently. I hope you might find these suggestions — in roughly 90 minute bites -- helpful in enhancing your own enjoyment of radio, our favorite medium.

__ __

This is the place to start if you've ever thought about pulling back from the internet without disappearing into the bush. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.

"Opt Out -1: The Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Online Life"
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston - ABC Radio National
We all know the internet knows a bit about us. But... how much, exactly? And what happens if you actually try to look?
In the first episode of Opt Out, Rae volunteers as tribute and starts poking around her own digital footprint — checking data breaches, Googling herself, and asking some pretty uncomfortable questions about where our personal info ends up. Along the way, she chats with investigative tech reporter Yael Grauer about how our data spreads, and Troy Hunt, the creator of Have I Been Pwned, before typing her own email into his incredibly revealing website. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-one/105872262


"Opt Out -2: Can You Delete Yourself from the Internet?"
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston- ABC Radio National
The internet knows a lot about you, but what if you wanted to take it all back and delete yourself all together?
In episode two of Opt Out, Rae tries to do the unthinkable: delete herself from the internet. She talks to Lawrence Gentilello, founder of data-removal service Optery, about what it really takes to scrub your details from people-search sites — and why it's harder than it sounds. Then she checks in with John Payne from Electronic Frontiers Australia to find out what Australian law does (and very much doesn't) let you do when it comes to your own personal data. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-two/105872246

"Opt Out -3: How Not to Get Hacked"
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston- ABC Radio National
If someone tried to hack you right now... how long would it take? In episode three of Opt Out, Rae confronts her own extremely average cyber hygiene and tries to stop being the digital equivalent of someone who leaves their keys in the front door. She speaks with Vanessa Teague, cryptographer and privacy advocate, to unpack why passwords matter (and why humans are terrible at them), before spiralling into the world of password managers, two-factor authentication, and security keys. Then, drowning under the weight of security suggestions, Rae turns to Carter Smith from CyberCX to work out what's actually worth doing, and what's just security theatre. It turns out, staying safe online assumes way more time, knowledge, and energy than most people have. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-three/105872378

"Opt Out -4: What Did I Just Agree To?"
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston- ABC Radio National
Every time you click 'accept' online, you're legally agreeing to something. The problem is... you probably have no idea what that something is. In episode four of Opt Out, Rae tackles the fine print: the privacy policies and terms and conditions we all scroll past because life is short and the language is cooked. She speaks with Dr Katharine Kemp, privacy law expert and associate professor at UNSW, about how digital 'consent' works in Australia, and why companies can legally do things with your data you'd probably never agree to if it was written in plain English. Then Rae talks to Dr Sky Croeser from Curtin University about what happens when people do try to opt out, and why the internet is designed to make that as hard as possible. Surprisingly, it's not all bleak: there are corners of the web doing things differently, and they're worth knowing about. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-four/105872276

"Opt Out -5: "Can You Ever Really Opt Out of Online Life?
DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW with Rae Johnston- ABC Radio National
After weeks of trying to audit, delete, and lock down her digital life, Rae hits the big, uncomfortable question: what if you can't opt out of the internet, even if you really want to? In the final episode of Opt Out, Rae speaks with Jathan Sadowski, senior lecturer at Monash University and proud Luddite, about how surveillance creeps into everyday life — from smart cars to smart locks — and why 'just logging off' is a privilege most people don't actually have. Then she sits down with Carly Kind, Australia's Privacy Commissioner, to ask what protections exist here, where the gaps are, and what power individuals really have to push back. (29")
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-five/105872250

— —

A compendium of these suggestions, plus on occasion additional pertinent material, is published every other month in the CIDX Messenger, the monthly e-newsletter of the Canadian International DX Club (CIDX). For further information and membership information, go to www.cidxclub.ca <http://www.cidxclub.ca/>
Happy New Year!

John Figliozzi

#2

Distributions / Re: Which Linux Distro Should ...

Last post by ssfc72 - January 06, 2026, 09:05:39 AM

I am very gratefull that I am using Linux on all my computers and have no need to use Win 11 or the Apple OS.
Both Windows and Apple IOS now have AI embedded in their operating systems , making them a security/privacy nightmare.
I have seen reports for Win 11 that a hidden file or folder has been found, that takes snapshots or records info that displays on your screen. Probably the info gets sent back to the Windows servers.

#3

Distributions / Re: Which Linux Distro Should ...

Last post by Jason - January 05, 2026, 05:27:24 PM

Zorin should be in there. I do have one complaint about it, though. They upped the price of the Pro version from $40 USD to $80. Not sure when exactly but it was at some point in 2024. Disappointing.

First time hearing of Helium OS. But alas, I think my distro hopping days are over.

#4

General Discussion / Re: Merry Christmas, Happy New...

Last post by Jason - January 05, 2026, 05:24:20 PM

Happy New Year guys! Let's home something nice happens this year like a fascist... dies of old age before he invades another country closer to home.

#5

Distributions / Re: Which Linux Distro Should ...

Last post by ssfc72 - December 26, 2025, 09:31:23 AM

Thanks Buster, for the Link.
A valuable info for some good Distros to try out.

#6

Distributions / Which Linux Distro Should We R...

Last post by buster - December 23, 2025, 04:47:31 PM

Jesse Smith on Distrowatch tests more Linux distributions in a year than most of us can name. He has selected four, but with one he strongly recommends as the best for beginners. It is not the one I use, nor is it the one he uses, but I like his first two choices. Bill and I will not be surprised by his choice for position one or two. So, if someone is giving up their Win10 machine to a Linux distro, which one should we recommend, and probably actually install for him or her?

Here are Jesse's choice four choices:

https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20251222#2025

#7

General Discussion / Re: Merry Christmas, Happy New...

Last post by buster - December 22, 2025, 08:05:14 PM

Happy holidays Bill. And extend my wishes to your lovely girlfriend.

#8

General Discussion / Merry Christmas, Happy New Yea...

Last post by ssfc72 - December 22, 2025, 08:55:37 AM

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

#9

General Linux/Android Discussions / Re: My days of using Linux as ...

Last post by fox - December 16, 2025, 04:02:59 PM

It is but I never installed it. But I could try to install it. Nevertheless, I have a feeling that it won't work - too old.

#10

Security and Privacy / Re: delete a post

Last post by Jason - December 13, 2025, 06:51:34 AM

Nope.  when I click on More, I only get 2 options, Modify and Report To Moderator.

Edit. -   When I click on More, in my initial first post, there is no Delete option.
When I click on More on my last post, there is a Delete option for that particular post.

Sorry that I'm just now seeing this, Bill. I may have set it that people can't delete posts after a certain amount of time. I'm not really sure why people would want to and it breaks threads if people do it. I'll try to remember to check the settings later and see what I did.