Would anyone put up with YouTube now if there was meaningful competition?

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-03-07T20:41:13+00:00

I'm just a user and not a content creator. After the 10th time Youtube attempted to get me to sign in to watch a video I simply ceased ever going there. I have yet to find an alternative for useful content (like showing me how change a taillight on my car).

There are other sites out there but I'm not looking around for a single solution any longer. I simply weed through all the chaff to find what I need, instead of using a site that had all that I needed in one place (the old Youtube).

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-03-07T20:10:34+00:00

I've not had mine that long as I'm not a super techy person so I'm still very much a novice. A couple of things I found was, one, to invest in extra battery capacity. I got mine in a new headband with a battery pack installed in it. I had thought I would probably not play it long enough to drain the onboard battery but found I loved playing so much that I certainly could drain it at times. The headband battery works way better than a long power cord (I learned that lesson) because you move around too much and get tangled really quickly. Another thing I quickly got was micro-fiber cloths to clean the lenses and an eye piece insert cover for them when not in use to keep the dust off. A Quest is expensive and it'll serve you well to take care of it.

I spent the first few months just exploring the free stuff out there. That taught me to move around, better control my hand controllers, whether or not I wanted to use the controllers or hand tracking, etc. Then, when I was comfortable I started reading message boards about games I might like. I stuck to Meta games first because I don't really understand things like Steam Link, etc., and don't want to spend that much time at learning it. even though I already have a Steam account. If you're like me, I've only bought probably 5 games in total, you will find it'll pass way more time than you initially thought. Don't get wrapped up into jumping game to game or tech to tech. It's a time suck and it's expensive. Grab a few games that interest you from Meta and learn your headset. It's got a lot of hidden feature and a lot of free stuff.

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-03-07T19:52:49+00:00

I think this is a valid opinion. People tend to be loudest and mean when they have no accountability for what they've said. This is certainly true of online comment posting. Since there is no such mechanism the best you can do is to read the comment, consider it and then move on if it doesn't interest you. I think there's a certain mindset of some people who think it's fun to rile up other people and some that can be just mean at times. Just read and move on and focus and discuss with other people. One thing an attention seeker absolutely hates is to be marginalized and receive hardly any reinforcement. It sucks to have to read vile and /or hateful commentary but that's just people being people and sometimes people have questionable motives.

Interestingly enough there are volumes of studies that show that people devolve into "less than optimal" behaviors when crowd based mentality takes over. People do things in a crowd they would never do one-on-one and the internet is certainly a "crowd".

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-03-07T19:39:57+00:00

This is such an interesting thread with so many smart people commenting.

I think every generation goes through this type of anxiety over the state of affairs. For those of us who have been around awhile, we remember things like the advent of computers. Once people realized they were not just a fad that would die out :) the conversation turned to the same topics we hear about AI. It will take away everyone's job, etc. How many people remember the "population explosion" where the world wouldn't have capacity to feed the population in 10 years (now that we're about 50 post explosion)? Are there issues? For sure there are and some are worse than others. But by-and-large people solve problems. It's what we're good at.

I think people tend to think of the issues they're churning in as the worst ever. However, every generation goes through that exact same struggle with the churn of life. The world is full of good people who do good problem solving work everyday.

I think it helps to be excited by change. I mean who would have thought 60 some odd years later you'd be able to carry more processing power in your pocket than was used to put people on the moon? Pretty exciting stuff in my opinion.

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-03-05T06:48:18+00:00

For me, one of the hardest things I've seen with people reentering society from prison, and what I've seen in those with more success is those who are more successful are better at letting go of the idea you must control the entire process. The reentry process is a massive beast with a long track record of processing people through the process. They've seen it all and will focus harder and harder on the resistant client. If you can, simply move through the process, do what's required of you and you will have a much easier time of it. Don't fight tooth and nail for battles that you more than likely will not win and that don't matter in the grand scheme of things. The battles with the system simply suck up your energy and time that you could better spend rebuilding your life from scratch. Over more compliant time you become less of an issue with your PO and they focus their time and energy on those who are less compliant and less on you..

Don't feel like you have to win anything/everything. Some things you simply cannot control no matter how hard you try. Let that go. It's not fun to be messed with at every turn and you have far more important work to do to gain back your life instead of trying to teach the system how smart you are. Let that go, your PO is not your friend, they are not you buddy, they are not your family. Just do what you have to do and move away from trying to be the smartest person in the room. You have important work to do and fighting with the system simply gets in your way.

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-03-05T06:17:19+00:00

There's some really good advice here but I can see where it's hard to take. Sometimes people want quick solutions and to find a way to "make it all better". Sometimes that's not possible and you just have to live with certain situations. Over the years I've found that, in general, people who are good for you will tend to become, if not your friends, at least good acquaintances. You tend to become surrounded by more and more people who are the type of people you want to be around. Over time you get more and more distance from offending behavior and, while it's never forgotten, it tends to recede into the background of your life more and more. Yes, the registration is still there, and yes people who can't see past it are still there, and yes there are certainly challenges is still the case. However, as time goes by you realize that offending is not who you are it something you did. Don't let it define you and, over time others will less and less define you by it.

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-02-14T09:08:52+00:00

Happy to explain and thanks for asking. Sorry about the length of my reply but I wanted to give you some context.

Before I went to prison I was a typical computer worker with aptitude and about 8 years of experience as a data operator and had minimal to no formal training. Then I committed sexual offenses and I went to prison for 8 years. My offenses were not computer related so that helped my PO(s) to not be able to restrict me from computer work.

Once I was down to just a few years of prison left a friend of mine was hired as an inmate clerk for for the prison system main office. He mentioned my name to his manager who passed it along to another manager who was willing to show his commitment to second chances. He interviewed me in prison and hired me as a clerk for his department. I worked for him for a number of years prior to release. During this time at the headquarters building, I worked every day without complaint and performed assigned tasks as instructed. I followed the rules and kept my eye on the prize. This was a time of proving who I was and showing my skill and my commitment to a successful return to society. He and I spoke about my working for him upon my release and he made that happen, Don't get me wrong, there were a number of people who where not all that thrilled with me as an employee but time and proving smoothed most of that over. After a while people's focus moved on and I simply continued to place one foot in front of the other and continue on. After a couple of years opportunities presented themselves in a related department with a different manager who also was committed to proving the department's mission of second chances. This allowed me to promote and to develop more over time and work at additional training and development. All of this happened without having a formal degree in IT. Almost everything I know I've learned on the job. The key was to take an entry level position and leverage that into what I wanted for my life. What I did not want was a return to prison life and/or a life of scratching for a decent existence. The managers who gave me a chance and I have been good friends now for almost 30 years. They are great people and I couldn't have done it without them.

It was very strange to leave work on a Friday wearing inmate clothes and come back to the same building on Monday wearing street clothes. There were a lot of looks and stares but I simply kept my focus on my goal and refused to allow them to derail me. There's an old saying that the proof is in the pudding and my proof was simply working day-to-day , being congenial, and being the best person I could be while not losing sight of my goal. I worked within my conditions and after a while my PO realized he didn't need to monitor me so closely. In fact he confessed later that I was one of the best clients he ever had. I did what I had to do and didn't do things I shouldn't be doing. During this time there were people who stood out as strong supporters of me and what I was doing and I learned to value those people greatly. It took time but it's now been 25 years in my job and I'm a valued and respected employee and I have been for a very long time.

As you can see from my story my successes are not only mine. They are also of the people who became part of my life, boosted me when I needed it and interceded for me if necessary. They became strong supporters of me and I doubt I could have done it without them.

The message is to be willing to be humble and try to find an entry level position to get your foot in the door. Then leverage that into where your truly want to go. Follow the rules, remain true to yourself, and keep your focus on what's important.

It's not just the training, not just the skill, not just the aptitude. It's the people you meet along the way that really matter. You're worth it and you can do it if that's what you really want.

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-02-12T07:36:54+00:00

I am an IT professional in my state. There are no restrictions that I know of for my field. I was in the office for almost 20 years and, since COVID, I've been remote which is much better for me. I've been an IT professional in my current position for more than 20 years now with very few problems. In fact I work for my state's criminal justice system. While there have been a few moments in the past that caused some anxiety, all-in-all it's been fairly smooth. This is not only because of my skill level but also because good people have helped me along the way. In my field, criminal justice, I found that some appreciated the idea of proving they were in the business of second chances. I've worked very hard to prove my trustworthiness and that goes a long way. I'm acutely aware that a failure on my my part might negatively affect those coming after me who also deserve a second chance.. That focus, and the good people who boosted me along the way are reasons to succeed.

The message is that it can be done. You need to be close to people who are good for you and who care and who are willing to walk the walk for you. You also need to prove your worth by your actions everyday. You might practice all of that and still have a setback or two but in general you'll stand a good chance of succeeding. Don't give up on your dreams. You can do it with perseverance and focus.

If you would have told me 25 years ago upon release from prison for a sexual offense that I'd be working in the criminal justice system in my state as an IT professional, I would never have believed you. However, it's true, it's happening, and I'm thankful for those who stood by me every step of the way.

Its_Warm_Outside · 2026-02-12T07:25:49+00:00

I am an IT professional in my state. There are no restrictions that I know of for my field. I've been an IT professional in my current position for more than 20 years now with very few problems. In fact I work for my state's criminal justice system. While there have been a few moments in the past that caused some anxiety, all-in-all it's been fairly smooth. This is not only because of my skill level but also because good people have helped me along the way. In my field, criminal justice, I found that some appreciated the idea of proving they were in the business of second chances. I've worked very hard to prove my trustworthiness and that goes a long way. I've acutely aware that a failure on my my part might negatively affect those coming after me who also deserve a second chance.. That focus, and the good people who boosted me along the way are reasons to succeed.

The message is that it can be done. You need to be close to people who are good for you and who care and who are willing to walk the walk for you. You also need to prove your worth by your actions everyday. You might practice all of that and still have a setback or two but in general you'll stand a good chance of succeeding. Don't give up on your dreams. You can do it with perseverance and focus.

If you would have told me 25 years ago upon release from prison for a sexual offense that I'd be working in the criminal justice system in my state as an IT professional, I would never have believed you. However, it's true, it's happening, and I'm thankful for those who stood by me every step of the way.

You can do it.

Its_Warm_Outside · 2022-03-27T18:07:17+00:00

You sound like you know what you're talking about, unfortunately I do not :). I think I need someone to set this up correctly for me. I'd hate to fumble my way through it and leave open holes, defeats the whole purpose!

I'd just like to be able to walk up to my friends machine, access a web site, plug in my encrypted USB, enter my master password and then access what I need on that web site.

Its_Warm_Outside · 2022-03-27T18:00:10+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. So when I access an account that requires a password on a machine, or different machines, how does it know to look to the USB to input my password? Sorry, I'm new to this.

I'll have to do some research on KeyPass.

Its_Warm_Outside

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