Yeah, I think your last point is the key. I’ve really learned to appreciate the value and quality of software that I pay for. And I will pay for it, just as people have been paying for things they want/need to use well before computers were a thing. The kinds of ads served up on 95% of the internet are essentially a waste and detrimental to a person’s attention economy.

My roommate’s eyes rolled very hard when I casually dropped the term “fediverse” for the first time

I will say, in my experience, the “stability” boost that Debain has over other distros very rarely shows itself for a normal desktop user. It’s more for mission-critical/long-term business calculations where that stability makes a difference. Ubuntu LTS is incredibly “stable” for most desktop users, in that it will do what you want it to without fail, and will have safe, up-to-date programs (that last part is not always the case for Debian).

Yup, having the same issue on my end.

Hey don’t knock the value of creating a vibe for your desk with knick-knacks and deco. It can make it much more pleasant to sit at your desk if you’re there all the time.