The Pain of Exploits 9 June, 2024

I can’t believe this loathsome world.

While the blocklists I mentioned earlier are incredibly vital for trying to live day to day without the sense of near-apocalyptic dread, there is a certain flaw which I like to call…

EXPLOITS

I heard that some news of one of my favourite games getting downloadable content, but with the ‘Digital Benzodiazepine’ blocklist added, I couldn’t learn anything about it on my main computer. I deleted the browser from my phone, so I couldn’t use that either. Like a crack addict needing his next hit, I pondered desperately how to CONSUME this ARBITRARY MEDIA until I found it - my Steam Deck. The Deck uses Linux, but I don’t use the desktop mode that often. Going into game mode and browsing through to find the game and the news, I saw something awful - a YouTube link.

Clicking on the YouTube link allows me to access YouTube without any ad blocker or customized homepage. Essentially the same as a brand new user on Incognito Mode using YouTube without logging in. I couldn’t access this on the blocklist. Against my better judgement, I went in, the addicted parts of my brain winning against the brave parts telling me not to ponder.

I regret it. I regret it I regret it I regret it. Looking into the YouTube front page without logged-in customization is like staring into the eye of Sauron, an act of madness that is guaranteed to make any sane person lose all humanity. I knew of the clickbait, the lies, the boosted videos and unethical advertising, but I didn’t know YouTube was blatantly recommending racist and inflammatory content to millions of people. How long has this been going on? How many people live like this, brainwashed by the whims of utterly evil algorithms?

The future pains me. But what pains me even more is that now my Steam Deck is a liability. I need a way to rid this exploit, or the black wave I suffered today will haunt me again and again for the days to come.

Clear a path as I keep on walkin’, ain’t no stopping in this dirty, filthy, rotten, nasty little world we call our home…