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Vijay Prema

@vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy

3 followers 1 following 107 posts

The Mindful Technologist - On the intersection of Spirit and Tech. vijayprema.com • Software Engineer • Cybermonk • Meditator • Silence-seeker. 📍 […] [bridged from fosstodon.org/@vjprema on the fediverse by fed.brid.gy ]

Posts Replies Media

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026

Stages of enlightenment: Start: Chop wood carry water and hate it. Middle: "Upgrade" your life so you no longer chop wood carry water Later: Realize that the "upgrade" mentality just further trained you to be dissatisfied with everything in the long run, and in reality you always had a choice […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026

Dario actually starts off OK, until he gets to: "The thing that will work is actually curing cancer". I don't think so. If that very cure is yet another enshittified product on the same mountain of existing enshittified products, within the same bad system.. nothing has happened, no trust has […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026

Dario actually starts off OK, until he gets to: "The thing that will work is actually curing cancer". I don't think so. If that very cure is yet another enshittified product on the same mountain of existing enshittified products, within the same bad system.. nothing has happened, no trust has […]

Original post on fosstodon.org

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2026

I think I'm starting to deeply understand the importance of dedicating action to others. I'm also more attached to the outcomes of my DIY projects I do for myself, which sometimes makes them harder and arduous. It starts to feel like "work". Yet, if I selflessly donate my time to a community […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2026

A little bit of noticing goes a long way. dailynonduality.substack.com/p/a-li… #nondual #nondualism #spiritual #mindfulness #advaita

dailynonduality.substack.com

A little bit of noticing

Every moment of every day, life is already demonstrating its nondual nature.

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 02/08/2026

Because the "Secret" IS the very cessation of grasping, we never see anyone grasping for it and achieving it - it is invisible. Because of that, we think either it's impossible to achieve, that it is imaginary, or that it is of no value since nobody else seems to want to go for it. Spirituality […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/07/2026

Anthropic CEO in a letter urging ban on model distillation. Same old story - Still thinks "Distillation" is something different to scraping the Internet. - Still thinks Chinese "authoritarian regime" is different to their own "authoritarian regime". - Confirmed they are technically powerless […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2026

This article reminded me of the importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). I live and work in a small air-tight apartment so I consider this important. For years, I have an #AirGradient sensor on my desk which I hooked up via #HomeAssistant to turn my fresh air ventilation on and off based on CO2 […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 08/07/2026

"You will own nothing and be happy" There is the contemporary dystopian context of this phrase we all know, thanks to enshittiification. But I had to laugh when I realized under the lens of #Buddhist practice it is actually spot on and a positive thing. That is: letting go of attachment and […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2026

Looking for some Joy and rest? Try: Stay away from non-joy. Stay away from non-rest. You might find that you already had Joy and rest all along, and will never really lose it except if you chose to walk away. #spiritual #peace #joy

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 22/06/2026

Is the release of open-weight GLM 5.2 the new "Deepseek Moment"? I'm amazed how few people are talking about GLM because the latest model absolutely performs on par or better than the biggest closed-weight models in my real world use, for a fraction of the cost. Having exclusively used the GLM […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/06/2026

It's a bit scary talking to some people these days, who's first (and sometimes only) significant computing experience is a smartphone or closed-ecosystem PC, and not a general purpose PC. Real Stockholm syndrome stuff: "I'm so impressed by Apple, my 2019 macbook still gets updates! most android […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 21/05/2026

I've heard of #infomaniak for a while but it came back on my radar after this announcement. So I gave the product a quick trial and it works reasonably well, if a little slow and basic compared to say Proton, Zoho or Nextcloud self-hosted. The price is great though, comparable to the basic Zoho […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/05/2026

Some see this as cute. Others, see another annoying Clippy. To me, it's what I call "UX Juice": polish and emotional elements which feign quality and retain users. Users are more likely to overlook real limitations with when they feel an immediate emotional calm induced by a familiar and slick […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 30/04/2026

**The Price of Free Google** What the Ad Industry Pays to Target Americans. Value of a free user: $31 to $17,929 per year. Median: $760 Now this is fascinating. Parents are less valuable. IOS user more valuable than Android (expected), but heavy Desktop user (like myself) way more valuable […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 21/04/2026

Anyone know what/who is good to follow regarding #OpenSourceAI? (other than that hashtag) Including news, models, and high-quality clients or other related high-quality/notable software news. And hopefully without noise, slop, hype, and drama etc. #AI #opensource #models

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/04/2026

Last week I biked ~300km in 3 days on gravel and road, starting from home. A cyclone rolled in and we had to take a bus back home (grateful to the driver who let the bikes on) but we did as much of the trail as we planned to. What an adventure full of […] [Original post on fosstodon.org]

Two gravel bikes loaded with bags for touring leaning against a sign for the "Hauraki Rail Trail", in an expansive grassy green countryside on the side of a gravel road.

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 14/04/2026

Privacy isn't just about not being spied on. Your mind is a private sovereign space. Having it invaded and manipulated by things you didn't ask for is an invasion of that privacy, and arguably much more serious than what people typically consider privacy-invasion. Being able to completely […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/04/2026

RE: mastodonapp.uk/@BuddhismNow/1163459… > ‘The motto for becoming genuine: nothing is gained by speaking. The goodness of Vimalakirti enters the gate of nonduality.’ #buddhism #nondual #silence

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/03/2026

Very cool little site with nifty DIY improvements for my new family ebike, Aventon Abound LR. betterabound.familybikeride.org #ebike #cargobike #aventon

betterabound.familybikeride.org

Better Abound Project

A non-profit focused on cycling advocacy.

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 16/03/2026

Lately I'm reminded that failures are guaranteed unless you stay well within your comfort zone or just do nothing. Some would argue "do nothing" is the only real failure and the others are just learning opportunities. (obviously relative.. depends on the situation and attitude, as sometimes […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 01/03/2026

Delightful report, first I have seen of a government agency speaking so openly about #Enshittification. The word is mentioned over 5 times on the first page alone. Also talks about #genAI #slop […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 20/02/2026

Normally my life goes pretty smoothly, and so sometimes the occasionally bumps and hurdles seem bigger than they are. This morning I had an unexpectedly bad time, the kind that would normally phase me, but this time it didn't (well it almost did but I quickly "woke up"). Kinda realized the true […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/02/2026

I kinda like that "we are not the same" meme, as it highlights the importance of the intention behind an action, rather than the action itself. This seems sorely lost in many peoples judgements of actions, including their own, and including both "good" and "bad" looking actions. #intention […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 07/02/2026

Finally, signs of a real crackdown on dark-patterns. Banning kids from social and chat does nothing but allow platforms to continue exploiting Adults with dark-patterns. Its the dark-patterns that are the problem and what should actually be banned […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 03/02/2026

So I switched back to #OSMAnd after using #OrganicMaps for a long time. OrganicMaps (or also Comaps) is very friendly out of the box but now I graduated to OSMAnd power-user after spending an hour customizing the UI to my liking, specifically for cycle touring. I also spun up my own #Wanderer […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 03/02/2026

Mozilla details how AI can be switched on/off in future Firefox versions, including the ability for fine-grained control if you still want specific features like Translate. I think it sounds tasteful enough for me to keep using it. It will be interesting to see whether this is one of the first […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 22/01/2026

Is it just me or does most of the apps out there suddenly now have some kind of automatic "year in review" thing? I guess its because gen AI makes it easy. On the other hand there can be a certain sense of dread about it as it just reminds the user how much the company is spying on them. #ai […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 21/01/2026

Looking back at my "wishlist" of stuff I thought I wanted at the time (saved in Linkding) is amusing because most of it I forgot about or don't even care about anymore. Glad I dropped items in the wishlist rather than hit "Buy Now", saved me thousands. #consumerism #wishlist

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 15/01/2026

If AI really goes the way its creators imagine, one day anyone could use it to understand and modify compiled binary code. Every program that runs on general purpose compute would be technically "open source", yes even MS Windows. This probably means in the long run, such companies will seek to […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/01/2026

I was reminded again by a post, that the Fediverse appears to be losing active users in recent months. What could this actually mean though? Personally what first comes to my mind are positive things: - Less noise doing the rounds. - More people are turning away from distraction. - This is […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/01/2026

Some people say it takes too much time and effort to curate a feed (RSS, Mastodon etc). They want a recommendation algorithm like every other big platform. I say, having a recommendation algorithm takes way more time and effort in the long run, because you end up wasting many magnitudes more […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/01/2026

So after adding quote-posts to Mastodon, it seems the "quote-post apocalypse" did not eventuate. I like to think it's because the user-base of Mastodon contains a much higher density of "well intentioned" users and far fewer of influencers, bots, attention-seekers and monetization etc. And the […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 04/01/2026

Lately I've been tossing around this concept of "user-quality". It's not something I have heard talked about much in tech. The idea is that instead of trying to design and scale your app to the maximum number of users (usually the "marginal user"), design it around only attracting or grouping […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 02/01/2026

Every cloud has a silver lining. Cory Doctorow dropping bombs as usual. media.ccc.de/v/39c3-a-post-american… #enshittification #39c3 #datasovereignty

A post-American, enshittification-resistant internet

Trump has staged an unscheduled, midair rapid disassembly of the global system of trade. Ironically, it is this system that prevented all...

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 19/12/2025

Lately I've been repairing a lot of old clothing, especially hiking clothes where the fabric often outlasts the stitches and "fashion" hardly matters. Using both hand-sewing and a borrowed sewing machine. I did a really good local community sewing class and these great tutorials from #ifixit […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 15/12/2025

Hows your "input diet"? I've probably eaten a little too much politics and tech hype in recent months. Back to tight curation. > A smaller set of trusted sources. Fewer platforms. Slower rhythms. Long-form over live feeds. Reading with intention instead of grazing out of habit. Choosing inputs […]

Original post on fosstodon.org

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 15/12/2025

Hows your "input diet"? I've probably eaten a little too much politics and tech hype in recent months. Back to tight curation. > A smaller set of trusted sources. Fewer platforms. Slower rhythms. Long-form over live feeds. Reading with intention instead of grazing out of habit. Choosing inputs […]

Original post on fosstodon.org

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 08/12/2025

"Acceptance" is not about doing or not doing anything. It's the mental skill of remaining clear and not falling into delusion about "it should be like this!" or "that person should not x" or "its not fair!" etc. Acceptance is non-resisting. Then you clearly see the situation, judge whether it […]

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Reposted by Vijay Prema

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/12/2025

Bought an SSD yesterday after the RAM news. Today the same store sells it for NZD $110 more and another major store jacked it up $150 to an all time high for a 2 year old component. I bet this is also partially why Black Friday was such a bust this year. Oh well. Even more reason to switch to […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 05/12/2025

Bought an SSD yesterday after the RAM news. Today the same store sells it for NZD $110 more and another major store jacked it up $150 to an all time high for a 2 year old component. I bet this is also partially why Black Friday was such a bust this year. Oh well. Even more reason to switch to […]

Original post on fosstodon.org

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/11/2025

Black Friday is a lie. Happy Buy-Nothing day. #blackFriday #fakeNews www.stuff.co.nz/money/360902315/bew…

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 28/11/2025

Microsoft AI CEO puzzled about peoples negative reaction to his work and generally unimpressed with AI shoveling? There is no need to be puzzled sir... just ask your AI! Tell it what you did, tell it how people reacted, and you will have your answer. Its such an easy question, even a very […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 27/11/2025

Whats with the crack down on theming app icons lately? I saw a popular icon library I use deprecating brand icons for legal reasons, and now Android 16 removes icon theming for notifications? I know some devs don't like the idea of custom themes interfering with their "brand presence". But I […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 20/11/2025

Stores trying to sell "Tech essentials" on Black Friday, when thanks to #enshittification, the real tech essentials are: - Slop blocker - Ad blocker - Distraction/dark-pattern filter - Tracker blocker - Malware/phishing detection - Spam filter - OS debloat/jailbreak - Encryption - FOSS […]

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Reposted by Vijay Prema

Zen Every Day ◯ @zeneveryday.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/11/2025

"Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom." – Bodhidharma Daily #Zen #Buddhism #Bodhidharma

Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 20/11/2025

"No One Does The Doing" Ownership/authorship/doership are the illusion. It's imagined and elaborated. Contrived and sprinkled on top. But doing, participation, struggle, and even the feeling of a "self", are actually there regardless of any owner/author/doer […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 19/11/2025

So just like every big-tech forked Chrome and made their own browser, every big-tech forked vscode and made their own IDE? Is there any point trying Google Antigravity or its just more of the same except your data goes to Google? The distinct feature seems to be the visual browser automation […]

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Vijay Prema @vjprema.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy · 10/11/2025

It's been over a year since I last blogged. I finally met with the right influences which got me over my blockers. It feels great! It was so easy and comfortable to claim I didn't have time anymore after becoming a father. But in reality, I had just let my perfectionism get the best of me […]

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