Aggregate data doesn't mean no client side data. It's possible they're collecting aggregate level client data too. They could go further and collect data on individuals that is not identifiable or useful to law enforcement in any way. I can think of a few ways to get anonymous usage data that allows you to improve your service while protecting your users. I don't know their scheme but they clearly don't need overly invasive forms of analytics as they have a solid service.
If you have the technical knowledge (or ability to follow instructions) you can setup your torrents behind a VPN using qBittorrent and gluetun in one docker container, and Plex/Jellyfin in another with a shared volume between them. It provides you near bullet proof protection due to the isolated environment and prevents accidentally clicking those .mp4.exes since it abstracts file management away from you. It's also super user friendly once set up even if you're not running a media server 24/7 and just want it for your desktop.
If you wanna get fancy you can use the *arr suite of software to do some magic fairy shit including automatic indexing (searching dozens of torrent sites simultaneously), but that can quickly become a deep rabbit hole. Once setup though it's seamless and kicks ass.
Should be at least double in the US since it would be consultancy work which brings higher taxes (1099 vs W2) and no benefits. A $500 full day consultation is super cheap.
Every method I've encountered in the past was thwarted by a good ole VPN. This was all on unlocked or rooted phones though so YMMV work carrier phones.
That takes an immense amount of fuel. We orbit the sun at 30 km/s, of which you have to cancel about 24 km/s to actually hit it. This is after escaping Earth's atmosphere (another 11 km/s of delta V) and effective sphere of influence which takes even more fuel. We could use some gravity assists off the moon and inner planets to get there, but even then it's not really economical. Our best bet would be to send him out super far using ~9 km/s of dV, and then use a very small amount to cancel out any remaining angular momentum and let him slowly fall into the sun. Unfortunately, as with all efficient space maneuvers, you pay for them in time, and this maneuver would take you 3 years. We'd have to somehow support the little bastard all that time but it might just be doable.
I often use that as a source of encouragement rather than defeat. My two favorite sports are snowboarding and muay thai which are filled with people who've been practicing before they formed memories. If a child is better than me then I'm almost certainly capable of becoming that good with continued practice. Even if it takes years it's something to aspire to regardless of the relative age difference. I was one of those kids who was way better than a lot of people on a dirt bike. I was put on a dirt bike at the age of 4 and don't even remember learning, so it's not like it's a fair comparison. Just run your own race and aspire to be like those around you.
Preface: I realize after writing this I possibly came off as one of those, "just learn to code" people. I'm not. People should only join the field if they're passionate about or at least enjoy it otherwise they will burn out fast. With that said, I don't think the field as a whole should be written off by those who enjoy the work, and CS degrees are as useful to software engineers as physics is to a mechanical engineer. Back to the main discussion.
I think we just have different views on where AI is headed and what it is capable of. Neither job is going to be replaced any time soon by AI IMO, but I'm pretty certain a UPS driver will be replaced much sooner as it's a fundamentally simpler problem to solve.
For comparison, software engineering is critical thinking turned up to 11 with tons of ambiguity and guesswork as to what people actually want vs what they're asking for. It's very people and communication focused despite what stereotypes might portray, and you often have to figure out and tell people what they actually want instead of doing what they say they want. Automating software engineering would be more like automating an entire supply chain as opposed to one part of the supply chain (delivery driver) because there's so many different types of software engineers out there. Not to mention you need software engineers to automate software engineering.
As for pay, that $170k is the absolute top end for UPS drivers and you have to work your way up from warehouse to a delivery position. Software engineers top end is generally around $500k (you can get up to $1 mil but it's rare enough I wouldn't consider it fair for the point of this conversation), with starting being ~$95k for most new grads. Absolute worst case scenario you go work for the government for $70k and earn a healthy pension with dope benefits, regular raises, and amazing work life balance.
Student loans are definitely a consideration and can be high risk, but attending a community college for your first two years before state school you can get out under $30k of debt. My total tuition cost for 5 1/2 years of college was <$20k in California. I was fortunate enough that my mom paid for my education, but I could've covered the cost with loans and paid them back by now. This is all ignoring that software engineering internships regularly pay in excess of $50/hr making it possible to put yourself through school while working summers just like your grandparents did.
I agree somewhat with your concern over the uncertainty of the world, but I figure no one really knows where we're headed so I might as well do what I love and make as much money as possible in the meantime. Neither are bad career options IMO and trades can be awesome, but it's important to consider the long-term risks that often come from certain occupations including those sitting at a desk all day.
It still kind of is though? The market is ass right now but my TC last year as a new grad was $200k and I only started in April. If you grind interview prep you're bound to get something eventually, and new grad software engineers currently pay near to low six figures.
It's not easy but CS bachelor's degree to software engineer is a solid career prospect long term even if the market sucks right now. Not to mention trades destroy your body in ways that cause long term issues, and pay way less over the course of a career unless you're doing something exceedingly risky.
I wouldn't even be against mandatory organ donation so long as it went to those who've been waiting on the donor list. So many more lives could be saved. At the very least make it opt out.
My go to coffee is Vietnamese coffee and if you don't bloom the grounds in the phin before filling it the coffee comes out watery and weak. I'm not even that particular about my coffee either, but blooming makes a massive difference in how coffee tastes.
I wasn't blaming it on anyone. I was just explaining why so many young people, myself included, choose to not give any thought to things they can't control. It's not worth the mental energy and will make you depressed and miserable. I'm all for fighting for things that can be changed, but there's only so much one person can do. Prioritizing what one can give effort to is a much better way to go about it than stressing out about everything wrong with the world.
I've rooted many android phones including modern ones. Flashing the bootloader/recovery without the OS always changed the charging animation in the off state in my experience. Can't say this is how all Androids work, but I've never encountered one that didn't behave this way.
Because many of us were thrust into an extremely fucked up world where caring all the time will give you anxiety and leave you feeling hopeless. It's much more productive to focus your efforts on things you can control instead of being upset about the things you can't. I'm very conscious of the world I leave behind. I respect nature, don't litter, don't own a car, limit my meat intake, and most importantly I'm not having children. All of these things will contribute to a better world, but they don't require me to care about anything outside of my control.
This has nothing to do with age, and everything to do with trying to be okay in an increasingly more depressing world. I just want to exist and not dread everything all the time.
I'd argue it's pretty important for working dogs too, especially ones that require specific temperaments for their jobs like border collies, livestock guardian dogs, and pointers.
Aggregate data doesn't mean no client side data. It's possible they're collecting aggregate level client data too. They could go further and collect data on individuals that is not identifiable or useful to law enforcement in any way. I can think of a few ways to get anonymous usage data that allows you to improve your service while protecting your users. I don't know their scheme but they clearly don't need overly invasive forms of analytics as they have a solid service.