The Price of American Authoritarianism
The Price of American Authoritarianism: What Can Reverse Democratic Decline?
What can reverse democratic decline?Foreign Affairs Magazine
Alex Badger e il suo “Orrore Italiano”: un viaggio tra abissi psicologici e realtà brutale
Indice dei contenuti
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- Racconti horror italiani
- Il filo conduttore: il dolore e la solitudine
- Bullismo e omofobia: quando l’orrore è sociale
- Il silenzio assordante dell’indifferenza
- Il mito della perfezione: la storia di Lara Barzaghi
- Biografia
Orrore Italiano
Dieci racconti dell’orrore e del Thriller
Alex Badger
Thriller/horror
18 marzo 2025
Independently published
320 pagine
Mostri orribili, lupi mannari, presenze da altre dimensioni, metamorfosi, ritorni dall’oltretomba, violenza e spargimenti di sangue. Gli ingredienti per un classico racconto dell’orrore, gli elementi adatti a dare senso alla definizione stessa del genere, ai quali però si aggiunge un ulteriore elemento, molto più reale e terribile: la cattiveria umana. L’invidia, il sadismo, l’ossessione, la mancanza di affetto, l’avidità, l’intolleranza, la mancanza di empatia, la disistima di séstessi, la consapevolezza della propria iniquità e della malvagità delle proprie azioni, sono tutte caratteristiche capaci di spaventare molto più di un mostro, un fantasma, un evento sovrannaturale. Nonostante questo, non viene negato, nelle storie, un messaggio di speranze. Se vi sono, in esse, personaggi capaci di atti spregevoli, ve ne sono anche altri capaci di sentimenti e atti positivi, come l’amore, l’amicizia, il senso di protezione nei confronti dei propri affetti, anche a costo di metodi discutibili. Poiché questo è l’uomo. Fatto di luci e di ombre, di bianco e di nero e del grigio che lo rende così sfaccettato.
amazon.it/Orrore-Italiano-racc…
Racconti horror italiani
“Orrore Italiano: Dieci racconti dell’orrore e del thriller” è un titolo che non lascia spazio a dubbi. In questa raccolta, Alex Badger esplora il lato oscuro dell’animo umano attraverso dieci storie di pura emozione. L’autore oscilla con maestria tra il paranormale e il realismo crudo, intrecciando tematiche forti e contrastanti che mettono a nudo il dolore dei protagonisti, fino a spingerli verso l’atto estremo: l’omicidio o il suicidio.
Il filo conduttore: il dolore e la solitudine
Nonostante la diversità di ambientazioni, situazioni e personaggi, i racconti sono legati da un unico, potente filo conduttore: il binomio tra dolore e solitudine. Nelle pagine di Badger, questi sentimenti si intrecciano inevitabilmente con la follia e il desiderio di vendetta.
La morte non è vista solo come fine, ma come un atto punitivo o, paradossalmente, di liberazione; una meta finale necessaria dopo anni di sofferenze indicibili. L’autore esaspera vissuti e comportamenti, inserendo schegge di realtà brutale all’interno di cornici paranormali. È in questo confine sottile, dove la fantasia si mescola alla quotidianità, che il lettore ritrova le paure più autentiche del nostro tempo.
Bullismo e omofobia: quando l’orrore è sociale
Uno dei temi più toccanti della raccolta è quello del bullismo e dell’omofobia. Badger scava nella paura del “diverso” e in quelle convinzioni retrograde che vorrebbero un mondo immobile e uniforme.
Esemplare è la storia di Gianluca e Lorenzo, una giovane coppia che cerca di sostenersi a vicenda in un contesto di giudizio e odio. La loro vicenda, che culmina nel peggiore dei modi, ci spinge a una riflessione profonda: perché l’amore non può essere semplicemente amore? Chi ha il diritto di decidere chi siamo autorizzati ad amare? Il dolore della solitudine che scaturisce dall’esclusione sociale emerge qui in tutta la sua forza distruttrice.
Il silenzio assordante dell’indifferenza
In un altro racconto, l’autore affronta il tema dell’indifferenza familiare. Protagonista è un figlio ignorato, quasi maltrattato, considerato dai genitori come un errore biologico. Il suo unico desiderio — essere visto, amato, ascoltato — rimane inascoltato.
L’analisi psicologica qui si fa finissima: il bisogno di accettazione da parte delle figure affettive primarie è vitale. Se chi ci ha messo al mondo ci considera “zero”, come possiamo sperare di essere accettati dagli altri? La paura costante di essere invisibile condurrà il protagonista a un gesto estremo, un errore fatale di cui si pentirà quando il tempo sarà ormai scaduto.
Il mito della perfezione: la storia di Lara Barzaghi
Infine, Badger rivolge lo sguardo ai disturbi legati all’immagine di sé con il personaggio di Lara Barzaghi. Bella e fragile, Lara è vittima del bisogno di approvazione e dei canoni estetici imposti dai media. Nonostante la sua bellezza oggettiva, si vede sempre inadeguata, ossessionata da una perfezione irraggiungibile.
Il racconto si configura come una chiara denuncia alla società del perbenismo, un sistema che, anziché guidare e guarire le fragilità, finisce per ammalare le menti più sensibili.
Perché leggerlo? “Orrore Italiano” non è solo una raccolta di genere; è un labirinto di emozioni forti e riflessioni costanti sulla natura umana. Se cercate un libro che sappia spaventarvi ma anche farvi riflettere profondamente sulla società odierna, l’opera di Alex Badger è una lettura imprescindibile.
Biografia
Profilo dell’Autore: Alex Badger
Alex Badger, pseudonimo di Alessandro Errico, è uno scrittore italiano nato a Bari il 23 ottobre 1987. La sua formazione è profondamente legata al mondo dell’immagine e della narrazione visiva: ha frequentato il Liceo Artistico De Nittis, dove tra il 2002 e il 2006 ha consolidato la sua passione per il cinema, il fumetto e la letteratura di genere.
Formazione e Influenze
La sua poetica è influenzata dai grandi maestri dell’orrore e del fantastico. Tra i suoi riferimenti letterari figurano:
- Stephen King e Clive Barker per la capacità di scavare nelle paure umane.
- H.P. Lovecraft per l’orrore cosmico e l’ignoto.
- Il mangaka Go Nagai, che ha segnato il suo immaginario visivo.
Oltre alla scrittura, Badger nutre un forte interesse per il disegno, che considera, insieme alla narrativa, la forma d’arte più libera per esprimere la propria fantasia senza i vincoli economici tipici della produzione cinematografica.
Percorso Letterario
Ha iniziato a dedicarsi seriamente alla scrittura nel 2008. La sua opera “Orrore Italiano: Dieci racconti dell’orrore e del thriller” (pubblicata inizialmente nel 2017 con Europa Edizioni e successivamente con BookSprint Edizioni) rappresenta una sintesi della sua visione del genere: un mix di elementi classici (mostri, magia nera, paranormale) e drammi umani profondamente radicati nella realtà sociale, come il bullismo e l’intolleranza. Il libro viene ripubblicato in autonomia il 18 marzo 2025.
Oltre a questa raccolta, ha pubblicato anche “Incubi e drammi: Storie di orrore e di tragedia”, continuando a esplorare il tema della “cattiveria umana” come il peggiore dei mali possibili.
Se volete potete seguirmi su Instagram o tiktok per altre recensioni. Mi trovate come @glo.donati
instagram.com/reel/DSF1dx4DG_H…
Alex Badger e l'Orrore Italiano: Recensione dei 10 Racconti Thriller
"Orrore Italiano" di Alex Badger: una raccolta di dieci racconti che esplorano il confine tra paranormale, bullismo e follia. Una lettura intensa e cruda.Gloria Donati (Magozine.it)
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Evacuations underway in parts of WA with ‘catastrophic’ flooding expected
“Catastrophic” flooding is expected to hit parts of Skagit, Snohomish and King counties Thursday as rivers swell and the region is drenched in rain.Authorities have ordered evacuation for parts of Orting in Pierce County, parts of Skagit County, including Mount Vernon, and Ebey Island east of Everett. An estimated 100,000 Washingtonians could face evacuation orders as floodwaters continue to rise, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office said Wednesday afternoon.
Ferguson already declared a state of emergency, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said she’s working to get federal assistance for those impacted.
In Grays Harbor County, a nearly century old dam in Lake Sylvia State Park is showing signs of stress. Although it hasn’t failed yet, it could get worse if these weather conditions continue.
The Carbon River near Fairfax; Cedar River near Renton; Puyallup River near Orting; Elwha River near Port Angeles; Snohomish River at Snohomish; Stillaguamish River at Arlington; and the Skagit River at Concrete and Mount Vernon were all expected to either swell above their record height or come within inches of the record.
The Skagit is expected to rise aggressively until a peak around 4 a.m. Thursday in the Concrete area.
More articles about the flooding:
- Mount Vernon braces for potentially historic flood - Seattle Times [archive link]
- Floods may force 100K to evacuate near Skagit, Snohomish, other WA rivers - Seattle Times [archive link]
- ‘Catastrophic’ flooding expected in King, Snohomish, Skagit counties - Seattle Times [archive link]
- Governor Ferguson declares statewide emergency responding to major flooding - The Office of the Governor of Washington State [archive link]
- ‘Historic’ flooding prompts WA governor to declare emergency [archive link]
- Pacific Northwest under flood alerts as atmospheric river brings heavy rain - NBC News [archive link]
- Tens of thousands in Washington could face evacuations as rain continues to pound the region - AP News [archive link]
Map:
Catastrophic flooding could be in store for Washington state
Tens of thousands of residents in western Washington are facing potential evacuation orders as another round of heavy rain drops on the region. The rain is threatening to bring catastrophic flooding as rivers near historic levels.Cedar Attanasio (AP News)
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How to Disable Telemetry Across Windows and Popular Applications
Israel's reign of terror over the West Bank
Israel's reign of terror over the West Bank
Deadly shootings by the army, beatings by settlers, devastating raids, arbitrary arrests, torture in prison: The level of violence inflicted on Palestinians living in the territory has never been so high since the Israeli occupation began in 1967.Luc Bronner (Le Monde)
OpenAI's house of cards seems primed to collapse
OpenAI's house of cards seems primed to collapse
OpenAI is in a far less commanding position than it was following the public release of ChatGPT a few short years ago.Igor Bonifacic (Engadget)
Iceland joins boycott of Eurovision 2026 in protest at Israel’s involvement
Iceland to join boycott of Eurovision in protest at Israel’s involvement
Iceland joins four other nations in a boycott, after the organiser declined to hold a vote over Israel’s involvement.Al Jazeera
Haiyang district heating network expanded, with Rongcheng becoming the third city in China's Shandong Province to receive district heating from the Haiyang nuclear power plant's AP1000 reactors
Haiyang district heating network expanded
Rongcheng has become the third city in China's Shandong Province to receive district heating from the Haiyang nuclear power plant, State Power Investment Corporation announced. ;World Nuclear News
Ms Rachel forced to hire security over Zionist threats
Ms Rachel forced to hire security over Zionist threats - Canary
Ms Rachel had to hire security after a Zionist-led smear campaign unleashed threats against her family — it's Ms Rachel damn it!!Skwawkbox (The Canary)
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‘Not normal’: Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia | Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’
‘Not normal’: Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia
Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’Damian Carrington (The Guardian)
Portugal's largest Labour Union Federations call for General Strike on the 11th of December
Labor law? CGTP calls for adherence to the general strike as a "sign of rejection" - PPulse
The government is "attempting to take away the right to a stable, dignified life with future prospects," Tiago Oliveira stated to journalists after a visit toAdmin Moderator (Portugal Pulse - News and community)
'I love an underdog': Trump-Zohran Mamdani voters are at the center of an unexpected relationship
The Oval Office meeting between Mamdani and Trump last month turned heads, with some observers stunned at what a warm reception the right-wing Republican president gave to the democratic socialist mayor-to-be. But in New York City, this wasn't so surprising to Rodriguez. And he wasn't alone.
NBC News exit polling from the November vote showed 9% of 2024 Trump voters who showed up at the polls backed Mamdani, a phenomenon highlighted by one voter's "MAGA for Mamdani" T-shirt that went viral in the run-up to Election Day. Trump himself was fascinated by the development, citing the statistic to reporters following his meeting with Mamdani.
"A lot of my voters actually voted for" Mamdani, Trump said. "One in 10, and I'm OK with that."
Mamdani and his allies see their success winning over a segment of Trump voters as a sign of how other Democrats can win back parts of the electorate that spurned the party for Trump in 2024, including young men and immigrants who felt the party was unresponsive to their needs. But Republicans who spoke to NBC News said that while they were surprised by both the number of Trump-Mamdani voters and the congeniality of the president's meeting with the mayor-elect, they did not feel as if Mamdani unlocked a road map to reconfigure the electorate.
Live updates: Supreme Court hears arguments on Trump tariff case
Get live updates and the latest news NYC mayor, N.J., Va. elections notch Democrat wins and government shutdown becomes longest ever.NBC News
NASA loses contact with MAVEN Mars orbiter
NASA loses contact with MAVEN Mars orbiter
: Didn’t phone home as expected on December 6th and nobody knows whySimon Sharwood (The Register)
China's 50% Increase in EV Truck Sales Wipes Out Global Diesel Demand
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
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The 'forever layoffs' era hits a recession trigger as corporates sack 1.1 million workers through November
The ‘forever layoffs’ era hits a recession trigger as corporates sack 1.1 million workers through November
That's the most since 2020—but then you have to go back to 2009 to find when companies let so many workers go.Nick Lichtenberg (Fortune)
don't like this
China’s scientific clout is growing as US influence wanes: the data show how
China’s scientific clout is growing as US influence wanes: the data show how
An analysis of international research collaborations reveals the growing dominance of Chinese science.Tollefson, Jeff
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Bison at 35 below zero. Yellowstone National Park, USA. Photo by Tom Murphy.
copymyjalopy likes this.
The following articles a couple years old but still
..
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Parts of the US are getting dangerously hot. Yet Americans are moving the wrong wayThe Census Bureau’s new map of the last decade’s population trends shows big growth in the west and on the coasts – and declines in the inland east coast and Great Lakes region.
Now compare that map to ProPublica maps documenting the areas most at risk of extreme heat, wildfires and flooding, and you see the problem. While there has been some recent anecdotal evidence of pragmatic climate migration, overall the census data shows America’s population growth is shifting out of areas that may be the best refuges from the most extreme effects of climate change, and into many areas that are most at risk.
Some of the examples are genuinely mind-boggling. For instance, upstate New York is considered one of the country’s most insulated regions in the climate crisis – and yet almost all of upstate New York saw population either nearly flat or declining. At the same time, there were big population increases in and around the Texas Gulf coast, which is threatened by extreme heat and coastal flooding.
I take issue with the mind boggling quip, this level of stupid is after all why we're in this mess.
They want to pretend that nothing must fundamentally change – even though we’re already seeing that everything is changing faster than ever.
Parts of the US are getting dangerously hot. Yet Americans are moving the wrong way
As the climate changes, census data shows that Americans are shifting from safer areas of the US to the regions most at risk of heating and floodingDavid Sirota (The Guardian)
US demands access to tourists' social media histories
US demands access to tourists' social media histories
The Trump administration wants to force foreign visitors to give border agents access to their social media accounts before they are allowed into the country. The proposal applies to all visa-free travelers.Jon Shelton (Deutsche Welle)
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European Union and Canada strengthen their digital partnership with a focus on artificial intelligence, digital identity wallets and independent media
European Union and Canada strengthen their digital partnership with a focus on artificial intelligence, digital identity wallets and independent media
The EU and Canada reinforced their cooperation and reaffirmed shared interests to boost competitiveness, innovation and economic resilience during the first Digital Partnership Council held today in Montreal, Canada.European Commission - European Commission
adhocfungus likes this.
Mobile devices on P2P behind CGNAT and other brain damage are more a problem, than a solution.
The Trump-UN Gaza plan is no path to peace. Here’s a better way.
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40157655
by Huwaida Arraf
12/10/25#HuwaidaArraf is a human rights attorney and organizer with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
In late November, the United Nations Security Council endorsed the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” which includes President Trump’s 20-point framework.Washington and Jerusalem celebrated it as a breakthrough. In reality, it represents one of the most dangerous recent efforts to make international law irrelevant, installing a neo-colonial trusteeship run by those who have armed, funded and politically shielded Israel for decades.
Despite media hype, the October “ceasefire” was never a true ceasefire at all. Israel has since bombed homes and schools, killing more than 300 Palestinians, injuring hundreds more and demolishing civilian infrastructure. It is still blocking desperately needed humanitarian aid.
The Trump-UN Gaza plan is no path to peace. Here’s a better way.
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40157655
by Huwaida Arraf
12/10/25#HuwaidaArraf is a human rights attorney and organizer with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
In late November, the United Nations Security Council endorsed the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” which includes President Trump’s 20-point framework.Washington and Jerusalem celebrated it as a breakthrough. In reality, it represents one of the most dangerous recent efforts to make international law irrelevant, installing a neo-colonial trusteeship run by those who have armed, funded and politically shielded Israel for decades.
Despite media hype, the October “ceasefire” was never a true ceasefire at all. Israel has since bombed homes and schools, killing more than 300 Palestinians, injuring hundreds more and demolishing civilian infrastructure. It is still blocking desperately needed humanitarian aid.
The Trump-UN Gaza plan is no path to peace. Here’s a better way.
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40157655
by Huwaida Arraf
12/10/25#HuwaidaArraf is a human rights attorney and organizer with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
In late November, the United Nations Security Council endorsed the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” which includes President Trump’s 20-point framework.Washington and Jerusalem celebrated it as a breakthrough. In reality, it represents one of the most dangerous recent efforts to make international law irrelevant, installing a neo-colonial trusteeship run by those who have armed, funded and politically shielded Israel for decades.
Despite media hype, the October “ceasefire” was never a true ceasefire at all. Israel has since bombed homes and schools, killing more than 300 Palestinians, injuring hundreds more and demolishing civilian infrastructure. It is still blocking desperately needed humanitarian aid.
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The Trump-UN Gaza plan is no path to peace. Here’s a better way.
by Huwaida Arraf
12/10/25
#HuwaidaArraf is a human rights attorney and organizer with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
In late November, the United Nations Security Council endorsed the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” which includes President Trump’s 20-point framework.Washington and Jerusalem celebrated it as a breakthrough. In reality, it represents one of the most dangerous recent efforts to make international law irrelevant, installing a neo-colonial trusteeship run by those who have armed, funded and politically shielded Israel for decades.
Despite media hype, the October “ceasefire” was never a true ceasefire at all. Israel has since bombed homes and schools, killing more than 300 Palestinians, injuring hundreds more and demolishing civilian infrastructure. It is still blocking desperately needed humanitarian aid.
The Trump-UN Gaza plan is no path to peace. Here’s a better way.
Trump’s plan demands full Palestinian demilitarization while imposing hardly any limitations on Israeli military power.Huwaida Arraf, opinion contributor (The Hill)
Israel Used Palantir in Lebanon’s Pager Attack and Gaza Genocide: New Book
Israel Used Palantir in Lebanon’s Pager Attack and Gaza Genocide: New Book
In the September 17-18, 2024 attacks on Lebanon, Israel detonated thousands of handheld pagers and walkie-talkies in public places, killing dozens including women and children and injuring nearly 3,00...Quds News Network
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No wonder the CEO/President/Whatever that guy does is going all in on legalizing war crimes.
Apparently he has committed some.
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What show is this?
[edit: it looks like Summer Camp Island? I don't remember it that well if that's the case]
[edit edit: after a bit of hunting, I think it's from the final episode of season 1 of Summer camp island; The Library]
Europe’s world-first carbon tariff is coming. Here’s what to know.
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is part of a broader effort to decarbonize heavy industries in Europe and globally. It takes full effect Jan. 1.
Europe’s world-first carbon tariff is coming. Here’s what to know.
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is part of a broader effort to decarbonize heavy industries in Europe and globally. It takes full effect Jan.…Canary Media
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Terrain Diffusion: A Diffusion-Based Successor to Perlin Noise in Infinite, Real-Time Terrain Generation
Terrain Diffusion: A Diffusion-Based Successor to Perlin Noise in Infinite, Real-Time Terrain Generation
For decades, procedural worlds have been built on procedural noise functions such as Perlin noise, which are fast and infinite, yet fundamentally limited in realism and large-scale coherence.arXiv.org
Dr. Wesker
in reply to tatoko556 • • •Obviously, the most effective approach is to reduce the vector by not using them, or in some of these cases (NVIDIA, AMD, etc) only installing the drivers and not the additional software.
Other than that, the most effective approach I've found is analyzing and blocking the traffic at the router level.
tatoko556
in reply to Dr. Wesker • • •Thank you. I use the official website to download drivers, but it seems they only provide packages like AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition or NVIDIA App for installing the drivers. How can I install only the drivers without the additional bundled software?
Also, which on-device traffic blocker would you recommend, and what rules do you use? Are those rules comprehensive enough to block all telemetry traffic?
I’m concerned that if the IP addresses of their servers change and the traffic blocker doesn’t update in time, some information from my device could still be transmitted. Because of that, I have some doubts about relying on traffic blockers alone.
anon5621
in reply to tatoko556 • • •GitHub - henrypp/simplewall: Simple tool to configure Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) which can configure network activity on your computer.
GitHubonlooker
in reply to tatoko556 • • •tatoko556
in reply to onlooker • • •FauxLiving
in reply to tatoko556 • • •Between the update happening and you running the script all of the re-enabled telemetry grabs all of your logs and uploads them.
You wouldn’t even make it through login after the update reboot before this happens.
You cannot remove this telemetry and also receive updates. This is by design.
MonkderVierte
in reply to tatoko556 • • •tatoko556
in reply to MonkderVierte • • •dellhiver
in reply to tatoko556 • • •I use this - github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winu…
But obviously get opinions from other sources first.
It claims to disable most Windows telemetry. Some Adobe. But I haven't actually done any testing to prove it's the case. It's a pretty useful tool. Just use the restore point option first.
Last time I tried this method of disabling Adobe telemetry, photoshop stopped opening after a few days.
For nvidia/amd, just install the drivers, not their tool suite.
As the other posters mention, try to find alternatives.
Other than that, you can try and block at a firewall level. But few companies make it obvious like: nerferoustelemetry.pleasedontb…
GitHub - ChrisTitusTech/winutil: Chris Titus Tech's Windows Utility - Install Programs, Tweaks, Fixes, and Updates
GitHubtatoko556
in reply to dellhiver • • •Thank you. This tool is great for some windows tweak.
I use the official website to download drivers, but it seems they only provide packages like AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition or NVIDIA App for installing the drivers. How can I install only the drivers without the additional bundled software?
dellhiver
in reply to tatoko556 • • •Yeah they are sneaky. You are forced to download everything.
Do a "manual search" on the Nvidia driver page.
Once the "Game Ready" drivers are downloaded. Uninstall the nvidia app (if it's installed already.)
Now to install.
Basically for any windows software, always choose "Custom (Advanced)" installation, instead of "Express (Recommended)".
For nvidia, the next page will show you 3-4 options. Untick everything accept "Graphics driver".
Definitely ignore "HD audio". It tends to mess up your sound (at least that's my experience.)
and "PhysX System Software" unless this out of date or missing. Then you can tick this.
Then just your graphics drivers will be installed.
Obviously you will miss out on the various additional features the nvidia app provides, like auto tweaking game settings. But it's always a tradeoff.
As I said above. Always do "Custom" installs on ANY software. 75% of the time you end up automatically opting into to various forms of telemetry, and at worst find your browers have new plugins, your search engine changed, and antivirus installed. It can be time-consuming to uninstall.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have more questions. I tried to add screenshots but the Lemmy app wasn't having it.
tatoko556
in reply to dellhiver • • •HornedMeatBeast
in reply to tatoko556 • • •It might be a more extreme method, but I use Pi-Hole on my home network running on a Raspberry Pi.
It's more investment than tweaking some Windows settings or configuring a router, but it does a decent job of blocking a lot of telemetry and tracking.
Most of my denied queries listed on the Pi-Hole dashboard are Microsoft based.
I have to use my Pi-Hole as my DHCP server though, otherwise all traffic seems to only come from one device... my router.
If you have a server running at home, Pi-Hole can also be hosted in a Docker container.
tatoko556
in reply to HornedMeatBeast • • •Thank you, which on-device traffic blocker would you recommend, and what rules do you use? Are those rules comprehensive enough to block all telemetry traffic?
I’m concerned that if the IP addresses of their servers change and the traffic blocker doesn’t update in time, some information from my device could still be transmitted. Because of that, I have some doubts about relying on traffic blockers alone.
HornedMeatBeast
in reply to tatoko556 • • •I'm afraid I don't know too much about that.
I use uBlock Origin in Firefox and that is basically all I use on my PC and Pi-Hole does the rest.
Pi-Hole has some default rules that do a decent job and most people just rely on those, you can add your own or apply additional rule lists but the more you add, the greater the chance you break or block something legitimate.
Whatever blocker or rules you use will need updating once Microsoft or whoever makes changes, and some might react faster to the changes than others and they will most likely never react instantly. Something will always get through.
I don't think there is a definite solution that will always work, these large companies will always make changes and try and bypass our protections and all we can do is react to that.
The only way to truly stop all M$ telemetry is to not use their services but I am not going to tell anyone they need to move over to a non-M$ system because I know it's not just that easy. I have software and games that only run in Windows so I am stuck with their slop for now.
Maybe someone will be able to suggest another method that will suit your needs.
tatoko556
in reply to HornedMeatBeast • • •ZeDoTelhado
in reply to tatoko556 • • •There are a couple of things that can be done. Do keep in mind that most of these require some maintenance and checking, since windows updates are notorious for re enabling stuff:
- for windows itself, there are utilities like o&o shutup windows. This usually works quite well to go into the well hidden reg options to disable telemetry
- another good advice is to use such tool to straight up uninstall what ships with windows that you don't need
- at the network level in your house, having a DNS block level service is great. Pihole and adguard come to mind. This solution is more involved and requires more time to setup, but has tremendous benefits not only on windows telemetry, but overall network telemetry
- if you are not in the capacity to have a network level service, setting up the machine to use nextdns is another good step. It is also a DNS block level kind of solution, but works by pointing the machine to the DNS to be used system wide. Do keep in mind is certainly possible for the system in places to use hardcoded DNS and ignore your options (at network level, you can always force to reroute to your local DNS. The case of DoH is a bit more tricky)
Hopefully this helps
tatoko556
in reply to ZeDoTelhado • • •Are there any on-device tools you could recommend? My laptop won’t always be connected to my home Wi-Fi, and some telemetry could still occur when it’s connected to other networks without my DNS configuration.
Thank you. I’m concerned that if the IP addresses of their servers change and the traffic blocker doesn’t update in time, some information from my device could still be transmitted. For the reasons you have listed and changing IP addresses of their servers , I have some doubts about relying on traffic blockers alone.
Libb
in reply to tatoko556 • • •I don't use Windows or Adobe and things like that (I use Linux and before that I was running a Mac), but for VSCode you may consider using VSCodium instead which is the exact same app (the same source code, running the same extensions) just without MS telemetry.
vscodium.com/
VSCodium - Open Source Binaries of VSCode
vscodium.comggtdbz
in reply to tatoko556 • • •PiraHxCx
in reply to tatoko556 • • •In the last few months I saw so many new services being added to Win11, connecting to so many new domains... WindowsSpyBlocker, that a lot of people use with the DNS, is awfully outdated, and unless stuff like Sophia Script, Win-Debloat-Tools, winutil, O&O Shutup were updated recently (like 1 or 2 months tops) it's also outdated.
Microsoft is also constantly changing how stuff works, intertwining stuff so you can't fully remove without breaking functionality. You used to get media expansion packs (stuff like av1, avif and webp support) through updates or you could download them from their site or use a Powershell command to install them, now you are forced to do it through the MS Store, and guess what happens if you uninstall the MS Store? (at least, a few months ago when I got a new Win11 install, removing MS Store removed the packages). Probably a lot of Edge removing tools are broken by now too, if you watch your network you gonna see Microsoft Edge WebView 2 calling tons of domains all the time, and if you remove it you kill your internet connection entirely (you can, however, block it on the firewall. It used to be just one service, but with some recent update it's four different services you have to block now).
What I'd recommend is manually uninstalling all the bloat you can, then running Get-AppxPackage on Powershell to find whatever crap is still lurking and removing it with Get-AppxPackage -Name "PackageName" | Remove-AppxPackage (don't remove what you are not sure what it is for, search or ask AI when in doubt, and some stuff you won't be able to remove anyway), then execute msconfig to disable other crap you may also find there (again, be careful with that) and lastly get a program like simplewall or Portmaster to block Windows communication at firewall level (Portmaster has a very friendly UI) - the problem is, each update Microsoft includes new services, and you should let stuff like Wuauserv, Do Svc, Crypt Svc and BITS open because they handle updates, but always check what the domains they are connecting to are for... still, even though they may not be for telemetry, they could totally be sending telemetry data through them, so there is no way to use Windows safely.
simplewall/Portmaster can completely cut the communication of Adobe, Nvidia and whatever other program you use, so you'd technically look like you are offline to them - if you need to use their online features, or they need online authentication to even run (evil as fuck), I don't think you will be able to escape data collection.
PiraHxCx
in reply to PiraHxCx • • •FauxLiving
in reply to PiraHxCx • • •RotatingParts
in reply to tatoko556 • • •Steve
in reply to tatoko556 • • •I just did a clean re-install of Windows with it. And its been great for the last few days. No dumb bloatware or spyware. Though not so privacy crazy as to break things. Supposedly it's changes can't be rolled back with updates due to the techniques they use. We'll see
Revision
www.revi.ccFauxLiving
in reply to tatoko556 • • •I’d switch to Windows but I don’t want to use an OS that requires digging through shady online instructions and running random power shell scripts in order to stop it from spying on me until the next update.
I disabled telemetry on Linux(Arch, btw) by not installing enshittified corporate spyware masquerading as an operating system.
Ocular/Scribus
Linux, Linux Foundation
The drivers don’t have telemetry, it’s the software that comes with it.
On Linux you can just install the driver from your package manager without the need for any third party applications.
git-scm.com/downloads/guis?os=…
docker + wiki.archlinux.org/title/Docke…
VS Codium, open source VS Code.
nvim if you want your (programming) life changed
aur.archlinux.org/
non-profit technology consortium for development of Linux and open source
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)ftbd
in reply to FauxLiving • • •Zerush
in reply to tatoko556 • • •If you have to use Windows, there are at least two mandatory apps
github.com/hellzerg/optimizer
safing.io/
GitHub - hellzerg/optimizer: The finest Windows Optimizer
GitHub