I can look into what version we used to get working on her laptop running Windows 11 if you'd like. I can't remember what version we used or if it updated but I know that she hasn't has any issues with it since. Either way I hope things work out and the disability tax is so real and so frustrating!

Ran into a similar issue setting up a new laptop for a friend. Only way I got around it was that she had an old Dragon Naturally Speaking installation CD/DVD which worked without much issue on Windows 11. If she didn't have the physical version we would've been screwed.

Oh and lastly, if you're already doing this please send me a link. I will gladly visit your site/blog/forum. The more jank, the more geocities vibes, the more personalized, the better! Okay, back to obscurity I go!

Anyway bring back forums, bring back self-hosted weird & wonderful websites, niche blogs, etc. When you do, make sure you don't build off of marginalized people and then abandon them like it seems a certain butterfly app is doing. Push out hate, toxicity doesn't need another seat at the table.

I've never felt more alone online than I have lately and honestly, I'd rather just embrace that than funnel to somewhere that will likely disappoint me and not feel right.

Hell, I'd rather make my own thing and have it not attempt to be everything to everyone. But I doubt I'd have that kinda time.

I also don't like the dangerous over-reliance on Discord. In most cases it also feels like forums done WAY worse and it's not secure. It's not all bad but yea, I'm not a big fan and I'll leave it at that.

Nothing feels right for me and I can't imagine I'm alone in feeling that way.

FB is trash, IG is an attention hog, Twitter is a hellscape, this place is abandoning the users who made this anything at all, rip Cohost - you tried, Mastodon is okay but somewhat convoluted, reddit is a power-tripping mod's paradise and just worse forums. None of it feels that "social" anyway.

These folks who are clipping up an old target ad or whatever think games should push $100+ dollars when minimum wage has and continues to stay the same. Get out of here with that ridiculousness. Hyper-capitalists and shareholders love y'all doing the dirty work for them.

Why even adjust for inflation when our wages haven't? It doesn't even make sense. All that to cape up for a corporation that'll be fine regardless. What are we doing?

Indie games should be priced higher in an ideal world too but I bet if they did right now sales would be *rough.*