@janamarie @tef yeah, I hate the way these people vandalize language. I grew up as a cyberpunk fan excited by AI, robotics, space exploration and cryptography. Now I have to constantly append "but not like that" every time I talk about things that interest me. I guess I'm lucky I was never deeply interested in quantum physics. If they inflate a guitar or bicycle bubble next I'm going to lose it

@mehanix sounds like a good starting point. I don't have any existing connections to tap into that I'm aware of (I work remotely and don't have a ton of free time) but I could loiter in a matrix channel and see where it goes

@mehanix hi I'm sort of local (Transylvania) and also interested in FOSS and sustainable tech. I mostly just work and look after my family but it would be nice to be a bit more connected to some kind of tech community here

@earthshine @loriemerson I think they mean it quite literally. The energy in us comes from our food, which gets it from the sun. Wind energy is also from the sun since it's the heat differences that drive the wind. If you take that idea to extremes fossil fuels are also solar but I don't think that's what they meant

@neil I'm lucky in that I have almost no need of a car. My current car is an old diesel, which is not ideal, but it moves very rarely (walk/bike/public transport covers almost everything I want to do) and seems likely to be the last car I own. At my rate of car use, renting one a few times a year would make more sense.

I did consider a cheap small electric car and might end up getting one if my needs change. The Dacia Spring is pretty basic and not very surveillance encumbered, I believe; not luxurious or exciting but maybe worth a look? The VW e-up looks quite nice too, not sure how creepy it is though