bkor

iDeal/Wero is nicer I think. It just reuses your bank basically. And no need to trust Paypal. I've seen way too many bad stories about that company. Either dispute handling wise or how they handle customer data. With iDeal/Wero I do not need yet another account.

It's basically the better version of iDeal, used heavily in Netherlands. They're slowly changing the iDeal name to Wero. Apparently it's mostly that, change of name coupled with a bigger scope.

It gives "D is not a function". This on Firefox 146. Various extensions including Ublock Origin but that doesn't seem to cause it. Also doesn't work in a private window.

> Productive and innovative businesses with really solid fundamentals (balance sheets) that were acquired and dismantled by PE.

You have way too much (unneeded) limiting qualifications. In Netherlands PE have bought loads of companies, then put the acquisition price as a loan on the balance sheet. Plus then sold the assets, made the company then lease those assets. Then those companies often went bankrupt as the leasing prices increased crazily.

> I would argue that moribund businesses who maintain a competitive moat but are otherwise extremely unproductive and inefficient are the real blight on society.

The companies I've cited weren't "extremely unproductive and inefficient". Businesses can be profitable and healthy without all the qualifications you think they need.

> Update 1: Apparently, GNOME bureaucracy is holding up the processing the application of a new maintainer for over a month now.

Could you explain this? You link to a closed bugreport where a new maintainer stepped up. A previously experienced developer said it'll take several months at least to get up to speed.

That a new person needs to be vouched for a critical library is pretty critical. There's been several examples where a malicious developer took over a critical project.

> The EU can accomplish it with diplomacy.

Agree. It'll likely happen that way. Still, dislike the initial incorrect assertion.

> The EU has agreed upon programs in order to bring in, through an immigration policy, high skilled persons from non-member states.

Where in this is the option that the EU provides an option to immigrate because the EU owns something?

I'm very well aware of knowledge workers. It's not something the EU can provide as an option. What you linked to is the legal framework around how EU members can provide such a thing.

> Not only that, but being owned by the EU gives the ability for MITRE employees to have the option to immigrate to the EU to protect against any retaliation.

According to which rule would "owning by the EU" result in an option to immigrate? Immigration is handled on a per country basis. I don't see how the EU provide such an option.

AliExpress highly encourages leaving a review. They also encourage taking pictures. As a result, loads of random pictures in reviews.

You can do an additional remarks later, but I often don't bother. It's drowned out anyway.

What I often do is read the reviews. What's usually done is a critical review and still 5 stars. The fake reviews are pretty easily spotted. It shouldn't be this way, but in my experience it's still better than Amazon. With Amazon more effort is made to fake a review.

> Obviously YMMV, but I bought some Amazon MTB pedals rated 4.7 starts @ 9k ratings.

Every site is different, no? Amazon isn't AliExpress. Though lately Amazon if flooded with marked-up AliExpress stuff. I'm not fond of Amazon, their customer service is more of a hit and miss since various years.

That said, I've been watching Trace Velo. He reviews a lot of AliExpress cycling things. It's often bad after prolonged use. Meaning, yeah, their testing is lacking. But some brand do seem to be trying to become a trusted brand. E.g. Ugreen nowadays is often trusted. It used to be one of the many things listed on AliExpress.

> For cycling there are now a group of trusted companies that many people purchase from - WinSpace, Magene, iGPSport, that stand behind their products.

Do you follow Trace Velo on YouTube? Any others you recommend (aside from China Cycling)?

> if I go to France, I don't expect government announcements to be provided in English

In Netherlands they'll translate things in various languages. If you get stopped by the police and they need to communicate they'll get a translator; pretty much doesn't matter which language you're speaking (within reason). Easily 50+ languages.

The French are really particular. The USA often used the phrase "melting pot". So I find the comparison with France quite odd.