this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2026
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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In the US, every major company you can think of that makes its living from the Internet will fall on the side of the regime. Not just media companies, the money movers, purchasing and payment processors, geo-location, hosting, thousands of services, and basically the entire infrastructure underneath everything.

If push comes to shove, first every platform will be used to heavily propagandize, mis-inform, and sow division. (More so than now).

Then it will be used to track, spy, and honey-pot. (More so than now).

Then they'll simply shut it off.

The era of an anonymous kid sitting in a basement and arguing the merits of some sweaty anarchist manifesto with his friends online is over.

The tool we thought was going to make us ungovernable via free communication will be used against us.

The dream of bringing the species together globally, a meeting of a million minds, to help and understand each other and advance a peaceful utopia is not going to ever happen.

Submitting a vote on an onion forum will start with a simple keystroke and end with a Palentir missile strike on your house.

The best we could hope for will be to seize the physical stations to prevent their use by others, basically nullifying its existence.

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[–] wedge@multiverse.soulism.net 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

There are zero media outlets that are not actively suppressing or spinning the news in favor of corporate interests.

[–] MrOtingocni@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago
[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

If you want to see some crazy underhanded shit look at how reckless Ben infiltrates grifters and huge scams (Mormons, Scientology, police departments) and then mysteriously gets videos taken down and demonteized and hidden views etc. Its becuase the evil fucks have connections at google and its all underhanded shit. The dark patterns and malicious coding are all completely real. Its amazing how many of my friends still think I'm insane for thinking that, they all use google and meta products daily and post all their info there with zero thought. "They already have it anyway so I'm not gonna change" yeah OK man just keep giving it to them for more training data.

[–] wakko@lemmy.world 15 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

This post is about a decade late. It's already like that or worse.

So, the real question is - what are you doing about it beside whining into the void? Don't reply to me.

Look yourself in the mirror and confront the fact that all of this is happening all around you while you refuse to deviate from your normal daily routine.

[–] MrOtingocni@lemmy.world 2 points 28 minutes ago* (last edited 23 minutes ago)

I weighed several responses to your reply, and even tried a few out before backtracking, more so for the benefit of the other readers, but I think I will settle on this:

I agree with the spirit of your response. I've heard variations of my own post for years, before there was an actual public Internet, on BBS and the like.

And I have made the same reply as you, almost word for word, to them.

While well intentioned, I realize now that the exasperated and cynical nature that results from watching the pot boil for years and yet the frogs still aren't jumping out, makes my responses to others sound abrasive and arrogant.

From this point forward, when ever I see people waking up to the shit storm that hasn't even happened in full force yet, I am going to be gentle and encouraging with them.

And remind people that the strength to carry on in a challenging world comes from investing and developing the community, the friends, family and neighbors, around us.

[–] NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net 34 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

What do you mean "will be"?

We're already there.

Gestapo agents go door to door

Police patrol the schools

Your every movement is recorded and tracked

Your devices and your wifi can and are used to record your surroundings and identify people with a degree of accuracy that would give kaczynski an aneurism.

Your every keystroke and page view is stored, monitored and indexed by companies under the guise of 'legitimate interest'

Any comments that are deemed negative about technology, 'AI' and the actions of the state are monitored and catalogued

'AI' systems are already being used to target people with drone strikes

...And yet we all stand here talking as if these things are from some sci fi dystopian future

[–] MrOtingocni@lemmy.world 11 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, the bear trap has already sprung. The people haven't realized it because they haven't tried to pull their leg free yet.

I honestly didn't mean to doom post so early in the day. It started as a pithy one-liner and snowballed the more I thought about it.

[–] NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net 8 points 4 hours ago

It's really not looking good, is it.

Apologies for 'yes, and'-ing your thoughts into worse ones, but at least you're not the only one noticing these things

[–] NochMehrG@feddit.org 6 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

That’s why revolutionary communication should be low tech and on a need to know basis. Or so I‘ve heard.

[–] cmoney@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

Shortwave radio. I've played around with them in the past as well as recently. I live in the US on the gulf coast and picked up stations from Havana to China. The radios are relatively cheap and broadcasting has a far reach for much less power than a traditional FM radio station.

[–] TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

I’ve heard good things about various mesh technologies. For example:
!meshtastic@mander.xyz
!meshcore@feddit.org

[–] mrmisses@lemmy.world 6 points 4 hours ago

They're already censoring any hint of a rebellion. I was banned from Reddit for saying "fuck Republicans", didn't even get a warning. They don't want people to know other people are also angry and start thinking they could do something.

[–] DougPiranha42@lemmy.world 12 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I’d like to remind you that we’re in a drought, please limit your shower time.

[–] MrOtingocni@lemmy.world 7 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

No. You'll have to drag me out.

[–] MrOtingocni@lemmy.world 8 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I'm fully soap-ed and not afraid to flail

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Yeah! Fight the power!

[–] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

The song goes

The people’s revolution is going to be a podcast

[–] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 4 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Someone used all the hot water eh?

[–] MrOtingocni@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Man, I was just trying to enjoy my coffee before heading into work. Feels like some Prophet of Doom just stepped into my mind and took a piss all over my thoughts.

Now I am late. Ugh. I hate this timeline

[–] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 3 points 3 hours ago

Yeah it's pretty average, possibly not quite as bad as your original post though, shutting it off is hard, the kleptos who steal everyone's money wont be able to shut off the tap.

millions of people can work together fine, it's when you go beyond that and start expecting most people to get along that things fall apart.