I don’t know why this is, but I have always been able to raise my right eyebrow independently… but not my left one. It’s kinda funny, because one of my son’s friends just randomly asked me if I could do that earlier this evening. I did so, and he made like it was this really big deal.

I’m just glad I could amuse him.

Of course, nobody with two brain cells to rub together who reads that answer is sitting there thinking to themselves, “Huh… I guess I’ve had it wrong all this time, focusing so much on money.” Rather, they’re instinctively blurting out, “Yeah right – I call bull!”

But I’ll give them partial credit; frequently it’s about money. Sometimes, it’s just about a work environment that used to be great going to crap. And sometimes, it’s about the employee coming to an epiphany, and realizing that their work environment was actually crap all along.

That said, it may be true that not every job that I’ve ditched was entirely because of money… but it should go without saying that it’s always a factor in where I went for the next job. Also, it’s never the only factor – but it’s certainly one of the more significant ones.

I’m a long time Trekkie; I wasn’t alive yet when TOS originally aired on TV, (I mean, that was the '60s – I’m old, but I’m not that old!) but I grew up watching it in syndication. I also watched TNG, DS9, Voyager and (ahem) most of Enterprise, back when these shows first aired on broadcast television. The notion of binge watching wasn’t even a thing, yet. That said… I’m somewhat in the same boat as you for some of the newer shows, simply because I haven’t taken the time to sit down and consume all of “NuTrek” quite yet, so I do get where you’re coming from. (The rest of “life” sometimes gets in the way of good entertainment, eh?)

But at some point you have to a acknowledge that you’re fighting a two-front war. You say that you don’t want to watch a series that is incomplete or at risk of an abrupt cancellation, which I certainly get… but at the same time, you say that you don’t want other people who have watched it to spoil it for you, while still having the option to discuss the shows you have watched with those same people. These are largely incompatible whims; you’re kind’a going to have to just choose a path and accept that there will occasionally be thorns in the bushes along that path, regardless of which one you choose.

That is to say, as I see it, you have three basic options:

• Either watch things according to your preferences at whatever pace suits you, and accept that the occasional spoiler is going to be inevitable,
• Or binge everything that’s ever been released as quickly as you can, and accept that you’re going to end up watching and investing in some shows that may not last as long as you’d like,
• Or simply pull out of the discussions as soon as you realize that a spoiler is coming… or maybe even isolate yourself from those discussions entirely, until such time as you’re comfortable with your level of Trek knowledge.

Some combination of those options is probably going to be more or less palatable to you. (Personally, I go through spurts of all three modes at different times.)

As an aside: shows being cancelled prematurely is by no means unique to the Age of Streaming. The original Star Trek series is a prime example… but more modern examples exist as well, including non-Trek franchises, like Firefly.

Lol. I think Lemmy would benefit from “categories” of up-votes/down-votes. This comment got my up-vote entirely because I found it amusing.

iOSification can come in two forms: aesthetic and functional. The aesthetic changes don’t worry me in the least. It’s the possibility of the eventual removal of macOS features that set it apart from iOS that would be concerning.

Consider adding Ars Technica to your list. They aren’t specifically focused on Apple news, but a couple of their journalists do routinely offer some fairly balanced reporting on Apple affairs. Plus, their Android expert is constantly comparing Android devices to Apple devices… and he very rarely gives Android a total win in any given comparison. I think it’s quite amusing to read, actually.

Apple tech specs online says that it’ll support up to 16GB – but sometimes their spec sheets lowball the actual compatibility. At any rate, you can be sure that it’ll accept at least that much. (Source)

And maxing out the RAM is always better for performance, regardless of whether you’re using macOS, Windows or Linux. (This is doubly true with older hardware, such as what you’ve found.) The question isn’t, is more RAM a good idea… it’s, is more RAM worth the cost. And with a 16GB RAM kit for that system going for about $16 on Amazon, I’d personally say go for it. (Double-check that I’ve found the right link for you, of course, just in case.)

In your case, I would assume that you’re looking to actually use your iPhone 12 mini, after replacing the battery, as opposed to seeking out the actual trade-in value. Would it be worth it to you? Honestly, I suspect so. If you have a particular affinity for your mini, possibly because you just can’t abide the larger form factors, then you’re pretty much stuck with a 12 or 13 model, as there is no 14 mini and there almost certainly won’t be a 15 mini; Apple has moved on from the smaller form factors. And given that an upgrade to a 13 would be a lot more money for a lot less relative value, I personally think you might reasonably find it worth the few dollars that it would cost to replace that battery.

Oh… but don’t do it through Apple; do it through a reputable third-party. Way less expensive, and likely a lot faster.