Introducing: my so-called sudo life

“Think of grief, anger, worry as bricks or planks of wood. Stop staring at the materials, half believing they were delivered to you by mistake, half expecting a truck to haul them away. Accept that these are your materials right now. Start building.”

– Maggie Smith, from her book Keep Moving

I’ve been feeling a lot of grief, anger and worry since the morning of November 6th 2024, when the results of the US presidential election were announced. Never in a million years I would have expected a convicted felon, an openly xenophobic, racist, transphobic misogynist and insurrectionist to be voted by half the country and allowed to ascend – yet again – to the most powerful job in his country. All this aided and abetted by a group of tech billionaires.

Four years is a long time. But it can also go by fast: ask this to any parent of a small child. As they say: the days are long but the years are short.

Instead of wallowing in this grief and anger, I have resolved to make this time – these four years – matter. It makes me feel better and more empowered to set some high goals, so that by January 2029 I could look back and think to myself: I have grown and helped others during these tumultuous four years. I made good use of that time.

Thus, “my so-called sudo life”.

What does “my so-called sudo life” mean?

sudo (short for “superuser do”) is a command on Unix systems that grants “superpowers” to a user, allowing them to execute commands with elevated privileges, like an admin.

This cartoon by xkcd was the first Linux joke I ever got:

I found it apt to name a blog about my new journey of (mostly tech) resistance and empowerment after that command line.

4 Goals for the next 4 years

In the days following November 6th I sketched a plan – for my own self care: set 4 goals for the next 4 years – 2 internal (self-improvement) and two “external” (helping others).

Goal 1: learn Linux, a free, open source operating system to set myself free from Big Tech monopolies. Sub goal no. 1: become so proficient in Linux that I could create a Linux computer, a Linux tablet and a Linux phone for my child (when the time comes, she’s 3 now). Sub goal no.2: become so proficient I can host my own Fediverse instance.

Goal 2: learn a new foreign language. I’m already fully fluent in Italian (my mother tongue), English and French. I love how learning a new language feels energizing and allows you to better understand new cultures. Well, I haven’t officially picked a new language yet. It’s currently a toss-up between Spanish (which I already understand well, because it’s similar to Italian) and Japanese (my favorite country to visit and added bonus: I could interact with people on MissKey). For the challenge aspect I’m leaning towards Japanese… yet I acknowledge Spanish would be a more realistic goal.

Goal 3: start doing presentations in high schools and universities about the Fediverse and FOSS projects, in order to raise awareness about the toxic side of Big Tech and the free, open-source alternatives that already exist and are much better from an ethical / digital sovereignty point of view.

Goal 4: help make the Fediverse a more diverse place, safer and more welcoming for people of color.

The rebellion will be federated

In a previous blog post I wrote:

What do billionaires and kleptocrats want? Uninformed, impulsive citizens driven by emotions (fear, rage, anxiety) instead of critical thinking. This way, they are so much easier to manipulate – for the gains of kleptocrats.

And:

A healthy (in body and mind), active, frugal, sociable, mostly offline citizen who is highly educated and informed, in full control of their data, avoiding Big Tech’s platforms and algorithms, with a positive self-esteem and self-image, is probably persona non grata for [these] tech billionaires.

I found goals that will propel me forward for the next four years – with a sense of hope. And that feels awesome (amidst all this chaos and sorrow).

4 Years

I’m in the unique position of being able to measure time in comparison to a US presidential term: I was heavily pregnant during the January 6th 2021 U.S. Capitol attack; my child was born during the early days of the Biden presidency and will turn 4 after Trump is sworn in as president.

Over the course of 4 years I have seen my tiny human grow, get stronger and develop new intellectual and motor skills. So many skills! I remember when she could barely hold a spoon in her hand. Now she builds impossible structures with LEGOs. She went from being non-verbal and communicating through cries to… speaking two languages fluently. She actually loves correcting my French pronunciation from time to time (“rue” “en dessous”). We figured out she understands a bit of English, too, but keeps that knowledge secret from us.

You can grow and learn so much in four years.

Power

This is my so-called sudo life, where I am giving myself superuser privileges… and I look forward to seeing what kind of person I will be in four year’s time. More than anything, I hope I will be part of a community of like-minded people, working towards the same goals.

This blog – or journal – is for accountability… to keep me motivated on these goals. And to share lessons I learned, hoping to inspire others to take steps towards greater digital sovereignty.

It feels very Wizard of Oz like: “You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”

We already have so much power. There has never been a better time to take on superuser privileges (with care).

I shared my goals. What will be yours?

Elena