Of course they did, urg

That's super weird, but disconnecting the network is the only way that you can reliably setup the machine without an account in my experience

Tried that a few months ago with a factory new machine and it did not work. Though it might work on Pro machines

That no longer works sadly

I pay 5€ for a VPN just to be extra safe, still way cheaper than all the other stuff

Ublock and Sponsorblock on PC and ReVanced with Sponsorblock on Android

That's an understandable worry, but the fucker has not burst into flames yet nor has it made any indication of doing so anytime soon, and I don't leave the room with it on. I treat most technology like a burning candle

Only complaint I have is that some modern monitors start making a high pitched noise with age. I sincerely thought I had tinnitus before I figured that out

I no longer actively watch news, helps immensely.

And I incidentally got involved in a small local community group recently, helps keeping me grounded by reminding me that local happenings are important too, and it also gives much quicker results when it comes to any kind of activism.

Created mine on feddit.de to get the german equivalent of Catastrophe as a username. And also because I live in Germany