So how about running a VPN server at home, and routing all traffic through that? Encrypted from mobile device/computer to one’s home, but then unencypted going out. Solves the public wifi problem but no nexus of traffic like a VPN service to attract the bad guys.
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Drafts is a great app with a silly premise. If I could keep all Drafts files on my filesystem somewhere, it would be where text starts and ends for me. But non-canonical files as a built-in philosophy? I will never understand it.
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I didn’t like the Mack Weldon underwear ad spots.
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I’ve tried BetterTouchTool several times and can’t imagine ever wanting to use it for more than 1-2 things.
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VPN is mainly a privacy tool. It only adds another security layer, but it is not its main purpose.
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Drafts is great as a place where text STARTS. Or maybe lives temporarily – for a few days. I use it multiple times a day, every day, but 90% of what I put in there stays in there for for only seconds, and 90% of the remainder only stays in there for a few hours. And even the stuff that lives in there for a while is disposable, with copies in more permanent formats.
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@tjluoma’s comment, above, reminds me of one I wish I had included at the top of this thread:
I have a TERRIBLE time remembering more than a half-dozen keyboard shortcuts. Cmd-C, Cmd-V, Cmd-X, some text navigation (Cmd-left-arrow, etc.), Cmd-N to create new documents in various apps, a few more. And that’s about all I can remember.
I cringe when I read tips about how to automate something, which conclude, “and then assign a keyboard shortcut and you’re done!” Like it’s going to be easy adding a new keyboard shortcut to my brain.
I’m experimenting with using Keyboard Maestro conflict palettes as a workaround.
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Yeah, I understand the premise. It’s just absolutely abhorrent to me. 
There’s no reason why it’s not the place where text starts and ends, ‘cept that it doesn’t give us access to a filesystem. I’d love to use it otherwise.
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In my opinion, neither of those benefits are well established. In the case of privacy, it changes the actors involved, but you may not be gaining anything. You are, in effect, granting the VPN provider a great deal of information about your use of the Internet, though denying it to others.
Security: It’s not really another layer of security (as it’s often characterized); it’s another layer of processing. Whether or not that processing adds to, detracts detracts from, or has not effect on overall security is a non-trivial risk evaluation. My rule of thumb is that added complexity generally decreases overall security. You may evaluate things differently 
Not if you choose a proven VPN service. Good VPN providers are audited and use RAM-disk servers that can’t store data. Since a VPN encrypts your connection, it adds another layer.
Good point. If Drafts used the filesystem, it would be even better.
OTOH, I need a service that handles plain text AND rich text documents, along with the occasional PDF, PowerPoint, audio file, etc. That’s why I’m giving Keep It a try Generally happy with it so far after a bumpy start.
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Take a look at https://www.notebooksapp.com/ or https://www.zengobi.com/curio/. Curio is a great app, but it is MacOS only 
I’d like to hear more coverage of free and open source software on MPU.
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We’ll have to agree to disagree on this 
Because Android is way more open and flexible than iOS. I use an iPad, so I’m aware of the possibilities of iOS. But even with shortcuts it doesn’t come close to what I can do on my Android phone with an application like Tasker.
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I am happy with keep it, but notebooks is next on my list if I have to look for an alternative. And if curio is Mac only, then that excludes it from my criteria. I need something that works on the iPad and iPhone too.
Do you use Alfred? This workflow lets you fire your Keyboard Maestro macros by name. Trigger it by typing “km” in Alfred’s window and it will even autocomplete the macro name as you type. So handy if you don’t want to use hotkeys (or in addition to hot keys).
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Spooky, just spooky! I agree on all three of those. I also bought Hazel, then after DEVONthink became my go to I abandoned it. I never sat through a single Star Wars movie, and the same with home automation.
I also think there is possbily, for most of us, a kind of limit on how more productive you can be using the techniques, really. Some, @MacSparky for example are probably outliers in human terms. I think he is great but I think he is a productivity outlier and then some. I love the stuff and use it, for a kind of convenience I suppose? Then again I do not have high productivity demands at the computing level. It is several years since any bottleneck for me was on IT. There are bottlenecks believe me, mostly between my own ears.
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I agree about the obsession with thiness. I know some good things are said about the 16 inch but I am going iMac I think this time.
Again, VPN is a privacy tool. The added layer of encryption is still viable, since not every “normal” connection is encrypted. A good VPN is a great prevention of MITM attacks, not the other way around.