Chastity White Rose

Tag: writing

  • Age Verification Rant

    As a Free Software and Open Source advocate, I am always aware of the latest technology changes. In March of 2026, I found several articles and visuals detailing laws that people were trying to pass to force operating systems to have “age verification” built into them. I should not have to tell you my opinion on this because it should be obvious.

    The goal of these laws is to force people to prove that they are 18 years or older to be able to use their computers. As someone who grew up with old computers running DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 98, and Ubuntu Linux, all before I was 18, I have to say that I oppose such laws because they prevent kids from learning how to use computers at an early age.

    People who are in favor of these laws claim that they are protecting children from harmful things. Don’t fall for this lie. No additional software changes are needed. Parents are ultimately in charge of the computers they buy for their kids and installing parental controls on them if they wish. Also, many websites require users to be 13 years or older to create things like a Facebook account. At some point, these children and especially their parents need to be responsible for following the rules.

    I am not against age verification in principle, but I have to consider the facts. In many cases, age verification will require users to provide photo IDs or Driver’s Licenses to access services we depend on. AI software for reading these already exists for many websites.

    If the government just decides that your state ID or driver’s license is nullified and invalid, this means you can no longer do what others do. See the situation in Kansas for why I, as a Transgender person, am concerned with the evil things governments can do on a whim.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/kansas-revoked-drivers-licenses-1700-transgender-residents-rcna262120

    But laws like the recent one in California go a step further and want to make age verification part of the operating system.

    https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1043

    If you are on a PC or cell phone using software by Microsoft, Apple, or Google, you will not experience any change because these operating systems already lock people out if they don’t have money to buy things in the app stores or a cell phone that can receive text messages. In most cases, only adults have access to cell numbers and email addresses due to the fact that email providers now force people to verify with their phones.

    Side note: The two-step cell phone text verification is a crime against my own mother, who cannot operate a cell phone and has to have my help to get into her own email sometimes. I have also been kicked off my own email several times and had to use my phone. Digital ID is already here because nobody is allowed to do literally anything without a cell phone these days. People can’t even work at Walmart without a cell phone anymore because everything requires the MyWalmart app, which uses the same verification. If my cell phone is lost or stolen, I can’t clock in to work, can’t check my bank account, order an Uber ride, or even call my mom to tell her I am alive. Though at least I can walk since we are both in Lee’s Summit.

    I am a 38-year-old adult who used computers long before I even had internet access. My own response to these evil actions is to censor and restrict people from using their own computers. The biggest target that will be hurt is the Linux operating system because Linux is all about Freedom of software and privacy. The laws passing in some states can make it illegal to install or distribute an operating system without these age verification signals, constantly letting the government and all foreign enemies know who you are and how old you are, because they have your photo ID, which may or may not be valid depending on how transgender you are at the time.

    My cell phone controlling my life is something I can’t do anything about, but nobody touches my Linux PC, where I write my books and do my own programming for the pure love of math. These draconian laws basically make the past 30 years of my life using computers illegal.

    But you know what? It’s gonna be funny when I go to prison and am placed in a room full of rapists, murderers, and people who did nothing wrong but were accused of things because of their skin color. They will ask me: “What are you in for?”

    And I will tell them, “I used Linux and wrote several books and hundreds of fun programs.” Then they will ask me what Linux is. If you feel bad because you don’t know what Linux or the GNU project is, keep in mind that these lawmakers don’t have a clue either.

  • Advice to a new Programmer

    This month I started a Programming 1 class as part of Full Sail University’s ACE program. One of the other students asked me some questions and I ended up writing a larger response than I planned. I think my information will be helpful for other people who are new to programming.

    Hello chastity, I’m Ty. I appreciate you teaching others what you know. I do not know anything about programming, but I’m hoping I learn a lot from this college course and make friends like you. I would love any tips you have for me, as a programmer newbie. What language to start with? Fundamental apps, tools, services, etc.. anything I should to start. Thank you chastity.

    There are many tools I can recommend. Mostly, I stick with Free and Open Source software. I write most of my code in the C Programming Language, which came before C++. I use the GCC compiler, and I even use GNU Make to automate compiling and running my programs.

    I am looking forward to learning about how C++ is different than C. I always found C to be an easy language because it is smaller than C++, and I have most of the functions memorized.

    Also, you may find this helpful.

    https://chastitywhiterose.github.io/Chastity-Code-Cookbook/

    It is a book/website I have been writing to help teach programming, but also to share some of my impressive code examples and philosophy of why I promote Free Software.

    Everything on there is entirely free and released under the GPL3 license. I consider it my act of community service to give back to the open source community because it has benefitted me all my life. I have a blast compiling my C programs on Debian Linux with GCC on computers too old to run modern versions of Windows. I don’t even use an IDE. I only use a console and a text editor as if I were living in the 1980s. But at least this Programming 1 course teaches things as most humans would find convenient.

    I can also probably help you with specific programming questions. What operating system do you use, and how is your general math knowledge? I think you will find that no matter what programming language becomes your favorite, every data type really is numbers, even such things as colors or coordinates for shapes in video games.

    Most of the magic in the video game, Chaste Tris, that I published comes from my knowledge of numbers rather than it does being a good programmer. I consider myself more of a gamer and mathematician than I am a skilled programmer.

    https://store.steampowered.com/app/1986120/Chaste_Tris/

    I also wanted to mention some cool text editors that you might like. On Windows, Notepad++ is the most convenient text editor because it has syntax highlighting, but it loads up faster than Visual Studio if you are doing your own programming for fun, which isn’t required for the class.

    https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

    But I also recommend Geany because it runs on Windows, Mac, or Linux. I use it quite a bit when I need my code to be more readable for larger projects.

    https://www.geany.org/

    I think the most important feature of a text editor and/or IDE for a programmer is the ability to see the line numbers because when a compiler tells me an error I have on a specific line, being able to see which line that number is on helps out a lot. The second most important feature is to choose a highlighting syntax that is easy on your eyes. Each person is different, and their eyes perceive colors differently. A lot of these editors will let you choose a scheme that works for you, or even create your own. For example, you might like numbers to be in blue text and functions to be green. Or maybe you like a black background with bright colors like magenta or yellow for the text. I like my code to look beautiful as well as to compile and run successfully.

  • The Power of a Smile

    I work at Walmart, and I am the one famous for smiling all the time. This behavior is non-characteristic of autistic people like me, as far as I am aware. The truth is that I use it as a mask to hide what I am really thinking. I use a sense of humor to act like I am not bothered by the offensive things people say and do. Surviving in society and working a job requires me to be an actor. I dislike this because it feels dishonest, and yet I know I can’t say what I am really thinking about because it has nothing to do with work, nor is it socially acceptable to say.

    I very clearly remember multiple instances when I smiled at someone, and then they acted really uncomfortable, and one even ran away. I have realized I have the power to get rid of people by smiling at them in a way I have been told is creepy. And yet, I don’t actually know how to smile like a human.

    In any case, I have come to see a smile as an illusion that society forces us to maintain, or else there is severe punishment. If I were to show my real feelings towards certain people, I would probably be fired or even attacked. I think that if I ever have a real smile, it is when nobody is watching and I am alone. I will remain mysterious because it makes me safe, and it is fun to annoy people with the power of a smile.

    “Just because you see a smile, don’t think you know what’s going on underneath. A smile is a valuable tool, my dear! It inspires your friends, keeps your enemies guessing, and ensures that no matter what comes your way, you’re the one in control.” – Alastor the Radio Demon

  • Professional vs Open Source

    I totally spent 5 hours writing a program in Assembly Language. I realized that what I am doing is something that cannot be done for money in any way. The best that I can do is to learn the technical skills and then continue working on my books and API references I plan to write.

    But as far as my programs themselves, they don’t fit the model of how the world works. In a job, you are constantly pressured to do as much work in as short of a time as possible. Therefore, you are paid, hired, or fired based on how fast the program can be written for the client, regardless of whether it works correctly or has bugs or security flaws.

    But when I write computer software for myself, I am the only one to decide whether it meets my standards. I have said many times over the past 20 years that I would not want a job as a programmer. This is because I am only interested in the things I want to do. I find that I am at peace when the things I do are not attached to the love of money.

    I believe that money and the corporate world actually ruins top quality work. There are also things that the Open-Source Software movement has made possible that could never be done under a company with a proprietary system. Strangers who don’t even know each other offer improvements on programming forums to people out of the goodness of their heart with no financial incentive.

    I see something similar in the world of Chess. People who are playing for fun can enjoy the game at a higher level than those who are stressed out competing in tournaments to win money. I sometimes feel myself pulled in a direction I didn’t know existed. I will work to explore this feeling I get where I achieve inner peace for a moment when I am having pure fun and losing track of the time.

    I used to feel this way when playing video games as a kid. Now I get it from writing books, blog posts, and computer programs. I still enjoy games though. I plan to eventually getting back into my games but I have had a busy life lately.

  • Life and Career Update

    A lot of cool things have been happening in my life lately. Most of it is good news. I have not been posting on my blog much because I have not had the time. I started a new department at Walmart and so far I enjoy it better than stocking. I work in Maintenance which really means I am helping clean the store. Sometimes emptying trash, sometimes sweeping or scrubbing the floor, and sometimes cleaning the bathrooms, which is difficult only because there are a lot of little things to remember such as filling the supplies and also mopping the floor in the correct way.

    But I think what I love most about my new job as a Maintenance Mop Monkey is how my brain is free to think of other things while I am working because it takes a lot less concentration than stocking does. What am I thinking of during this time? The image below is a fine example of my thoughts!

    I have been programming in Assembly Language for DOS lately. I find Computer Programming to be suspiciously relaxing because the world of math and computers is one where humans can’t hurt me.

    The only risk I face while on my computer is when I get on social media and see hateful things directed at Transgender people, immigrants, or people in other countries. There are plenty of things I could say about what is going on in the world. However, I am not going to do any of that because I have realized that to become a better writer, programmer, and Chess player, I must maintain my supreme autistic focus because that is my gift from God.

    Anyway, when computer programming, there are only numbers. The arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division never change and I can count on them more than I can people. My time is better spent improving my code and working on my current book project for teaching DOS Assembly Language. I have even created a simple cover for it.

    The theme is black background with white text because this is the way the DOS (Disk Operating System) looks.

    The goal of this book is a little bit different than most of my books. In fact the target audience for this book is very niche. People don’t write programs for DOS unless it it for fun. There is no money in being able to write programs for DOS because the rest of the world has moved to Windows, MacOS, and Linux which support 32 and 64 bit systems with more capability and 16 bit DOS.

    Instead, this book will be my first computer programming book for the purpose of both teaching Assembly Language to the nerds of the world and as an exercise of my Technical Writing skills. This will be the third technical writing book.

    The first book was Chastity’s Chess Chapters for teaching Chess to people of every kind.

    The second was Minimal Markdown for Authors for teaching other writers how to format and publish their books using similar methods to what I have used.

    This next book, Assembly Arithmetic Algorithms, will be my entry into publishing books about computer programming. This special interest of mine has gone largely ignored because people who write computer programs are *not normal people at all! Computer programming takes concentration, lack of a social life, and the ability to read a lot! I read programming tutorials and books when I have free time. Some of them are free online and others I have bought from various sources in paperback and digital form.

    I can’t claim to be a great programmer, but what I can do is squeeze the information I have learned into a form that allows other people to learn the same things faster. Aside from teaching Chess, I also volunteer to teach computer programming to friends who are interested in learning. I can easily throw together lessons based on questions they have. Where I will find the time for this? I don’t have a clue.

    But the goal of writing books and recording video tutorials is so that eventually I can have a career that does not depend on working at Walmart forever. Although Walmart is going fairly well, I know that the wrong people in management can take away my job if they feel like it. What they cannot take away is my writing, math, and computer skills which I hope will make a difference for people even after I am long dead.

    Also, my Creative Writing diploma finally came!

    I found my time with Full Sail University to be quite positive. I was inspired as I learn the potential there is for someone with the patience to write. My experience with Open Source Software will also be an asset to me because I can use tools that no college or tech company even will know about.

    As I think about possible careers, I think how much potential I have in terms of experience at previous jobs but also skills of writing and technical details that most people simply haven’t learned because it takes someone with the willingness to learn for the fun of it even when there is no promise of financial gain. If I do make money in a future career using my skills, that is great, but it is not the primary motive.

    I remember the words of Carol Keepes who used to be my Assistant Manager back in 2012 when I was a courtesy clerk at Hy-Vee. She said “90% of what people do, they wouldn’t be doing if it wasn’t about money.” I think about this often and it is the reason I have made decisions in life that look foolish to most of the world. I want to make sure that I did things because I really loved the process rather than viewing them as a means to an end.

    See my post The Prayer of Saint Chastity for clarification on my priorities.