Who do you think designed those cable boxes you PFY?

"...even though there are very few Cobol-literate coders available to maintain them."

I had a programming opportunity that involved programming in RPG on an IBM platform. I had zero experience with the language or platform, but wanted the job, so I did a very deep dive into all things RPG and IBM, nailed the interview, got hired, and have been modifying and developing new programs for short of two years. It was a wonderful change from 35+ years as an IT generalist, and I haven't looked back.

TL;DR: If you depend on only one strategy for your absolutely business critical backups, you are in for failure and bankruptcy.

BackBlaze is a bit shy about telling us exactly what's on the back end of their system. On SWIFT object store, the configuration specifies the number of copies of an object, typically 3 but that can be set to whatever makes sense as long as it's +1. As long as two are available, you get your stuff. If only one copy is available, then you can't download it until someone replaces one of the two drives that failed or fixes the server those drives are attached to or corrects the networking between replication server pools in the case of Geographically Separated silos. Replication daemons ensure no copies of an object are stored on the same server, let alone drive and that the quorum is maintained ... .and that failed drives are promptly reported, flaky servers are comforted, and hallucinating networks are sobered up.

Bit rot does occur. Times it does are either catastrophic events in the DC or failure to maintain the ring by failures of maintenance (not done, no parts, lack of funds...). Keep in mind all object stores are "eventual consistency" systems. You upload, you'll get an OK as soon as quorum minus 1 is met. On a three copy system when two are committed and complete, you get the kiss off. The third will complete "eventually". Usually within seconds but weeks is possible too. It is also possible to get a revision of a object that is older than the other two. Using unique naming of an object would avoid that, since you can't change an object, only download, make the change, then reupload the entire object. When depends on factors of internetworking traffic, latency, maintenance... in short, availability. Good quick read on that is Jon Johnson's "The CAP theorem". Or, if you want the real deep dive, the architecture docs on SWIFT were where I learned - maybe there's better, but I don't know. They are somewhere around on NASA's site last I knew in 2012.

Remember that we are dealing with an at scale system with Backblaze. Other than cache (Which I don't think typical object stores use except for the database ... maybe), BackBlaze would be using mechanical drives. Using SSD drives for what is essentially an object store[1] is a waste of capex.
The SWIFT object store data centers I ran typically have 4, 5, 8 or 16 TB drives, 90+ per server, and the boot drive is typically either RAID 0 or 1, but that's the extent of "fancy stuff" for disk drives. I never saw SSD in the object store. File and Block, yes, that was the rule rather than the exception. One of my former team mates told me that the company is up past 100 tons of hard disk drives per object store silo. They have [lots and lots of] data centers.

[1]
Recap:
Block Store == like a hard disk, a series of disk blocks are presented. Atomic changes are possible. Used for things that change a part at a time. SAN
File Store == Like a network share, a file system is presented. Atomic changes are possible Used for things that change a part at a time. NAS
Object Store == Non-Atomic - something like a porcelain sculpture. If you want to change it, you need to destroy it and make it new. Used for things that typically do not change at all, like completed video, accounting transaction snapshots, or .... backups!

...If the companies enter into "special negotiations" and 'happen' to 'increase' their crypto holdings' in 'specified' currencies, if all the sudden things get much better for them.

And there's a reason the Inquisition burned books. Oddly, Ireland is about the only place where those that would burn the books were themselves burned in the dark ages. It's something Seneca wrote about before the dark ages and before the inquisition, off hand, can't recall the exact wording, but the conclusion is that some have a need to put others in charge of their lives so that they don't have to take responsibility for themselves and their outcomes. Sort of like the conservative meme that being poor is a choice, rather than a failure of governance to control the economic rapine of others.

Even the most casual study of divinity will show that almost all religions consider simply thinking of some things is a "sin". Almost all religions grant mankind free will, and the supreme being (call them what you may) "allows" for the "choice of sin".

So, by prohibiting "sin", they are, in effect, declaring themselves to be smarter than their Deity, who, in The Wisdom of that Deity, granted the ability to "sin".
I'm pretty sure that's not how that works.

I program IBM RPG professionally, and while I do use several AI tools for reference, relying on one is simply absurd. I always keep multiple tools available.

As to using AI to write code, for my use case, AI is a great tool to explain code and to suggest rewrites to code, but for actually writing new code, it's not reliable. It's great for pointing me in the right direction, but in the end, my programming experience is what helps the most.

We may all process colors the same, but colors that I see looking through my left eye appear to be what I would consider "normal" to me, while colors seen looking through my right eye have a very subtle sepia tone. Nothing striking, but when I look at mostly flat surfaces, alternating between my left and right eyes, I see a very slight, but distinct difference in color.

This is a case where the matter in contention is subject to the "Moron in a hurry" test.
If a moron in a hurry confuses the owner of Meta with a bankruptcy lawyer, then that moron needs to have their internet license revoked.

Look, I know I'm an old fart. I know I'm a curmudgeon too. And yes, it was almost 10 years before I gave up my wired keyboard and mouse for wireless (not entirely all my idea, it as part of [Secret Squirrel] requirements.) I am, however, a technophile - when I see the advantages to using tech. An example where I don't see an advantage is replacing the 90 cent stiff wire with $275 "motivators" (step motors) in automobile vents that go out of registration, then out of calibration, then go kaput. Requiring a new $275 dollar part and a $200 programming fee.
EACH.

What no one has been able to explain adequately to me is where the value of crypto is. (I know what is claimed, I think, but it still boils down to "it has value because people think it has value" - a circular argument that applies just as much to crypto as it does to any printed fiat currency.)

My base objection is that crypto, like a fiat currency, has zero intrinsic value. Unlike metals or gems, neither a printed bill or a bit wallet can be made into something else worth the value it represents. Bluntly, crypto is a mathematical answer to a question no one asked and no one can use. It's not like Maxwell's constant where the answer has a measurable, useful proof.

Fiat currency is regulated by established gate keepers that are accountable. Crypto is a wild west of pinky promise and cross my heart pledges as far as I can see.

To me, crypto has no value. So you could offer a billion coins to me for a buck and I'd still think I'd rather have the buck than a bunch of ones and zeros beause no one has adequately explained the value of crypto that I've run into.

Real ID is this

It has inertial compensation - it tilts. The reason is partly track geometry as you point out, partly dwell times, but mostly because of catenary upgrades are lagging.

Foreign actors might cause a minor blip likely to go unnoticed to use in the future. Why DMV? Because with the stupid "Real ID" they can inject documents for their actors on the ground. I've seen at cloud providers foreign actors going absolutely ape shit trying to get into the US budget system. When you know where the money goes, you can figure out a lot of things. But you're correct, likely this is someone that is wanting to piss off government or is looking to hold their systems hostage for ransom.

It's terrible this young light is extinguished. It's horrible. I'm not sure though that the blame belongs on machines here.

If your child is contemplating suicide, why don't you have a clue?
If you had a clue, why didn't you act?
If you didn't have a clue, why were you not involved with your own child?

Truth is that the way American society is that parenting has become fifth or sixth place in adults list of responsibilities. Making money to live is first, not the kids.

I'm of the opinion that it is not the Internet's job to raise my child. That's my job as a parent. I'm not advocating for an Ozzie and Harriet 1950's idealized society that never existed either. A unified path for all to follow is a chimera, ridiculous and unobtainable. Falling into the deception of what should be "allowed" and "disallowed" factual information is a slippery slope to Double-think and Thought Crime.