I went back to cable and got an old cablecard and networked tuner. No rental fees for a box, and I can stream it wherever without checking in or dealing with location restrictions, and my DVR is still mine even if I leave and subscribe to something else.

But that would still be easier to convince someone to sign up for Signal or whatever other app if it came in a unified inbox. I just started using Beeper a couple of months ago, because while the security concerns are valid, it is really damn convenient.

my tastes happening to align with game availability on the platform.

I wished more people phrased it this way, or acknowledged that some peoples' tastes in games aren't going to change to fit a new platform.

Yeah, I'll agree with you there. I don't know the extent to which this bot is necessary given that it's not very discerning.

This community is currently hosting lots of country, and region specific news. Not everyone is in the UK and impacted by their regulations. Not everyone is in Europe where they're testing the Facebook and Instagram ad-free subscription. Hell, not everyone is on those platforms so those stories aren't relevant to them. It would leave the community pretty empty at this point if we started moderating content according to its global relevance, especially when people always have the option to just scroll by.

There's also still a sizable chunk of the audience who doesn't even engage with Ultimate Team, and just wants to play all of the other game modes.

It's not what really you're looking for, but there are some really good open world map mods for Assetto Corsa that probably make it the closest feeling thing right now. They're based on real places, so while it doesn't give the touristy sense, it does a good job of capturing the vibe of just cruising around some beautiful scenery.

I mean, zoning is kind of the smallest hurdle for a rural town. Developing public transit and construction to make streets bike friendly are significantly larger investments. You've still then got the issue that your small town serves as the hub for miles of mountain and farmland and you can never fully end the car dependency. And for colonial era towns, construction is often not an option because of the likelihood that something has historical significance.

Often times, the only option for smaller communities that are car dependent is just a multi-level garage that has a smaller footprint. But many don't have the demand for downtown commercial real estate that would help it make financial sense.