There was a golden age when computers were something you owned, not like before when they were big machines your employer or university would give out access to, nor like after when they went to the cloud, you bought what was essentially a thin client and every software became a service.
At least in the olden days the computers weren’t forced into every single damn part of society!
Now in order to talk with most of your friends and family, you have to sell your soul to every one of the thousand ToS’s. It’s impossible to meaningfully use your personal device you bought with your own money without the internet, as every app and their mom needs to call home for some reason. For some reason, it is morally acceptable for a company to prevent you from being able to have someone you pay to replace parts of your device with third-party components you bought with your own money!
Now, of course, you can simply install some Libre operating system and use Lemmy, or Mastodon or whatever. But computers are so embedded into society that it is simply impossible to go without these services unless you want to get yourself isolated (and potentially in trouble with the authorities).
Besides, from prior experience, most people are unwilling to use technologies unless it is physically placed in front of them, whether through social influences, advertising or word of mouth, which generally corporate services do better than Libre alternatives.
It used to be that computers and programs were made for the end user. Now they are simply tools for ad and data-collection companies to extract every byte of personal data and force every second of advertising on others.
I’ve been seriously considering to remove computers from most aspects of my life, but as paper slowly disappears from our lives, this becomes harder and harder. Now you would likely be fired if you refused to use Teams or Slack or whatever your company uses. No one uses fax or writes mail or watches live TV anymore.
The only other alternative is to take back computers and make them personal again.
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The worst part is the banks. You have to get lucky to be allowed to use online banking without agreeing to some sucky TOS.
I hope I live to see the death of private banking. It’s insane how much of the fuckery in the world that originates in banking.
The internet, in particular social networking, needs to become personal.
I fleshed out an idea for building a personal social infrastructure system that will hopefully accomplish just that, but haven’t put “code to disk” yet.
As time passes it’s becoming more clear that this is ultimately the right way forward, but it’s a big project.
Check out freetheinter.net and send me some feedback :)
Waitwaitwait what am I looking at here? It seems to be fairly similar to the concept of the Fediverse. Could you explain it?
It’s intended to be much more local and decentralized than the fediverse, under the assumption that over time large fedi instances will exhibit the same issues as large centralized social networks (profit seeking, manipulation, etc)
- Instead of many people connecting to the same server, people only connect to people’s devices that they know
- It uses the resources of users “daily driver” devices for hosting
- It leverages “real life” personal connections and trust to deny access to large centralized entities
Sounds really cool! So it’s essentially “serverless” in the sense that it runs on users’ devices right?
I mean, it sounds cool if you don’t understand why servers exist…
Now, of course, you can simply install some Libre operating system and use Lemmy, or Mastodon or whatever. But computers are so embedded into society that it is simply impossible to go without these services unless you want to get yourself isolated (and potentially in trouble with the authorities).
Just install Linux and see for yourself that it’s not that hard and definitely won’t get you in trouble.
Of course, you’ll see all the same shit, but it won’t be as pervasive.
Besides, from prior experience, most people are unwilling to use technologies unless it is physically placed in front of them, whether through social influences, advertising or word of mouth, which generally corporate services do better than Libre alternatives.
Yes, that’s true. Which is why I’m sort of a luddite - I want simpler devices with more limited (and likely not universal) functionality, so that they’d just work when they should and not work when they shouldn’t. That is what should be given to ignorant people. Not something complex and spyware-ridden.
Sort of like … pagers, from the recent association with that terrorist act committed by Israel.
I think there’s a very big niche for simple electronic devices. Like you’d still often use hammer and nails at home, not an electric device with screwdriver mode, drill mode, hammer mode etc.
A separate device for texting and voice\video calls, with simple firmware to which support of different protocols can be added (distributed, say, just as plugins). A separate device for listening to music. A separate device to take photos and videos, I think we had something like this, what was it called I wonder, lol.
It may well be that the combined cost and efficiency for each application of a bunch of such simple devices will be better than with a smartphone. In such a case using them is optimal. It’s also good for economy - instead of a rather powerful machine requiring TSMC-produced stuff they’d need a few MCs that can be produced in many places of our planet, competition and decentralization are good for everyone. It’s also good for security - instead of very complex Android and iOS software stacks you’d have dedicated devices with smaller attack surface. It’s good for your mental health - human brain works better with dedicated physical things. It’s even good for fashion, I think even clubbing girls are starting to get tired of big dumb square pieces of glass with fingerprints all over them.
And it’s good for the industry.
but as paper slowly disappears from our lives, this becomes harder and harder. Now you would likely be fired if you refused to use Teams or Slack or whatever your company uses. No one uses fax or writes mail or watches live TV anymore.
I’d use something like a Star Wars datapad with a e-ink display, too.
What you wrote is not an old fart rant. It’s the only sane position on that. Not everything new is progress. Not everything new is better. Not everything more complex is more functional for one’s practical needs.
Eh, I think it’s totally feasible to quarantine the problematic parts of tech and retain control. For example:
- GrapheneOS - I have a profile for my personal stuff w/o any Google services running, and then I have a “work” profile for things like Slack
- Linux - no software company or hardware company is going to restrict me from maintaining my own machine; I’ve replaced parts, uninstalled default software, etc; I currently use a Lenovo laptop and a DIY desktop, and I’ll probably replace my laptop w/ a Framework
“impossible to go without these services”
Have you tried? I stopped using Facebook over a decade ago, and I refuse to use anything else Meta has touched. I still keep in contact with those I care about. It turns out that if people value a relationship with you, they’ll work with what you’re comfortable with, provided you’re willing to compromise a bit too. For me, that means SMS and email is my main form of communication, though I’d prefer more private alternatives like Matrix and Signal. Maybe I’ll push my loved ones to switch eventually, idk.
No one uses fax
Nor should they, it’s absolutely insecure and shouldn’t be used by anyone. Period.
Mail is great, many of my friends have old-school watches, and while I don’t understand it, I have friends who watch live TV. None of that really interests me (though I’ll watch the Olympics OTA sometimes).
take back computers
What’s stopping you? Do it one step at a time, and make adjustments as you go. I switched to Linux full-time something like 15 years ago, and it’s all I use today. Since then, I have:
- switched from gmail to my own domain (hosted w/ Tuta)
- ripped all our DVDs and Blurays to a local Jellyfin server and cancelled most of our streaming services (SO convinced me to keep Netflix)
- switched to GrapheneOS after a few years of slowly cutting out Google crap
- self-host all kinds of stuff (I’m really close to eliminating Google Drive)
- eliminated all commercial social media, and only Lemmy is left
Do the easiest stuff first, and keep going until you feel like you’re in control. Your direction will probably look different than mine, and that’s great! But waiting for someone else to solve your problems is what got us into this mess, so do something, and ideally do it today.
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I’ve been surprised by how effective it’s been to say, respectfully, “this is important to me,” maybe adding “here’s why.” Got all my siblings, mom, SO, and best friend on Signal, that’s a vast majority of my online conversations.
reddit is orders of magnitude bigger then lemmy, but I find lemmy high quality and has more people with similar values- more than i could ever keep up with.
Back when Adobe went subscription-only, I stopped using it on my personal work and devices even though a lot of my previous work depended on it. Had to switch to different tools, but now there are better options. Not only has Adobe stagnated, but they caused an even bigger exodus when they messed with the ToS to train ai on user data.
I switch to linux a few years ago and now when I have jobs that use windows I realize how clunky it actually is, and it’s only getting worse while linux has been getting better.
I’m fully degoogled (also a graphineOS user). It took me years to eliminate each service, but I was sick of these giant companies that could never give me the things I wanted because in interferes with what they want (ad revenue). The only thing you can do is take it all back. Participate as little as possible. These companies will not stop getting worse while people continue to use them.
It can be inconvenient, time-consuming, and hard, but there are options, and it is a lot easier now than it was a decade ago. I see no reason why it wont continue to get easier and more accessible. That’s why it’s important for tech savvy folks to do what they can, now, and make it easier for those who come after them. Personally, I’ve done a lot for myself, but need to learn more about hosting securely so I can offer close friends and family better alternatives that they can easily access.
Now, of course, you can simply install some Libre operating system and use Lemmy, or Mastodon or whatever. But computers are so embedded into society that it is simply impossible to go without these services unless you want to get yourself isolated (and potentially in trouble with the authorities).
Lol what?
“If you don’t use Mastodon or Lemmy you might get in trouble with the law!”
I don’t think I follow. Your going to have to give me examples of what you specifically don’t like.
Don’t like spyware in your OS? Install a FOSS OS. Unfortunately, firmware is mostly still binary blobs (I’m looking at Framework to do something about this but they’re taking a heck of a long time).
You don’t call your loved ones? I’ve yet to hear of companies putting ads inside phone calls. If you’re using a chat app that spies on you but your family doesn’t give a duck about it, use a matrix back-end and self-host it.
Be the change you want to see.
Since people won’t (for example) switch to privacy-respecting comm apps just because I ask them too, I’m building my own self-hosted box that I can duplicate for my family and friends.
My goal is to provide them with a single box solution for DNS filtering (PiHole), media server (including auto disc conversion and sharing between boxes), local backup (which will replicate encrypted backups to the other boxes similar to what Crashplan Personal did), phone backup and management (MDM and file management from PC), image and file sharing (something like Facebook for family only), instant messaging (most likely XMPP), etc, etc.
Yes, it’s a pretty bold plan, but my family and friends are tech illiterate, so if I want to see an improvement in privacy for myself and them, it’s on me to do it, and make it attractive for them.
I hear what you are saying, but I’m not sure why you aren’t doing what you want to do.
If you have a computer not provided by work, why do you have Slack or Teams?
Use ad blockers and/or Pi-Hole to avoid pesky ads.
Watch live TV.
Write a letter.
Stay away or use sparingly, data hungry services.
I know I feel better for it and I don’t feel as if I’m missing much.
I’m mostly concerned about the general public as many are either ignorant or lack the knowledge on how to use these.
Ads have become the new normal
Counter-point: why would want to own and maintain something like a computer? I want a simple device that take no thought and can be replaced with zero effort.
Ahh, a game of devil’s advocate. There’s no reason why a Libre product with sane defaults can’t do this either.
I’m not sure it’s devil’s advocate: I work with computers for 40 hours a week. There’s no way that I want to put any effort into a computer in my personal time
There are distros that do just that - exist without bothering you.
there are no distros or combinations of software that come close to what mac/iphone/apple tv provide even WITH effort; let alone without. they have other benefits, but ease of integration is not one of them
IDK, iPhones might be easy when you’re using them in relatively narrow usecases, but ridiculously hard or even impossible to use in certain way. Your bank gets sanctioned and its apps removed from App Store? You need to go to the bank’s office and do a dance with a tambourine. Want adblocking in your browser? There is none, only some DNS solutions. Want an adless Youtube client with extended functionality? Too bad. Not to mention that Apple ecosystem would not even be a point of reference for most, as most would be unable to afford this all.
you’re completely right, but only bank sanctions are relevant to the majority of people, and really are bank sanctions relevant to most people???
however, that wasn’t the point you were making in your original comment
My point was that if you want something slightly outside of what Apple wants - something as basic as a Youtube app - it becomes “a ton of effort and potentially impossible”. A custom Android OS would indeed face more trouble than a stock Android/iOS (like with bank apps, again), but I was thinking more about desktop Linux, which would just exist without arbitrarily bothering you.
Also bank sanctions are rare but are applied to a ton of people simultaneously, which is also the case when an average person can find themselves at odds with their own phone.
I grew up with computers since the ‘70s. I know this golden age well - and the golden age of the internet before it was monetized, tracked, ad-ified, walled off, etc.
We’re never going to get the old days back.
There’s always some business that’s going to insert itself between what you want and you and try to extract profit from it. Doesn’t matter if it’s tracking you or subscription fees.
I hate being taken advantage of like that, but unfortunately if you want to play with some of their toys you have to pay.
Just do it judiciously and take control where you can.
I build my own PCs. No pre-loaded crap. I download driver-only software when needed, not bloated corporate-ware like what HP or canon does to pester you about ordering ink. I have several Linux boxes doing free things for me like running a 3D printer, running a CUPS print server, running openHABian, a Jellyfin server, and the best of all - Pi-hole (block ads, block devices from phoning home). I run Firefox with all the ad blockers and anti-trackers. Facebook containers and YouTube ad blockers.
But I run windows 10. Why? Because it was free and it works. Take advantage of the system that takes advantage of you. I also run it dual boot with Manjaro, for all those tasks windows might make difficult.
My LAN has a separate network for all IOT and similar devices so they can’t see the rest of my network, and most are blocked from phoning home as needed. They don’t get to sell that data.
I take advantage of all free good software; Gimp, LibreOffice, OBS, VLC, 7zip…
Some things we’ll never get back, like ownership of top-tier games that have to phone home.
Anyway… like I said, there’s no way to wind the clock back. However, with effort, you can control what you can and at least not give them what they’re trying to extract from you. Be in charge of what you let them have. It’s really all we’ve got.
