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dch82 @lemmy.zip

I want computers to become personal again

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.

64 comments

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Welcome to the club!

    I really feel this especially related to mobile (cellphone and tablet) communications: (Google Pixel is the only device offering substantial support for alternative OSes, Mobile Payment Processors rely on one of the big names like Google, Apple, Samsung etc., other projects becoming unmaintained and supporting 10 year old phones, etc.)

    In the personal (laptop and desktop) computing space we are in a much better place. You are much less beholden to companies' interest in harvesting data on every aspect of your life.

    Sure, we can lament that most people don't care. But look where we are now: I have daily driven my Linux box for a year to play all the games that are in style with my friends without Microsoft constantly over my shoulder. I'm on Lemmy and other Fediverse platforms, unbeholden to specific corporate policies. I use Beeper which means I don't have to have Meta apps harvesting interaction behaviour directly on my primary cellphone. I can't win every battle for my privacy and freedom, but each conscious choice I have that I make is a statement of resistance, and one step of many towards my ideal of the computer world I wish to be in.

  • Switching to more private and less data hungry services is a tough process. How private do you want to be? If you take it too far, you won't have a cell phone or a bank account.

    Carefully consider the changes you are willing make right now. Start small, progress slowly. Don't get discouraged and remember that total privacy doesn't exist.

    Start by swapping search engine, don't use Google or Bing. That's an easy goal that already makes a big difference. Use something like Duck duck go, Startpage or something like that.

    Eventually move away from gmail. Get your own domain, create your own email address. Slowly migrate your important accounts to the new email. This can take time but it's not hard and you just removed the 2 largest sources of data from Google.

    Stop using Chrome, try Firefox. Personally recommend LibreWolf, a Firefox fork. At the very least move to Brave browser (but make sure you disable the crypto crap). Most extensions exist in both browsers this should easy.

    Eventually consider moving to Linux but don't rush it. Study what apps you need, what alternatives are there in Linux. Expect a way worse user experience but a way way better ownership. Try in a VM or live environment before you even consider installing it for real.

64 comments