Comment on [rant] I want computers to become personal again
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 2 months ago
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…
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.
Some things we’ll never get back, like ownership of top-tier games that have to phone home.
We’re never going to get the old days back.
Nothing is stopping you from using a computer as a standalone machine not connected to the internet. Then you have a machine just like the ones in the 1970’s and 1980’s except for having much more memory/processor/diskspace etc. I would say you have a better OS also, except that Linux is basically the same OS as my SCO Xenix 386 I had in the 1980’s.
rottingleaf@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s a wrong speech to deliver to a cute girl asking how to make things better.
You’ve started with philosophy and economics and olden days.
If we want to explain today’s tech and possible directions of fixing it to “normal” people, we need to start with what they need to do that they do with smartphones.
That’s what businesses do too - they take something hard and suboptimal, make the road shorter and take their toll. Sometimes stealing part of what you are carrying on that road, or replacing it with their unwanted shit, or just stuffing their unwanted shit into your pockets.
So what we should think about is - what to replace their finger-poking box with, so that it’d be better fit for how they use it.
I’ve written my luddite idea in another comment. Split it into a few dedicated devices, much simpler in their essence. Since smartphones are used today mostly not as universal machines, and this difference can be optimized.
That’s only IMHO.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You’ve reiterated pretty much what I said, but directly contradicted some of the most obvious points.
Not sure what a “cute girl” has to do with anything, I gave a pragmatic explanation. Do you treat cute girls like they can’t handle realistic information?
Your idea is to reduce functionality of popular devices. That’s not going to work. Like I said, if you want to play in these businesses’ little proprietary gardens you’re going to have to play by their rules. If you want to be a Luddite, great, but for the vast majority of people such limited devices will never be adopted and any business producing them will either be niche expensive or fail.
Balthazar@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
Just keep in mind that installing an app via the respective app stores (just install, not custom settings) is often the limit of what people can, and are willing to do. People just simply don’t have the time, willpower and/or knowledge to get a controlled LAN working. It’s similar to how you don’t expect everyone being able to fly a helicopter, or build a car from scratch.
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I didn’t assume we were speaking of the general public in c/technology, maybe that was a mistake. Most of what I said can be done without too much effort, especially browser extensions. The openHAB and various other tools are only going to apply to those who need them and probably have experience enough to try to tackle them. The only major one that I think people should take advantage of but is beyond most folks ability is Pi-hole. It’s not hard at all, but if you don’t know where to look or what the instructions mean it’ll be impossible for them.
rottingleaf@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I don’t think that’s true.