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We own the hardware, but not the experience anymore — Big Tech keeps building smarter, more connected devices, but the user experience feels more intrusive, more confusing, and less human (www.windowscentral.com)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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The line between helpful tech and quiet surveillance is blurring — and our devices no longer feel fully under our control.

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[–] 38 points 10 months ago (23 children)

This is where the Linux and self hosting people chime in.

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  • [–] 22 points 10 months ago (11 children)

    Self hosting doesn’t make you immune, though. See how Plex evolved, for example. Self hosting plus free software that isn’t abandoned or compromised is the way, but idealistic developers need to take bread to the table too.

    So the way maybe is self-hosted + libre software + a non-profit supporting the project. And that can too be corrupted, for example, the Mozilla Foundation and Google’s influence.

    Always be ready to migrate.

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  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago*

    This is why permissive licensing isn't good enough; copyleft is essential. (And not just GPLv2 copyleft, but copyleft with anti-tivoization and cloud loophole protection as well, such as AGPLv3.) Every part of the system -- the tech itself, the management, and the legal/business structure -- has to be designed to resist being subverted against the user.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago* (9 children)

    Always be ready to migrate.

    or be ready to contribute to the project you use, so they don't have to sell out to google.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    or be ready to contribute to the project you use, so they don’t have to sell out to google.

    that may happen despite your contributing or not

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  • [–] 0 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    you can also have car accident with or without alcohol, but that doesn't mean that dui is good idea.

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  • [–] 0 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    Yes, of course you shouldn't drive under influence. Still, what a bad analogy. Two completely unrelated scenarios.

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  • [–] 0 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    your inability to understand it doesn't make it bad analogy. in both cases, one of the outcomes is far more likely. and your argument is as stupid as drunk driver explaining "i can crash sober, so why try"

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (2 children)

    Ive contributed to several projects, code and translation, but you can really expect every user to be a programmer, or every programmer to contribute to every piece of software they use.

    Besides, contribution is not a protection from capture, just look at MySQL.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (1 child)

    Ive contributed to several projects, code and translation, but you can really expect every user to be a programmer,

    i meant contributing with money. contributing code is nice, but that doesn't help them to pay for electricity.

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  • [–] 37 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (8 children)

    I get tut-tutted by other Linux nerds for this a lot, but I think Linux is impersonal in a different way because it simply demands more of the user. Sure, it gives freedom, but that freedom comes with responsibility, and a lot of people just are like "ain't nobody got time for that!" Which I think is a valid way to feel.

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  • [–] 21 points 10 months ago

    I've been a developer for decades. I've contributed to FOSS code and do a lot of my own development.

    I just want a desktop that works. No fuss.

    Yes I could compile my own x11 (and have) but I would rather spend my time doing my own shit than trying to stand up a new VM for some edge issue I'm having.

    Just...just give me a UI I can use.

    It's why I use Ubuntu.

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Linux has come a long way though and it's basically turn key for some distros. Even with flatpak or system catalogs built into the gui.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago

    In a lot of ways it's been like this for a long time. I recall back in 2007 when Vista was breaking everything, I installed Ubuntu and was shocked that there were zero driver issues. Even the fucking printer worked. Printers never work!

    It's only gotten better since.

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Freedom and taking ownership (responsibility) for one's actions go hand in hand.

    People irritated at having to make their own choices don't get to then be mad that choices are being made for them when they outsource that decision making process, imo.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago

    I agree. Linux has come a long way, and I love using it. But its definitely not for everybody.

    Many times I just don't want to do something because I don't want to invest the time. I also get that there's a GUI that is very capable, but then why is the terminal easier sometimes?

    I also need to look up everything I do. That's probably me just being a noob but I can never look through the system and figure out how to do something. Everything I do is an internet search first, then an implementation. Again, probably just lack of knowledge on my part but comparing that to the average Windows user, I can see the allure of adding AI to just do things you ask it to. Time is valuable and if you're not invested into your system then its not worth it to most.

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  • [–] 18 points 10 months ago

    Oh yeah linux people have been building like crazy these past 10 years.

    Sometimes the user experience is so slick its boring. But the great past of.linux is even when the usage is simple I can always tweak it or modify it to my exact liking.

    On Mac it either works nicely or I'm fucked.

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