x1gma comments on Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

[+] x1gma@lemmy.world -16 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Why is everyone so upset about the term sideloading. It's not "denormalizing", the "normal" way for your average joe is using the app store. Y'all need to take a step back and be aware that the average lemmy user is by far more tech savvy than your average smartphone user. And of course it's not a term used in the context of windows or Linux, because the normal way there simply allows installations.

If Google does that as they describe they do - an additional layer, that I can disable in some settings, if I want to, why are we upset about that? It does help protect users that are not aware of what the consequences may be.

And of course Google wants to maximize device control. Just as Apple. And Microsoft. And any other company. You want full control over your device, use the according software for that.

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[–] grue@lemmy.world 26 points 9 months ago* (1 child)

We're upset about it because Google is attempting to change the norm in an authoritarian, self-serving way. It's a war on general-purpose computing, and "average smartphone users" -- especially ones who don't also have a PC to understand what they're missing -- are victims of it.

The term is anti-property-rights propaganda.

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[–] x1gma@lemmy.world -3 points 9 months ago

Google has never been doing anything else. How is showing yet another popup a war on general-purpose computing? All they are interested in is their profit and market share. You always will be able to install external APKs, worst case using adb. And the more they'll lock it down, the more workarounds, jailbreaks and tools will pop up.

Literally every company is doing the same, from your smart TV to your smart fridge. Further restrictions on external installations (as in non-PlayStore) is at least something that arguably brings some benefit to some users, given the current state of cyber security.

"Anti-property-rights propaganda" is a very big term in the context of the sideloading change, when you should assume that your device might get fully and remotely bricked anytime when Trump or one of his cultists finally loses his shit and orders a cease of operations e.g. in Europe to put pressure down.

Anyone who is concerned about Google's ethics has moved to another ROM where Google can't do shit. Others don't care, and keep using it as-is. And that's all there is, like it or not, move on or don't, but yapping about propaganda for a term preceding the play store by about 20 years is not doing anything.