Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data • Hacker News Board

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#21

Post by ocdtrekkie » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:39 PM UTC

sverige wrote: post #5

Animats wrote: post #2

Well, of course. Just don't sign up for a Google account. When you get an Android phone new, there's a moment when it asks you to sign up or sign in with a Google account. There's a "later" option". Click that, and then remove the Google one-time startup program. Install F-Droid, and get your apps from there. The mail program on Android will talk to an IMAP server. Find one to use, and you don't need Gmail. No ads. O…

In my experience, the difficulty is spending the time and energy to set these things up for family who might not be as willing to stray from the path of least resistance.

That's why the best choice is just to recommend your family get an iPhone. The default/least resistant path is far more private.

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#22

Post by airstrike » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:40 PM UTC

madez wrote: post #12

phmagic wrote: post #4

(disclaimer: I work at a big tech firm, but I've had this opinion before working here) I'm confused by the lengths people have gone through to "protect" themselves from internet giants while freely giving away their info to credit card companies, traditional retailers, small businesses. Credit card transaction data have been sold for years without most of us knowing about it. Small startups, boutique stores rarely ha…

> I'm confused by the lengths people have gone through to "protect" themselves from internet giants while freely giving away their info to credit card companies, traditional retailers, small businesses. You are invalidly generalizing. I try to eliminate all contact I have with the tech giants, and I do not have a credit card, I am at a privacy respecting bank (GLS Gemeinschaftsbank), and I use cash. Additionally, by…

> You are invalidly generalizing. I try to eliminate all contact I have with the tech giants, and I do not have a credit card, I am at a privacy respecting bank (GLS Gemeinschaftsbank), and I use cash.

You do you, but I'm happy to get free airline tickets and other perks from using my credit card at the expense of....... having someone else know I bought a mechanical keyboard last month?

I respect your choice but I honestly do not understand why people go to such great lengths to hide mundane data. I'll tell you the color of my underwear for free, I don't care.

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#23

Post by Zhenya » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:41 PM UTC

>Such never-Googlers are pushing friends and family to give up the search and advertising titan, while others are taking to social media to get word out.

That'll show em, post on facebook about it...

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#24

Post by ocdtrekkie » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:41 PM UTC

chiefalchemist wrote: post #11

maximente wrote: post #3

wow, i had no idea someone in what i assume is rural South Carolina is willing to undertake a pretty substantial convenience/time cost - drive 40 miles (and back?) to purchase directly - in order to better guard their privacy. wonder if he also prefers cash? although this article is google-focused, not more generally on privacy which would presumably involve defeating credit card companies with cash. i'm wondering wh…

There's a new bridge near me. No cash tolls. It's either EasyPass or they photograph your plates and mail you the bill. I presume the lack of cash tolls is semi intentional. I mean all cars are being photographed, as you can borrow and EasyPass.

Cash (largely, coinage, actually, for a tollbooth) has to be collected and transported. A lot of newer and lower-volume toll exits around me are pass-only. But since the tollway charges double for non-pass users anyways... everyone has the pass.

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#25

Post by elliekelly » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:42 PM UTC

phmagic wrote: post #4

(disclaimer: I work at a big tech firm, but I've had this opinion before working here) I'm confused by the lengths people have gone through to "protect" themselves from internet giants while freely giving away their info to credit card companies, traditional retailers, small businesses. Credit card transaction data have been sold for years without most of us knowing about it. Small startups, boutique stores rarely ha…

> Credit card transaction data have been sold for years without most of us knowing about it.

In practice, yes, most of us are clueless. In theory, if you've seen one of these[1] (and if you're an American, you most certainly have) then you "know about it." The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act has a whole lot of room for improvement, but the single-page uniform privacy disclosure it brought to financial institutions is infinitely more consumer-friendly than 90 pages of 10pt grey legalese used by big tech.

[1] [PDF] https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/press-re...

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#26

Post by tantalor » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:42 PM UTC

You can opt out of analytics:

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/181881?hl=en

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#27

Post by komali2 » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:43 PM UTC

com2kid wrote: post #7

Animats wrote: post #2

Well, of course. Just don't sign up for a Google account. When you get an Android phone new, there's a moment when it asks you to sign up or sign in with a Google account. There's a "later" option". Click that, and then remove the Google one-time startup program. Install F-Droid, and get your apps from there. The mail program on Android will talk to an IMAP server. Find one to use, and you don't need Gmail. No ads. O…

Bonus work: Make sure none of your friends upload a photo with you in it, which basically means they don't take your photo with an Android phone. If somehow your picture does get onto an Android phone, somehow make sure you aren't labeled.

Better: Download a fuckload of https://thispersondoesnotexist.com/ photos, create social media accounts under your name, and bloat the accounts with these photos while tagging yourself.

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#28

Post by giancarlostoro » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:45 PM UTC

tantalor wrote: post #26

You can opt out of analytics: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/181881?hl=en

This is not the only analytics company though. There are many others. Others that even buy your credit transaction history, how do you opt out of that? I bet those no annual fee cards would bring back fees if they were forced to keep your data private.

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#29

Post by johnchristopher » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:47 PM UTC

Zhenya wrote: post #23

>Such never-Googlers are pushing friends and family to give up the search and advertising titan, while others are taking to social media to get word out. That'll show em, post on facebook about it...

Yeah, everyone knows Facebook isn't a platform to influence people. /s

Re: Never-Googlers: Web users take the ultimate step to guard their data

#30

Post by tantalor » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:50 PM UTC

giancarlostoro wrote: post #28

tantalor wrote: post #26

You can opt out of analytics: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/181881?hl=en

This is not the only analytics company though. There are many others. Others that even buy your credit transaction history, how do you opt out of that? I bet those no annual fee cards would bring back fees if they were forced to keep your data private.

Incognito mode?