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Your Computer Isn't Yours

sneak.berlin

71–80 of 764 posts

Re: Your Computer Isn't Yours

#71
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree with that, user experience in Linux is and in foreseeable future will be the most flexible of all and hence allows users to make it look exactly the way they like. For comparison I would say Linux is like bootstrap that you can customize to make it look the way you want. iOS is like a paid theme you have bought over Themeforest with near to zero flexibility. If you want a predefined good looking desktop, y…

I switched back (after a Mac stint for 12 years) to Linux a couple of years ago, and although hardware support is much better there are still some very sharp edges you could easily bleed out on if you briefly touch. I have a ThinkPad T470s running Arch Linux (I also tried Fedora and Ubuntu and saw these there too): - Desktop performance is too poor to run at 4K, even though it works fine in Windows. I'm not talking p…

I use two 4K monitors. Desktop performance is uniformly excellent, using only Intel Iris graphics. I cannot imagine what you must be doing. I didn't need to do anything special.

Re: Your Computer Isn't Yours

#73
post #59

For most people, if there computer was ‘theirs’, it would be that way for about 10 minutes until it was pwned by a bad actor. The general issue of other people (I.e. Apple et al) having a lot of control over your computer, is entirely valid even if some of the points in the piece are exaggerations. The problem is that people want it that way. They are in fact correct that computers are scary and too complex for them…

> They are in fact correct that [insert anything] are scary and too complex for them to manage, and they want someone they can trust to do it for them

Is this an argument for forced autonomous cars or stopping selling of knives because they are scary and you can cut yourself while cooking?

Re: Your Computer Isn't Yours

#75
if trustd really cannot be blocked by any vpn, i am wondering how's large corporates will react for this new macbook, e.g. whether to continue allowing employees to use this new macbook as working machine.

Re: Your Computer Isn't Yours

#76
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree with that, user experience in Linux is and in foreseeable future will be the most flexible of all and hence allows users to make it look exactly the way they like. For comparison I would say Linux is like bootstrap that you can customize to make it look the way you want. iOS is like a paid theme you have bought over Themeforest with near to zero flexibility. If you want a predefined good looking desktop, y…

I switched back (after a Mac stint for 12 years) to Linux a couple of years ago, and although hardware support is much better there are still some very sharp edges you could easily bleed out on if you briefly touch. I have a ThinkPad T470s running Arch Linux (I also tried Fedora and Ubuntu and saw these there too): - Desktop performance is too poor to run at 4K, even though it works fine in Windows. I'm not talking p…

[deleted]

Re: Your Computer Isn't Yours

#77
post #68
post #59

For most people, if there computer was ‘theirs’, it would be that way for about 10 minutes until it was pwned by a bad actor. The general issue of other people (I.e. Apple et al) having a lot of control over your computer, is entirely valid even if some of the points in the piece are exaggerations. The problem is that people want it that way. They are in fact correct that computers are scary and too complex for them…

> The presence of open software isn’t enough without a way for people to know what is trustworthy without being experts. As Apple has demonstrated, neither has the presence of closed software. Between Apple and Microsoft, they're nearly 100% likely to get software that is not trustworthy, and cannot be made so. This would be less worrisome if the state did not compel these organizations to provide their data to the m…

Firstly - this is a false equivalence.

Sure a government agency may be forcing Apple or MS to help them spy on you, just as they could have compromised whatever else you are using.

But when you download software from at least the Apple App Store, you are in fact protected from many kinds of harmful software.

Let’s not lie and pretend that isn’t a real benefit to many people, even though there are serious downsides to it.

But even if you were right about the equivalence - what’s the point in the handwringing?

There is no way out unless we build our way out.

Shaking your fist at the man just isn’t going to do anything.

The reason there is no alternative is that we haven’t solved the problems yet. People are in fact trying.

Nothing you can say about Microsoft or Apple will make an alternative appear.

Re: Your Computer Isn't Yours

#78
post #2

“In other news, Apple has quietly backdoored the end-to-end cryptography of iMessage.” Is this substantiated somewhere? It seems like a big deal if there is any truth to it.

Apple has had a backdoor for iMessage since the very beginning. Apple controls the key servers, and the clients trust the keys provided by them.

https://www.wired.com/2015/09/apple-fighting-privacy-imessag...

Re: Your Computer Isn't Yours

#79
I'm so glad I caught onto RMS and Eben Moglen when I did. I saw this coming a long way off, and have spent a lot of my time completely gpl'ing my daily use stack. There are a few rare exceptions (steam being the largest one)... but I'm happy I put in the effort.

What we are headed for is a world where a certain subset of people with the technical knowledge have computing freedom, and that vast majority giving up all kinds of rights and data for convienience. A techno-caste system underneath the neo-feudal system that is incoming.

Re: Your Computer Isn't Yours

#80
post #59

For most people, if there computer was ‘theirs’, it would be that way for about 10 minutes until it was pwned by a bad actor. The general issue of other people (I.e. Apple et al) having a lot of control over your computer, is entirely valid even if some of the points in the piece are exaggerations. The problem is that people want it that way. They are in fact correct that computers are scary and too complex for them…

> They are in fact correct that [insert anything] are scary and too complex for them to manage, and they want someone they can trust to do it for them Is this an argument for forced autonomous cars or stopping selling of knives because they are scary and you can cut yourself while cooking?

Why would you think that?

I vehemently oppose government regulation of software distribution, precisely because otherwise we won’t be able to develop a true alternative.

I don’t want people to be prevented from using dangerous tools such as sharp knives, or manual vehicles.

But neither do I want them to be forced to take risks they don’t want to take.

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