Calling "installing something without Google's or Apple's consent" "sideloading" is stupid.
I will die on this hill.
Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
431–440 of 1001 posts
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#432Earlier quoted context omitted.
what's your solution to combat scammers?
All apps should be open source and subject to verification by nonprofit repositories like F-Droid which have scary warnings on software that does undesirable things. For-profit appstores like Google and Apple that allow closed source software are too friendly to scams and malware.
That's absurd.
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#433At this point I'm convinced that there's something deeply wrong with how our society treats technology. Ruining Android for everyone to try to maybe help some rather technologically-hopeless groups of people is the wrong solution. It's unsustainable in the long run. Also, the last thing this world needs right now is even more centralization of power. Especially around yet another US company. People who are unwilling…
I “get” technology so I understand how you got here. But this is the wrong take. I expect to go to a restaurant and not die from the food… and I want nothing to do with the inner workings of the kitchen. I just want to know any restaurant I go into will be safe. Society has made restaurants safe, either because of government pressure or it’s good for business. How is that not a fair ask for technology, too? We all ha…
More like some users have shellfish problems so the restauarants stop serving shellfish. Apparently the "contains shellfish" labels aren't enough
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#434Earlier quoted context omitted.
so Apple then? They require you to pay the $99 yearly fee to sideload for more than 7 days
Apple was clear that they were offering the safety of a walled garden from the start. Apple didn't lie about supporting a user's freedom to run anything they like, only to execute a rug pull after they successfully drove the other open options out of the marketplace.
If Google actually takes away the ability to run unsigned code, my next phone will be an iPhone. And I rarely even run unsigned code.
Honestly, it might finally result in me fully exiting the Google ecosystem.
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#435Earlier quoted context omitted.
what's your solution to combat scammers?
All apps should be open source and subject to verification by nonprofit repositories like F-Droid which have scary warnings on software that does undesirable things. For-profit appstores like Google and Apple that allow closed source software are too friendly to scams and malware.
I don't think that's a realistic suggestion as as the quantity of applications are huge who are going to spend time reviewing them one by one. And and even then it's not realistic to expect that that undesirable things can be detected as these things can be hidden externally for instance or obfuscated
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#436The part in the flow where you select between allowing app installs for 7 days or forever is a glimpse into the future. That toggle shows the thought process that's going on at Google. I can bet that a few versions down the line, the "Not recommended" option of allowing installs indefinitely will become so not recommended that they'll remove it outright. Then shrink the 7 day window to 3 days or less. Or only give us…
what's your solution to combat scammers?
'Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.' - Benjamin Franklin
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#437Judging by the comments sideloading plays a major part in everyone's life. What apps do you sideload guys? Why those apps are not in a store?
I primarily go for apps via obtainium and fdroid. I go to Aura if I have to. GPlay if absolutely required (and I actually have to have the app)
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#438Earlier quoted context omitted.
All apps should be open source and subject to verification by nonprofit repositories like F-Droid which have scary warnings on software that does undesirable things. For-profit appstores like Google and Apple that allow closed source software are too friendly to scams and malware.
That's absurd.
No more absurd than letting a megacorp control what I install on my own device.
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#439The part in the flow where you select between allowing app installs for 7 days or forever is a glimpse into the future. That toggle shows the thought process that's going on at Google. I can bet that a few versions down the line, the "Not recommended" option of allowing installs indefinitely will become so not recommended that they'll remove it outright. Then shrink the 7 day window to 3 days or less. Or only give us…
what's your solution to combat scammers?
Would you support Microsoft doing the same thing to Windows?
These are general purpose computing devices. It's sure taking a long time, but Cory Doctorow's talk on the war on general purpose computing is sure starting to become a depressing reality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUEvRyemKSg
Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps
#440And now we see why Android never really was Linux. Does it have a Linux kernel? Of course. But this isn't a free operating system.
RHEL isn't Linux either then?