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I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

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Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#261

Post by neetdeth »

jjeaff wrote: post #237
wyldfire wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is also a problem with Square, and Stripe, and Paypal ... it's an unsolvable fraud/scammer problem. It's compounded by the fact that Google has the primary element of your 21st century identity: your email address.

I recommend anyone who likes Gmail to use your own domain name@example.com and just forward all messages to your Gmail address. Only give out your own example.com email and set it as the reply to. Even the cheap budget registrars offer email forwarding for free and I have never had any trouble. This gives you the benefits of free Gmail without handing your entire life over to them. At least with a tld there is some d…

Are there actually rules and due process? I was under the impression that it's just a convention that the registrar won't seize your domain unless they really, really dislike you.

edit: I shouldn't be oblique in my comments. I'm of course referring to the whole Daily Stormer fiasco.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#262

Post by [deleted] »

astura wrote: post #169
efsavage wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only suggestion of a solution we’ve been given is that he abandon both his email address and phone number of the past twenty years and start fresh." I believe that being able to port your number is a legal requirement. It's unlikely a poorly designed billing system is a permanent exception to this.

Seems you have to be current on your account to port your number. They aren't, but they also are unable to use Google payments to become current.

[deleted]

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#263

Post by s17n »

marcus_holmes wrote: post #248
mjevans wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe these issues could be solved by actually taxing corporations and providing the service they clearly so desperately need. An /actual/ (inter)national ID and Identity verification service. One where disputes about identity and authorization can be escalated somewhere that makes sense, to the jurisdictions issuing these IDs. Ideally someone should be able to go to a police station (locally for local IDs, if on…

I don't have a physical address (I move approximately every 3 weeks). I don't have a phone number (I move country every 3 weeks and need a new SIM each time). I have so many problems with online authentication it's not funny. So yeah, I'd love a global system of identification, but please let's not tie it to an address or phone number

Tying to a physical location actual serves an important function in that it introduces an asymmetry between you and a potential attacker / identity thief - it's much cheaper for you to physically show up at your local courthouse to contest something than it is for an attacker to fly in. Any suggestions for how to solve this?

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#264

Post by shhun »

I'm a bit concerned about all the people here that tell they've been using Google services for decades and are afraid to loose their pictures/documents/etc... I mean how is giving such control over your data to one company a good idea in the first place ? I'm not saying that in patronizing way, but this should not be considered as normal behavior. I think that Google has already access to way much more data than it should and I really wouldn't want to hand them my phone bill. Even if you're not concerned about your privacy (and I really think you should), centralizing everything will only make problems worse if something happens with this one service, should it be Google, Apple or anyone else.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#265

Post by threeseed »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #252
marcus_holmes wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have a physical address (I move approximately every 3 weeks). I don't have a phone number (I move country every 3 weeks and need a new SIM each time). I have so many problems with online authentication it's not funny. So yeah, I'd love a global system of identification, but please let's not tie it to an address or phone number

Passport number along with cryptographic authentication similar to Estonia’s ID card. I believe this satisfies the need for authentication of all citizens at a global scope.

Not everyone has passports let alone valid ones.

And getting one for people can be difficult as many people especially older ones don't have supporting documentation e.g. birth certificates and so can't prove identity.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#266

Post by kxrm »

rroblak wrote: post #100

Google is, fundamentally, an engineering company. Despite their size and breadth, they still don't understand customer support. Their approach is to use software to solve problems, and they insist on doing so even when it's clear that software isn't up to the task. Unfortunately, customer support is a hard problem. Despite all of the advances in NLP, I still abhor automated customer support systems when I have a comp…

You nailed the issue for me, the problem is that these software approaches to customer service always assume that the service is 100% not the problem and that the customer is the one causing the problem.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#267

Post by njarboe »

ploxiln wrote: post #130
ronsor wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a general issue with google. If their system decides it doesn't like you, then you're out of luck. You'll never get them to fix it.

This is also a problem with Square, and Stripe, and Paypal ... it's an unsolvable fraud/scammer problem. Basically, if there was customer support that could fix the problem, then skilled scammers can get money and control out of them. They can do it a lot better than you can get your stuff re-enabled, they know just when to say what to whom. Verizon just accepts the inefficiency, and also over-charges random customer…

It is too bad that I can't pay $50 and/or go somewhere in person to try and solve serious problems. This would eliminate most scammers and give people a way to get something done when it is really serious. I would guess this is not done because the PR hit for charging to talk to a person would be bigger than just ignoring certain people's problems (or companies don't want to have divisions that make more money when the rest of the company screws up, but I doubt that).

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#268

Post by TheMagicHorsey »

If you want a cheap, fairly good mobile plan ... try Mint SIM. You can choose Verizon, AT&T, or TMobile networks. You prepay for your plans. A 5GB, unlimited call, unlimited text plan is about $15/month. The cheapest I've found.

Only downside is my texts don't always download when I'm on Wifi, so sometimes I have to disconnect to download my texts, and then reconnect to wifi. Annoying but not a deal breaker.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#270

Post by njarboe »

mjevans wrote: post #240
ploxiln wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also a problem with Square, and Stripe, and Paypal ... it's an unsolvable fraud/scammer problem. Basically, if there was customer support that could fix the problem, then skilled scammers can get money and control out of them. They can do it a lot better than you can get your stuff re-enabled, they know just when to say what to whom. Verizon just accepts the inefficiency, and also over-charges random customer…

I believe these issues could be solved by actually taxing corporations and providing the service they clearly so desperately need. An /actual/ (inter)national ID and Identity verification service. One where disputes about identity and authorization can be escalated somewhere that makes sense, to the jurisdictions issuing these IDs. Ideally someone should be able to go to a police station (locally for local IDs, if on…

Many US states have this place where you get you ID. It's often called the department of motor vehicles and is notorious for being a huge pain to deal with. Most places where the government works well in this capacity probably doesn't have companies pulling this kind of shit. Any Germans in the audience?
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