Several weeks ago I pre-ordered a 1TB NVMe drive from NewEgg as it was on sale for $40 instead of the regular price of $80. It finally shipped out yesterday, so I'm waiting for it to arrive.

This morning, I get this email from the company that makes the NVMe drive.

Dear Customer,

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your trust and support. To show our appreciation, we have upgraded your NVMe order from 1TB to 2TB for free!

Shocked to see this as it just doesn't happen much in todays world like it once used to.

#NVMe #Drive #NewEgg #Orico #Tech #Hardware #SSD #PCIe

My buddy Ben got to make this pretty funny video for his work at Newegg:
https://youtu.be/K0J3slPTF1o?si=zaLUIpcJaXMoFq2v

#FeliciaDay #Newegg #Youtube #PCGiveaway #Gleam

### How to Kick the Amazon Habit

#### 1. Opt Out of Data Collection
- Go to your Amazon account settings and opt out of personalized advertising.
- Disable voice recording on Alexa and Echo devices.
- Delete all existing voice recordings in the Alexa app settings.

#### 2. Clear Browsing Data
- Clear your browser history and cookies for Amazon-related sites.
- Use incognito or private browsing mode when accessing Amazon (if still needed).

#### 3. Manage Device Settings
- Reset or factory reset any smart home devices to remove your account information.
- Sign out of your Amazon account and factory reset Amazon devices (e.g., Fire TV) before selling or disposing of them.

#### 4. Uninstall Amazon Apps
- Uninstall Amazon apps from your mobile devices.
- Uninstall any Amazon software from your desktop or laptop.

#### 5. Review and Delete Data in Amazon Services
- Delete all files from Amazon Drive and close your account.
- Remove all playlists and delete your Amazon Music account.
- Clear your watch history and delete your Amazon Video account.

#### 6. Use Privacy Tools
- Install and use privacy-focused browser extensions like uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, and HTTPS Everywhere.
- Use a reputable Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your internet traffic and mask your IP address when accessing Amazon or other online services (if still needed).

#### 7. Close Your Amazon Account
- Remove all personal information from your Amazon account profile.
- Cancel any active subscriptions (e.g., Amazon Prime).
- Close your Amazon account through the account settings.

#### 8. Switch to Alternative Services
- **Etsy**: A marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique goods. Etsy offers a more personalized and community-driven shopping experience with better privacy practices.
- **eBay**: A global marketplace where you can buy and sell a wide variety of items. eBay provides more control over your data and offers privacy-focused settings.
- **Walmart**: A large retailer that offers a wide range of products. Walmart's privacy policy is generally more transparent and they provide options to manage your data.
- **Local Independent Stores**: Support local businesses by shopping at independent stores. This not only helps the local economy but also reduces the amount of data collected by large corporations.
- **Macy's**: A well-known department store that offers a wide range of products. Macy's has a more transparent privacy policy and provides options to manage your data.
- **Target**: A large retailer with a strong focus on privacy. Target's privacy policy is clear and they provide options to manage your personal information.
- **Thrive Market**: An online marketplace that focuses on healthy and sustainable products. Thrive Market is known for its privacy-friendly practices and transparency.
- **Newegg**: A tech-focused retailer that offers a wide range of electronics and tech products. Newegg has a strong privacy policy and provides options to manage your data.

Get some damn privacy! 🌱🔒

#Privacy #DataProtection #DigitalWellness #Mastodon #AmazonFree #ShopLocal #Etsy #eBay #Walmart #Macy #Target #ThriveMarket #Newegg #ProtectYourData #PrivacyFirst

Tampermonkey script: no, Newegg, I don’t freakin’ want to subscribe

Over the years I have repeatedly been tripped up by the fact that Newegg‘s checkout form has a mailing list subscribe checkbox which they randomly check by default, so if you forget to uncheck it you get subscribed. I have been subscribed to their list against my will over and over because of this. It’s frankly a mystery to me why they don’t remember when people have unsubscribed and stop resubscribing them, but I guess they think it earns them more in revenue than it drives away in pissed-off customers.

Anyway, now Tampermonkey will uncheck the box for me so I don’t have to remember.

The script is published on Greasy Fork. Here it is here as well:

#darkPatterns #Newegg #Tampermonkey