The only digital subscription service I want is a subscription to a real-life IT person in my real-life local community who will go into my phone and computer once a month to remove all the new AI features and other enshittifying features that companies have sneaked onto my devices against my will since the last time.
Seriously. If AI is so fanbloodytastic, why do they have to sneak it in and hide any off-switches?
@CiaraNi Switching to freedom-respecting/libre software could help. Among other benefits, it allows any developer to release new versions of the software without unwanted (anti)features. And it's mostly been free of the AI malaise so far.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software
There's probably a libre software community near you who would love to help you switch.
An easy way on Android is to use https://f-droid.org/ as your app store (it strictly provides only libre software) instead of the Play Store.
'There's probably a libre software community near you who would love to help you switch.'
I did ask around recently but the only groups I've heard of are for people with the IT skills, working on projects together, not for random end users like me. I'd love to find an open-source equivalent of our local repair cafés - a place where you come along with your computer and phone and your ignorance, and a kind volunteer helps you switch to open-source in real life, hands on.
@CiaraNi That's a pity...I'll see if I can start something like that in my city, and maybe later in others too.
I also invite you to join the Tinkerspace channel on XMPP, which is an end-user-friendly channel created with the same idea in mind. To join it, you can install Quicksy from the Play Store, App Store, or F-Droid, then open this link -
https://xmpp.link/#tinkering@conference.macaw.me?join
Ciara
contrapunctus ✊🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️