Mastodawn

Jeff Atwood Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon "but my friends are there"

get more, better friends

Don Marti Dec 11

@codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon YouTube just told my YouTube account that it's a child—which excuses you from the "personalized" ads, so I guess that account will never grow up

@dmarti Sounds like they're threatening you with a good time.

Cassandrich Dec 11

@dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon At least for Google accounts you can use a credit card to fix it, rather than dystopian hell like face scans or ID scans.

@dalias @dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon

Godfrey642 Dec 23

What are you using google for?

jonathankoren™Dec 11

@dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon the only problem here is safe search.

No child should have to endure safe search

LukefromDC Dec 11

@jonathankoren @dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon That can by bypassed by using a different seach engine-or ANY search engine while not logged in

Crimson Fork, Creature Friendly archivist 🏳️‍⚧️&Θ Dec 11

@LukefromDC @jonathankoren @dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon No child should be forced to endure Google search.

Enola Knezevic Dec 11

@dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon I thought most of us had Youtube accounts for longer than 18 years.

@rhelune @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon I can see having a long-term account if you're uploading videos, but I only watch on there so it's not a big deal to make a new account every so often (I keep YouTube in its own container)

@rhelune @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon fwiw I updated my notes on containerizing and cleaning up YouTube. No more algorithmically-recommended "AI" slop everywhere, "engagement" rat holes closed up https://blog.zgp.org/youtube-cleanup/

cleaning up YouTube

marcusxms Dec 12

@dmarti @rhelune @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon Tried FreeTube? It makes subscribing to accounts for new videos easier than YouTube does IMO.

@marcusxms @rhelune @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon no, but I'll check it out

Jeff Atwood Dec 12

@dmarti @rhelune @Em0nM4stodon I decided to train youtube / youtube music on my musical preferences since I've been on there since 2005 and Google is, if not the least, certainly leser than a lot of other evils out there now

@codinghorror @rhelune @Em0nM4stodon I'm enough of a music algorithm avoider that I mostly find out about "new" bands from #questionableContent comics now (Early Man is good imho https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5719 )

Questionable Content

Jeff Atwood Dec 12

@dmarti @rhelune @Em0nM4stodon I'm not great with new music, but Wet Leg was revelatory (and the Challengers soundtrack, not exactly a new artist but a new album)

Trantion Dec 11

@dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon I manually turned off YouTube ads and the result is about 80% stock gambling ads

jack Dec 11

@trantion @dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon Use a VPN and have them serve up ads in Esperanto

Workshopshed Dec 11

@jackeric @trantion @dmarti @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon had fun on Facebook one time by rejecting all of the adverts they offered and ended up with some really wierd niche topics

https://blog.zgp.org/click-this-to-buy-better-stuff-and-be-happier/

Don Marti Dec 11

@trantion @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon Did you try Google's "personalized ads" setting?

Click this to buy better stuff and be happier

Don Marti Dec 11

@trantion @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon I don't think people are going to get fewer scam ads total with personalization turned off—but if you turn it off you're probably going to get more scams that are obvious to you and that you'll probably laugh at, and fewer that you're likely to click on (faking notifications from services you use, that kind of thing) https://blog.zgp.org/picking-up-cheap-shoes-in-front-of-a-steamroller/

picking up cheap shoes in front of a steamroller

@Em0nM4stodon @codinghorror Can I order more better friends on Amazon?

Jeff Atwood Dec 11

@grayabbott @Em0nM4stodon well how much money do you have

Gray Abbott Dec 11

@codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon Probably not enough.

I used to buy all my friends on Temu, but now, you know, tariffs.

@grayabbott @codinghorror 😂

Chupacabra 78704 Dec 11

@codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon ain't it the truth. Navy taught me that.

Dźwiedziu Dec 11

@codinghorror
Change “friends” to i.e. “preschool parent group” or any other IRL ingroup, and try again.

Social connections are hard to migrate to alternative platforms.

@Em0nM4stodon

@dzwiedziu @codinghorror @Em0nM4stodon

Tried preschool parent group and other IRL friend groups. Way worse than the friends in my phone.

ʙᴇɴ ᴄᴏᴛᴛᴇяɪʟʟ Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon Got an email saying someone had sent me a message on LinkedIn. Not been on there in years. They now want my passport ID. They can get tea’ shit.

Just Bob Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon

Good thing the Fediverse doesn't do that shit

Matti Järvinen Dec 11

@justbob @Em0nM4stodon well it's all there in the open so they'll just let AI read what you've posted.

Anyhow, I'm in no need to travel into any fascist nor totalitarian country.

BenjaminK Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon I've long thought we need some sort of external union like structure to coordinate boycotts and strikes on social networks, so you sign up to the Facebook union and if a strike is called you stop using it. I don't use anything meta but my boycott isn't very effective.

@BenjaminKlein That would be brilliant.

rewarp Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon Directly relevant to the shopping sites and gaming accounts I use. Straight up just refuse to fill in anything unnecessary, like gender.

My shopping sites keep reminding me to fill in the gender info, and I am like nah, who's holding the (debit) cards here?

@rewarp 👍

Enola Knezevic Dec 11

@rewarp @Em0nM4stodon Most shops here force me to choose either 'Herr' or 'Frau'. Better ones allow for no title. Once I chose 'Divers' (diverse, meaning non-binary) expecting it to result in no title on the parcels, and ordered a step-ladder. When it was reportedly delivered I couldn't find it. 12 days later I finally asked my landlord. He had it and never informed me. It was addressed to'
'Divers Knezevic
Enola'
I changed my title to 'Frau' 😟
Wish everyone stopped asking me for my gender, because, like religion, I do not have one!

Conny Nasch Dec 11

@rhelune @rewarp @Em0nM4stodon I must admit your description is very funny - I laughed. Thank you for the humour! 😂

@rewarp @Em0nM4stodon

If they don't NEED it, make up false information.

Fake name
Fake address
Fake email
Fake phone number

If they want to verify email and it is not something that needs security eg no risk to you if you lose access, make up an account @mailinator.com, go to their website find the public mailbox for that account and verify, delete the email.

Garbage in =garbage out

Offbeatmammal Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon Discord - which isn't required to do this under Australian law - has just started demanding Govt ID etc. the same Discord which just leaked 68000 users ID documents, thus proving they are not to be trusted with anything. It is a dystopian nightmare of censorship, incompetence, and bad ideas

martin Dec 11

@Offbeatmammal @Em0nM4stodon Isanity, thanks for boosting @Em0nM4stodon !

@Offbeatmammal @Em0nM4stodon

Bkysky and Reddit are not required by law either, but are enforcing age restrictions.

Världens bästa Kille™Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon Agorithmic platforms would be the only winners. And they are the enemy, quite literally.

Viss Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon i think the loss of the ar revenue would have them shittings kittens

Que Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon this is why I like the identity validation system on infosec.exchange, proof of cat is sufficient to appease most of the admins.

@BabblingGeek Proof of cat is an important system to appease the gods of the internet.

Proof of cat ->

Angela Scholder Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon Well, my StinkIn has been dormant now for half a year after they wanted me to identify myself with a government ID......
No, I'm not willing to provide one.

Victor Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon

Unfortunatelly agree with that thing, id verification is not all-way cure.

One my friend has 2 PhD in math and physics and he does not have driver license...

And he does not want to get one.

@pvd1313 @Em0nM4stodon

Here in NSW, we had photo drivers licences. If you didn't have a licence. As a student you could apply for a similar photo id card, so you could prove who you were.

A number of years later they brought out a photo id card for anyone that wanted it. People like me who didn't drive and wasn't a student, but was always asked for such id when going to the pub or setting up bank accounts etc.

I listened to 3 hours of talk back radio full of callers, who would have had drivers licences and likely had passports and hadn't been asked for id at the pub in decades, all up and say we were heading to an authoritarian state because the government announced that people who didn't have photo id, could now get it, to make their lives easier, if they wanted to.

Wombatadon Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon Big Tech has no interest in our privacy. They've been stealing it for years.
They've been stealing peoples mental health too, at least now their cattle (users) should be old enough to make a better decision.

Harshal Suryawanshi 🇮🇳Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon
I created LinkedIN account 3 weeks back. Tried to login today and BAM! give us your ID card.
There is no law in India as far as I know to provide ID card. This is so tiresome.

Conny Nasch Dec 11

@driftingThoughts @Em0nM4stodon I deleted my FB app on my Handy yesterday as it wanted me to log in with more info! It is so very annoying, but I have stopped using all the others I was subscribed to as well. I refuse to give my data to further these sick oligarchic companies. 🤬

yuhasz01 Dec 11

@Em0nM4stodon Yes, boycott any corporation or platform that violates any of your rights. The power of American consumer is vast, but not used enough currently.

Godfrey642 Dec 23

@yuhasz01 @Em0nM4stodon

100% agree.
They only exist bc ppl sign up.
They only accrue wealth bc so many ppl continue to comply.
Don't spend your money on these companies.

Godfrey642 Dec 23

@yuhasz01 @Em0nM4stodon

I left FB 15yrs ago. Never regretted it. I don't use LinkedIn or Insta or TikTok.

95% of my friends message through Signal rather than Meta ie Messenger (FB) or WApp

One of my dearest friends refuses to get a Signal account and leave Meta/WApp bc she says "it's another app to download and they're all the same". Im in Aus. She's in UK. I don't want to lose touch but I want to close WApp.

Give me sthg WATERTIGHT to convince her Meta/WApp is fucked.

Daniel V.Dec 24

@Godfrey642 @yuhasz01 @Em0nM4stodon Highly unethical and against the spirit of your ask, but you can report her account until it gets banned so she doesn’t have a choice.

Daniel V.Dec 24

@Godfrey642 @yuhasz01 @Em0nM4stodon follow for more horrid advice!

D2 Dec 24

@dvandal @Godfrey642 @yuhasz01 @Em0nM4stodon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ fine line between horrid and ‘but it works’.