Dan BocainFeb 28
Julian Oliver

Every server deployment on Amazon's AWS, Google's GCP and MS Azure feeds the beast.

Not only do they reinforce pathways of centralisation in the topological sense, but they also invest in US supremacy geopolitically. That supremacy now openly includes a theocratic & racist, war-mongering & imperialist movement.

Every server you spin up at home or on a smaller DC, like every abandoned Google, Twitter or FB account, slows the beast down.

The 3D's:

Depopulate. Defund. Disempower.

#bigtech

Feb 27 at 8:11pmWeb
Show threadJulian OliverFeb 27
I'm not saying "don't buy the US things", rather, don't invest in the enormously powerful planet-engulfing tech corporations that are openly partnering with the current US administration on their hideous projects.
Show threadJulian OliverFeb 27

It's here too that without some rigour and vigilance the beast can get fed on the sly. It is great to see folk depopulating BIgTech for small companies providing managed alternatives, a fine start, but don't get cosy until you know who they themselves host with.

Ask them "where will my data be stored?"

Some, many, are hosting on AWS, for instance. So when you move to their shiny new free and open source alternative to toxic tech, you've left the cell but you're still in jail.

Show thread@MireiaFeb 28

@JulianOliver

Completely agree. It's not about boycotting American products in general, but about rejecting the mega-tech corporations that operate as digital fiefdoms, fuel mass surveillance, manipulate elections, and ally with authoritarian governments. More and more people are joining this movement.

Show threadquaewposFeb 27
@JulianOliver 🏆
Show threadMarcus Rohrmoser 🌻Feb 27
Hi @JulianOliver,
đź’Ż
you may enjoy my 🚀 #35c3 5-min talk "Dissolving #GAFAM, one bit at a time" https://media.ccc.de/v/35c3-9566-lightning_talks_day_2#t=3337
Lightning Talks Day 2

media.ccc.de
Show threadJulian OliverFeb 27
@mro Thank you I will watch it in a quiet space tonight
Show threadJulian OliverMar 3
@mro A great contribution. I regret missing it live!
Show threadAlaric Snell-PymFeb 27
@JulianOliver also I can tell you - from bitter experience over the past months - that AWS is actually a terrible hosting platform, hard to work with, slow to deploy, and difficult to secure; and I've heard people say that Google Cloud and Azure are even worse. Dunno about the Oracle one, don't know anybody who's used it, but given its provenance I'd be absolutely shocked if it was any better.
Show threadAlaric Snell-PymFeb 27
@JulianOliver meanwhile, the little players who actually have to work to get and retain customers have, from the three I've worked with, been a dream to work with.
Show threadlil5Feb 27
@JulianOliver

That’s funny coming from the biggest US mastodon server.
Show threadJulian OliverFeb 27
@lil5 Running on Hetzner, in Germany. Like the two instances I run.
Show threadlil5Feb 28
@JulianOliver

Apologies, https://fedidb.com/servers/mastodon.social says that it’s located in the US, while https://mastodon.social/about says that is run in Germany.

@fedidb Why is this?



Show threadJulian OliverFeb 28

@lil5 @fedidb @lil5 @fedidb No worries.

I think I see why. After some digging it's because Mastodon.social now uses US-based Fastly for DDoS protection & caching, effectively 'in front' of all traffic to their DE-based Hetzner instance:

https://www.fastly.com/customers/mastodon

If you geoip you see this.

I did not know that had taken place & think Mastodon gGmbH should've been transparent abt it.

As for the hosting itself, this is an interesting view, though 2 years old now:

https://blog.benjojo.co.uk/post/who-hosts-the-fediverse-instances

Fastly + Mastodon GmbH

Mastodon scales and protects social media app servers and reduces egress by 75%.

Show threadJulian OliverFeb 28

@lil5 @fedidb FWIW I joined this node when it was a village, way back. I will move this account to another of my own instances as it is indeed better to spread out.

Fastly are like baby Cloudflare, an MiTM on traffic, massive metadata harvesters. This I do not like.

Show thread@MireiaFeb 27

@JulianOliver
Absolutely. Every step away from centralized tech ; like using Mastodon, rejecting Amazon, Netflix, PayPal, WhatsApp, and moving to Linux is resistance. it's a brutal monopoly that forces Microsoft and Google on us. But alternatives exist:

Linux distros like Tails, Qubes OS, or PureOS offer real privacy.
Browsers like Brave, Firefox, or LibreWolf replace Chrome.

You're not alone. Every small act; your choices ; slows the beast. Keep going.

Show threadpatricosFeb 28
@Libertat_22 @JulianOliver i like the term "digital cowardice" for the people who "cant change to the software they want to because of the outside presures". So lets be brave instead! Everything has an option.
Show thread@MireiaFeb 28

@patricos @JulianOliver

Calling privacy “cowardice” isn't the flex they think it is it's just being an easy target. Funny how people preach “bravery”until their own data gets leaked. I’ll stick to my security.

Show threadMason Loring BlissFeb 28
@JulianOliver You've just inspired me. Up to a moment ago I had a Google site verification record in my DNS. I've just removed it.