Google has become everything it once pretended to disdain -- an arrogant, sleazy, control-freak monopolist.
Its latest anti-user, anti-competition move will shut down the alternative app marketplaces that Google used to show off as "we're not like Apple" evidence. https://thenewstack.io/f-droid-says-googles-android-developer-verification-plan-is-an-existential-threat-to-alternative-app-stores/
Almost as if quietly dropping "Don't Be Evil" was a huge tell.
Google has become everything it once pretended to disdain -- an arrogant, sleazy, control-freak monopolist.
It really has been quite a journey. The craziest thing for me was how their motto used to be "don't be evil" and then they just ever so quietly started removing that from everything one day...
@nazokiyoubinbou @dangillmor some 20 years ago Google launched the Summer of Code program to support students that wanted to work on open source, I remember reading the news on some slashdot-style news site, and they introduced it as "why would Google do this? Well, Google is special.".
It's been so sad to see it become what it is today.
@dangillmor Recommend Spring Cleaning on DNS level:
Google has been banned
Meta has been banned
Microsoft has been banned
A few more arsehole companies sent to 0.0.0.0
"Feel better?" "Yeah, I do!"
very cool.
I find it harder every day to persuade or convice people to get rid of big-tech.
the laziness and the carelessness are unlimited
@virgil_tibbs @dangillmor I wouldn't be so harsh. My impression is that many folks are simply overwhelmed, and many lack even basic skills to stand up against the TechBro bastards.
That is by design: just think of terms and conditions of HW/SW. Those are written to overwhelm people. Thirty pages fine print - click Accept. The antisocial media attention industry is full of that: overwhelm people, and suck their data. Digital ticks, parasitic lifeforms.
Keep the good work up!
@me @dangillmor Thanks for the interest - here's what I've done.
In 2019, I installed a Pi-hole in my home network, to establish network-wide protection for all my devices, also those which have no user interface to install ad blockers - TV, media box and connected PV home appliances. Over time, I beefed it up a bit.
There is not one blocklist - fully loaded, mine runs all in- and outgoing traffic thru ca. 40 selected blocklists w/ over 4 million flagged sites, sending bullshit to 0.0.0.0
Pi-hole can combine two basic modes:
1) Volunteer-maintained blocklists for various areas (e. g., advertising, trackers, malware, porn, crypto, AI)
2) Configurable blacklists, easily ban the big bastards. It is even possible to add whitelists for services you direly need.
@me @dangillmor A word of caution: If you start to self-defend, some Internet sites and services wil not work properly or not at all. Then you found bullshit, it's meant not to let that through.
Your choice of services will change. Your surfing will change. You may have to fine-tune to use bullshit you still need (remove particular blocklists, or add whitelist entries). You may have to try other, safer browsers, and work your way down to find some necessary tweaks.
But if you want to literally 'google' w/ Chrome, Pi-hole is not for you.
I must admit, I got IT background. Made my feat a bit easier. If you learn, you will be rewarded. My everyday Internet experience is mostly ad- and tracking-free. Almost as it was back in the Nineties.
No fecal matter of the male bovine aka bullshit
@dangillmor "We're not like Apple. We're worse."
Be Evil!
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