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I am tired of corporatist technology and I need help to get away from it. (lemm.ee)

submitted 11 months ago by IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world

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I am a phone scroller and social media reader and a YouTube watcher. My phone and by extension my Google account are my mobile office. I regret having to buy an Apple Mac Mini but I am not giving up Logic as my DAW. I got away from overpriced Samsung devices a few years ago and have a fairly bloat-free Motorola. Now I want to dump the Google ecosystem. I intend to download all of my pics and files from Drive and the Google cloud. I am not so tech savvy that I can install APKs or switch to Linux, and I'd like to watch video streamers that aren't saturated in developer links (seriously, why do y'all do this?...just put one simple link to "Developer Info" or something and put all the other links there). I want to use and enjoy the net like any idiot would but without being The Product. I am Lemmy over Reddit (though you both ban me from subs with equal ferver); MeWe over Facebook (though MeWe is moving towards an unprivate model now); Mastodon over Xittstain. I have a ProtonMail account, but mainly for registrations...I have had a Gmail account since Earthlink took a nosedive.

What/who else is out there for me to frequent and replace all the corporatist models?in the past I tried Minds (all Nazis all the time!) and Ello (socmed for creative types, yet still looks like a shitty 1970's mimeographed zine). I also spent a couple of years at one called MyBetzCo that started out okay but died because none of the members would make public posts for interacting with others.

What do you recommend for private/decentralizwd clouds, socmeds or media sites?

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[–] d3Xt3r@lemmy.nz 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I got away from overpriced Samsung devices a few years ago and have a fairly bloat-free Motorola. Now I want to dump the Google ecosystem. I intend to download all of my pics and files from Drive and the Google cloud. I am not so tech savvy that I can install APKs

You don't need to install any APKs. You can buy phones with /e/OS (a fully de-Googled Android) preloaded, such as the ones sold by Murena. Another option is to buy a cheap/used Pixel phone and flash GrapheneOS, which is another de-Googled Android, but is much more secure than /e/OS. They have a web based installer that's pretty easy to use, you just have to follow the step-by-step instructions on that page - there's no need to even type any commands or anything!

or switch to Linux

Depending on your software requirements and workflow, this could actually be a pretty easy switch. You said you're not very tech savvy, and contrary to popular opinion, Linux is actually very suitable for non-techy people: because such folks have very simple requirements from a PC in general - like surfing the web, checking emails, do some light document or image editing, transferring files, ocassionally print or scan stuff. You know, all the basics. All of which Linux excels at.

Now on the other hand, if you're a geek or a IT pro, or a professional photographer, or someone like that with very specific software requirements / workflow, it'd may a lot more difficult to switch, but for most general, non-techy home users, Linux works very very well. Case in point - both my mum and dad (60+) and many elderly relatives of mine are all happily running Linux since many years now. None of them are tech savvy (except my mum I guess, she actually learnt computers properly, going back to the DOS days), but most of them are total noobs at PCs - in fact my dad didn't even know how to operate a PC until I taught him (which was after his retirement, for reasons...). Most of these folks have been running Linux for over a decade now and had no major issues, afterall, all they need is a web browser and some light document viewing/editing, plus the ocassional prints and scans. They have no need for proprietary apps or nVidia graphics, so Linux has been working for them very well.

If you're in this camp as well, then Linux could be a good option for you. If you also think this is the case, let me know and I can point you in the right direction as to how to get started with this Linux stuff in the easiest way possible.