this will be my last message on the subject, as i just don't care enough to waste any additional time on it.
Fair enough. I think we are arguing competing belief systems, so there really isn't any logical end point to this conversation.
android phones and iphones upload keystrokes to generate predictive text. they upload recordings of our voices for better voice recognition. they upload location or browser/app usage data to generate targeted ads and facilitate other services. they upload our contacts. our pictures. they track our payments.
My iPhone doesn't, because I either have those things disabled or choose not to use those services. I don't use voice commands; I don't allow my phone to use location features; I don't use online banking or cloud services or online payment systems and on and on. I choose not to use those things because I don't agree with those services collecting data about me in exchange for using them. I pay for two email accounts rather than using Yahoo or Google or someone else who reads my mail in exchange for giving me a free email account.
And that goes back to my point about worldviews. In my view, devices or software should allow for a choice. I should be able to use them, or not. Disable data collection features, or not. In the cases I just listed out, I have that choice. I know that the majority of people happily allow companies to ram a dick in their asses in exchange for the use of some toys. I don't care, particularly, if people choose to do that. I do what I want; they do what they want.
However, in the other worldview, the one I referred to as yours, I don't have a choice. I don't use Google products, and yet they track me on the web using their supercookie and sell that information. Facebook creates "community" pages for my businesses and for me personally if someone mentions me or those businesses in one of their fucking posts. And there is no way to remove those, even if the data they contain is erroneous. Win10 would monitors information about me and use it whether I like it or not. And they are doing everything in their power to FORCE me off of the Windows 7 software I paid for and onto that no-choice option.
I went to a job interview and the HR person demanded that I turn over my account name and passwords for my LinkdIn and Facebook accounts. I told her that I don't have accounts with those companies, and she terminated the interview on the spot. I can no longer pay my credit card bill at my bank with cash. They won't accept it. But they are happy to help me set up an online bill paying system. In the USA, I use a feature phone. When that dies, I have no choice but to buy a smart phone. Verizon wants that because -- surprise! -- they monitor your web usage and sell it to advertisers, and they can't do that with a feature phone. Oh, you also have no choice anymore but to buy a data plan, even if you never use the data.
In my view of the world, everyone has a choice. In yours, none of us can have a choice. Because you don't care, I can't either.
Technology is becoming an integral and unavoidable part of our lives, and that's fine. Except that slowly, inexorably, choice is being removed. You won't be able function in society without having MS, Facebook, Google et al's dick in your ass. It goes against the notions of liberty and the exercise of free will. We all get worked up when something obvious happens to impinge on our liberties, but are too busy having orgasms over another "like" or friend request to give a fuck that our liberties are being narrowed down through the acquiescence to policies like are present with Win10. That's my big complaint. Yeah, I know there's other leaks. Some of which most people don't know about. But for starters, I'm just trying to deal with the shit that is obvious and a blister on my taint every fucking day.
