EngineerGaming

EngineerGaming , 23 hours ago

There are degrees of trust though. You can trust the developers and people who audited the code if you have no skill/desire to audit it yourself, or you can trust just the developers.

And even closed systems' behavior can be monitored and analyzed.

EngineerGaming , 2 days ago

Even if this is illegal - how would such usage be detected? Your device just makes a request to a random domain on a random VPS, and the traffic is TLS-encrypted - would usage of XMPP/Matrix/whatever be that distinct?

EngineerGaming , 23 hours ago

I much prefer physical books, and have quite a big library. But most of my textbooks would be either hard or outright impossible to get in paper, so they go onto my e-reader as DRMless pdf and djvu files.

As for movies and music - I don't see much appeal in physical, since there is no difference in experience between playing from a CD/DVD or from my drive. I still keep my DVDs from childhood, but no longer have any device that can play them (removed the CD drive from the old laptop a while ago). However, I would never rely on streaming like you mentioned either. Only local, DRMless collection. Streaming is just for discovery.

EngineerGaming , 2 days ago

Imagine being able to opt into an long term support branch when you feel your phone starting to lag

That's kind of what LineageOS does.

EngineerGaming , 1 day ago

I am very anxious even with normal maintenance - heating adhesive up is not something I am capable of now. So was looking at new last-gen Pixels instead, and 7a is $300 :( People I know who have it say it's good hardware, but that's still an insane sum to spend on a phone.

EngineerGaming , 3 days ago

Yea, my main issue is that because of the price, you're locked to phones that are either out or almost out of support, or secondhand. Even the last generation's cheapest model is $300! Though very tempted to try to save that anyway.

Plus they are not officially sold here, so always a bit of a gamble.

EngineerGaming , 4 days ago

I grew up when social media was already ubiquitous, in the 2010s. Still mostly video games, walks and studying.

EngineerGaming , 5 days ago

I wonder what would happen if you host a server but block the domains of the central ones, asking everyone you chat with to use other servers instead.

EngineerGaming , 4 days ago

Yea, my main concern for now is that most people are using default servers. Good thing their servers are very easy to host, but still, power of the default. I would really like to see lists of public servers, like what we see now for XMPP and Matrix. The thing is still young, so looking forward.

EngineerGaming , 4 days ago

I self-host too, that wasn't the problem, it's that there is the power of the default. Just like with Matrix. You can ask a friend to use your server or another one and delete the main ones entirely, but chances are you won't be avoiding them in a random chatroom.

EngineerGaming , 6 days ago

Even with a fully open-source implementation, that thing tells on you more than normal system logs. I like it being called "privacy bomb" - waiting to give extra data to whoever gets into the computer.

EngineerGaming , 6 days ago (edited 6 days ago)

I would prefer Matrix or XMPP, they don't have the risks regarding centralization and are thus far harder to censor.

EngineerGaming , 6 days ago

Major XMPP clients now have implemented OMEMO - from what I understand, it's very similar.

My issue with Signal, aside from centralization and phone numbers, is how it is annoying to use without a smartphone.

EngineerGaming , 4 days ago

First - it does still require one for registration, just no longer requires it to be public. Second - this still has nothing to do with the fact that desktop doesn't allow registration and tells you to register from a smartphone instead.

EngineerGaming , 8 days ago

I don't see a "year of the Linux desktop" happening, but rather its share growing slowly over the years. Windows would probably not have one big event that ends its dominance, but it can be a death of a thousand cuts.

EngineerGaming , 8 days ago (edited 8 days ago)

Being open-source is not sufficient, but necessary.

EngineerGaming , 10 days ago

I don't quite understand how it works yet, so wonder: would it work in sanctioned locations, like how, say, Monero can?

EngineerGaming , 8 days ago

Ah. I know that a bank is involved with a recipient, but didn't know a sender needed one too. But as long as the Taler works between banks that are prohibited to interact too - it would be very useful then!

EngineerGaming , 8 days ago

So technically, you could buy it from a random KYCless seller like you can Monero too?

EngineerGaming , 8 days ago

Why would I do that? Maybe if my bank doesn't want to support a private currency like that. Or if they're a legal gray area like crypto now is, so while it is semi-legal now, might change in the future.

EngineerGaming , 10 days ago

Yes. The difference is that you need to pay to host a Session node, and pay BIG money. That locks out most people that aren't cryptobros, companies or government agencies. While both a Tor/i2p node and Simplex server (or XMPP, or Matrix) are decidedly easy to set up.

EngineerGaming , 10 days ago

Realistically, a lot of businesses would stick with Windows 10 way past EOL anyway. This happened with 7.

EngineerGaming , 10 days ago

When paying in-person, I would rather exclusively use cash.

EngineerGaming , 10 days ago

From my understanding, the OP wanted to use a system that does not provide physical cards though.

EngineerGaming , 10 days ago

Yes, that would be the best. My point is that there might be still some middle ground that OP wants to use for some reason.

EngineerGaming , 11 days ago

I don't mind it as long as the phones stay in the classroom in the students' view, not stored in some office outside. The latter would make the owner worry about their phone being stolen or damaged while out of sight.

EngineerGaming , 11 days ago

Less likely peer-to-peer, more likely selfhostable.

EngineerGaming , 11 days ago

I prefer XMPP, which is lighter, but I have a Matrix server too and get why you'd prefer it.

EngineerGaming , 11 days ago

I am just sad that the desktop version is not as full-featured. The website says no Tor bridges, which here means no Tor connectivity at all. And it is weird that the mailbox is primarily for phones, even though phones are not supposed to be working permanently on a charger - they do have a cli one at least so you's probably be able to use something like a Raspberry instead, for now only buildable from source but hope it develops. But yea, very cool model! Although I would say for everyday less sensitive communication I would choose XMPP or Matrix instead.

EngineerGaming , 14 days ago

Are you prohibited from covering your face in the stores like this?

EngineerGaming , 14 days ago

I mean wouldn't the prohibited person just have to wear some mask to avoid triggering? And if this is prohibited - wouldn't that be problematic when it comes to hijabs?

EngineerGaming , 14 days ago

But it looks so much more sus than a mask you moght wear when you're sick. Or a hijab. And also very algorithm-dependent.

EngineerGaming , 13 days ago

But it makes you much more flaggable by human staff. And again - how would an advisory work? There is no one unified algorithm used in every surveillance system by every manufacturer.

EngineerGaming , 15 days ago

Can a school lend you a computer if you don't have one of your own? Or only have a shared stationary one?

EngineerGaming , 15 days ago

Oh wow. (cries in the corner with my uni paying me $40 a month)

EngineerGaming , 15 days ago

And are books required to be bought? We usually use books that are easy to download for free.

EngineerGaming , 15 days ago

Ketamine.

EngineerGaming , 17 days ago

My main issue with it is the fact that the company has shown it is willing to cross boundaries.

EngineerGaming , 18 days ago

My main issue with Pixels is their price, even the Pixel A. They are completely unaffordable new, and only hit below $300 when they barely have any support yet (or are used). I don't mind using an EOL phome because with short support like on phones it is unavoidable, but that would be after alreafdy overpaying.

EngineerGaming , 18 days ago

I mean realistically you would not be replacing the phone just because it hits EOL, maybe if you're wealthy and/or have a higher threat model.

EngineerGaming , 18 days ago

Or pirate the music, then go to a concert or buy some merch.

EngineerGaming , 18 days ago

"It is a lot of work"? I don't know, for me it always seemed far more convenient than being locked to a single service, single player app and following restrictions.

EngineerGaming , 18 days ago

Porting Skyrim onto it?

EngineerGaming , 19 days ago

Why necessarily an older version? Do you think a XZ-like well-hidden backdoor in some update is likely?

EngineerGaming , 19 days ago

I mean, running outdated software is bad practice. Do you think backdoors would have to be cleverly hidden every time, like what we almost got with XZ? If it is in plain sight, I highly doubt a person outside of the oppressed jurisdictions (or just someone anonymous) wouldn't make a malware-removing fork.

EngineerGaming , 19 days ago

Idk about delivery in particular, but my preferred way of paying for online goods is ordering to the online shop's physical storefront, since not only does that allow cash, it is at no extra cost, unlike using mail, delivery services or lockers.

EngineerGaming , 20 days ago

XMPP is way better than Matrix.

EngineerGaming , 20 days ago

Jokes aside, but in Russia, when NFC stopped working on Apple phones, some banks made payment stickers like this.