An operating system with all the usual tools, but without news and ads

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Thu, 9 Jun 2022 04:34:15 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:
>On 8/6/22 12:16 am, Ralf Mardorf via ubuntu-users wrote:
>> On Tue, 7 Jun 2022 16:19:40 +0800, Bret Busby wrote:  
>>> I rely on plugins, to block advertising, and, have a number of them
>>> installed.  
>> 
>> Yes, add-ons are useful, but they don't stop the GUI of Firefox,
>> Chrome and Co. to spread spam.
>>   
>
>And, apparently, now, chrome is chroming and acting to stop adblockers 
>and privacy protecting plugins.
>
>The evil google borg strikes again...
>
>https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/08/google_blocking_privacy_manifest/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=top-article 
>
>
>"Browser extensions such as Ghostery Privacy Ad Blocker, uBlock
>Origin, and Privacy Badger, along with scripting extensions including 
>TamperMonkey, which are each designed to block adverts and other
>content and/or protect one's privacy online, are expected to function
>less effectively, if they can even make the transition"

YouTube belongs to Google. I can watch a 3 minute short YouTube video
with Firefox Linux and the UBlock Origin add-on without being forced
to watch a single commercial. If I try to watch the same short video
with Firefox iPadOS and no add-on, I first need to watch 2 commercials
before the video starts and sometimes even such a short video gets
interrupted by another commercial. To my knowledge, due to the iPadOS
policy only Safari can use add-ons.

Many users are seemingly stupid enough to use YouTube even if they are
forced to watch one commercial after the other. If more users wouldn't
be willing to pay this way for using YouTube, Google would be forced to
attack the user's privacy less intrusive.

Most humans are that stupid, that they even pay for idiotic in
app-purchases to play absolutely idiotic games.

If I walk through the city or if I use public transport services nearly
everyone is swiping on a smartphone. Most humans nowadays are trained
monkeys without own will. My colleagues are wearing smartwatches to
report the health insurance how many steps they walk.

I'm using landline only, without an answering machine. People can reach
me by email, too. I read emails at home, only at home.

Neither my Windows guests nor my iPads spam me with ads or news, let
alone Linux or FreeBSD. No app spams me with notifications. I spend
hours to disable all that crap. If it can't be disabled, I'm not using
it.

Do people really want that Siri suggests apps? That would be like a
screwdriver recommending to use a saw or a spoon, too. I know that a
saw and a spoon do exist. I don't try to saw or to spoon with a
screwdriver.