Peace be with you, F-Droid Community. πΉ
As many probably know, Google will block Android starting 2027.
Here is my hope: Google has shot itself in the foot with this Darth Vader move, because many People who loves privacy will now switch to de-googled systems, because ( Since to my knowledge), the blockade won't affect those systems.
So this is just my Openion and my HOPE.
What's your take on this?
And I kindly say to all developers: Please don't register in Google.
There are so many people using de-googled systems now, including myself. Please keep going for us, and four you too. Please
Best wishes from Germany πΉ
I think you're overestimating the de-Google community.
I'd be astonished if there was 10 million of us. Compared to a few Billion normies, we're a rounding error in their accounting.
It's not always about "winning". Sometimes it's about what you do and what you become while doing it. Do I want to be able to influence google directly? Yes. Do I need to? No. I just need a big-enough community that shares my values, and it's OK for me that there's an even bigger community nearby that shares something else.
It's important. We're not doing an election.
Well, Chinese people have phones, and they don't have Google either. Surely there is a way out of all this.
Google still has all the opportunities to get a big "fuck you" instead of "line goes up". Why? Because when they fuck up an app on someone's phone that someone will have an option to switch away. Will everyone do it? No. But will enough people do it to send a wave of de-googling in motion? I hope so
I'd be shocked if there was even 1 million people globally using fully de-googled phones tbh
I'd actually guess it's roughly 1 million globally. +-20%
source
obviously thats just graphene. i use e/os on my phone. not sure how many other distros there are...
Most Graphene users are still using Google, but in sandboxed mode. Very few, myself among them, are willing to put up with the downsides of no GPS
Umm, I have GPS on my Goog-less main profile no problem. The other profile with Play (just banking, parking and employer-subvented lunch app) also does. So not accurate.
Other commenter beat me to it, but I meant Google Play Services, sorry for the confusion
They meant Google Play Services, not the Global Positioning System (confusing, I know)
Wait you can have a profile with play for banking apps etc? Can you detail it a bit? What phone and system Do you use?
GrapheneOS on Pixel 8a. Yes one can π
LineageOS is a big one compatible with many devices.
Yes, I would think that LineageOS has more users than any other alternative.
and I'm willing to bet a signifcant part of the userbase installs GApps after installing LOS. or at least microG.
microG is still degoogled?
A rounding error that many friends and family rely on for tech advice.
I actually got surprised how quick people around me reacted to remove/avoid the tracker before sharing url links for example.
This is anecdotal, but yeah. I once mentioned this google thing to my wife. She was due to change her phone and once I explained she was like "I'd like to have what you have" so she is now on a refurbished Pixel with Graphene.
I too coverted my wife to GOS and my son. I've been predicating the risks of surveilance for 6-7 years now. We are all happy people :-)
Indeed. Users like us might think we are in larger amounts. But sadly enough we are the minority.
Same with Linux.
Cheer up! It's not an election, you don't need to "win" against the evil by convincing everyone. If there's a big-enough group around you, or even digitally around you, that share your values and your preferences here -- that might just be enough. Even if you'd be alone, you could appreciate what you're doing simply because it's right. And you're far from being alone.
Yea true. Maybe it's also a good thing to be the minority. It also has advantages like no IPO and stakeholders killing the products.
it's the lack of awareness combined w the convenience of modern day bread & circuses that keep everyone ignorant.
This is a good quote βοΈ
It's also a lack of technical understanding and willingness of understanding. Most non technical people just don't care.
A few billion? There are only 8 billion people on the planet and from what I understand, a few hundred don't own phones and a few hundred more use Apple. I may be wrong.