Yeah. For me, Signal's security benefits are counteracted by various other usability issues. Such as not being feature-complete on desktop and not even allowing registration there without workarounds - given that phones are very privacy-invasive by default and far from all can have a privacy-respecting OS installed (while Linux works on pretty much any random computer). Or even on mobile - pushing the user towards Google download with dark patterns, not being on F-Droid, or (at least in my experience) the official app not working at all on my Graphene device (Molly worked perfectly though). Also, from what I've seen, even if you don't mind losing connectivity with other users and would only converse with people on your server anyway (like how I do with my family on XMPP), selfhosting Signal is really hard compared to XMPP, Simplex or even Matrix, even requiring modifying the client app.
EngineerGaming
joined 2 years ago
- Do not upload pictures of your face ANYWHERE, period - including private chats
- Do not use any name even resembling your real one, or rederencing your known interests
- If something asks for a phone number, avoid using it
- If it is mandatory (like for government services) or very hard not to use (like Whatsapp or Telegram), ask the parent first, maybe there is an aliasing solution
- If the data sharing is mandatory, try digging deeper for alternative options because it may turn out to be not so mandatory
- Do not post anything political or even remotely questionable in the current climate (should be talked about with the parent), and must understand you can be arrested for pretty much anything and be made an example of
- Each time an application is installed, think about what data it is able to access, pay attention to permissions
- Prefer FOSS programs for everything possible
- Learn to treat a Windows PC or a non-degoogled phone as a fundentally unprivate device and learn to not trust them with personal things (if I were a parent, I'd install a privacy-preserving OS on a device prior to giving it to a kid anyway)
Exactly! My usecase is exactly the same as yours.
While massively flawed, for now it is the most viable alternative financial system we have.
Not me, but my mother has beef with air conditioners. When I was little, I got sick (to the point of losing consciousness) due to a dirty AC in a hotel, so now she (maybe rightfully) assumes that a random given AC in a public place is filthy. We don't have one at home either - mostly because in this climate we'd only need it for a short time each year, but also because mom thinks it'd be easy to not take care of it properly and let enough filth accumulate.