Posted on 01/11/2021 6:31:00 AM PST by ProgressingAmerica
There can't be much doubt in anybody's mind: The way to strike back and strike hard against big tech is through their pocket books - and there's no bigger door for opportunity than the myriad of easily downloadable open source technologies. But one of the biggest "bigs" of the big tech world has largely gone with less scrutiny than the rest: Microsoft. Here, look at the image:
Trump certainly noticed. Now it's not that Microsoft doesn't give huge amounts of money to progressive causes, because they do. It isn't that Microsoft really doesn't want conservative customers, because in reality, the people who work at Microsoft are exactly of the same mind as the people who work at Twitter and Amazon and Google and any other big tech company you would name. If you're a conservative, they do not want you nor your money. Let's get that straight right now. Twitter doesn't want it, Apple doesn't want it, none of them do. Do you see Microsoft out there telling the rest to slow things down a bit? Of course you don't. That's what it is.
However as luck would have it, Microsoft isn't in a position to visibly silence conservatives, as has been done by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Apple, and many others. That's why they've missed the heat. They don't have a social platform nor the direct ability to strike a blow to a social platform, otherwise they'd be doing it too.
So it is that reality is a tough cookie. If Facebook needs to be dealt with, and they do. And if Google needs to be dealt with, and if Twitter, Amazon, Apple, and others, let's be real here. They do need to be dealt with. But leaving one out just extends the problem further down the road in terms of time and years. Microsoft needs to be brought down a few notches as well. Big tech needs to be made a little smaller. All conservatives now know this instinctively. The only question left, is how to strike the blow.
For every one of us, it's no more simple than taking a glance over there to the side - that's right, right over there at your computer tower. There are plenty of companies out there who contribute to an abundance of open source technologies, but let's be real. It's a platform that they can't really control. It's a platform that can't entirely be monetized because it was built from the ground up by developers who don't want to be under the thumb of a corporate entity. Any corporate entities who are writing small patches here and there, are only doing so in places that benefit their organizations personally. Anything that benefits you or I, its a matter of coincidence. That wasn't their intent to benefit you. They rely very heavily on you remaining on a controllable platform. It's time to force the issue, but that could only happen if there was a larger user base.
Now, I've never been one for boycotts myself. My past blog posts will ilustrate this. I never really thought they worked so why call for them. The continued march toward progressivism that corporate entities have taken over the last 5, 10, and 20 years would lend proof to the claim that they haven't really worked. I switched to Linux years ago for the fact that in many ways, it's simply easier to use Linux than Windows, due to the software being less bossy. So I can't be called a "boycott'er" in that sense. I switched out of practicality and ease of use. But hey why not jump on the bandwagon while it's hot and fast moving?
If you want to hurt big tech, by all means, cancel your Amazon subscription and never order from them again, cancel your Netflix account, shut down your Facebook and Twitter accounts, never ever buy an Apple product again, and any other ways you can find to shut your wallets. But don't forget, whatever you do, don't forget to also wipe your Windows drive and install an open source operating system on it. It's the consistent thing to do. The big stock and trade for the progressives at Microsoft really isn't that licence fee that's paid in the beginning, it's the ongoing market dominance that's promoted every single day by continued usage.
Every one of you has a weapon against big tech sitting right there at your desk. It's your choice whether or not you use it.
Linux will let you just plug into your phone wir with a USB tether and see it and use it as long as your phone has the tether option and your phone plan allows tethering or hotspotting. :)
I use a free phoning and texting app “Textnow”, so likely the don’t have this feature i don’t think-
Maybe not, that is probably dependent on WiFi?
TextNow? Yes- i can text and phone over Wifi (but sadly can’t use a vpn to do so- TextNow won’t allow it- they used to- but not anymore i guess)
Yeah that is an issue for using it as a mobile modem. Unless it will let you tether, and you happen to have a WiFi connection. You will have to check the connections settings on the phone and see if the tether option works while plugged into your USB. Linux should auto see it and use it if the tether feature comes on for you.
I’ll check into that tethering- but setting up a wifi hotspot though had me flummoxed- I’m also not sure how far away a wifi hotspot will transmit to- as i can’t be too far away from our home wifi to connect to it- i know there are extenders, but again its all kinda too far above my paygrade to set up i think. I’d rather hook into our own wifi connection, as it’d be safer I think, but i just didn’t udnerstand how to set it up
Thanks!
Thanks!
I have been using Brave for a couple of years now. Very happy. I went sour on Firefox when they kicked Brendan Eich out. If you ever needed proof Mozilla are bad guys, that was it. Then they added their Pocket think and started bugging you to log in. A privacy focused browser would not have any kind of login. What kind of feature is that for privacy?
I used Brave for quite awhile when I was still using windows. but I have completely switched to Linux and had a lot of issues with their Linux version. But the main problem I found with Brave is that sites are now using hooks that break the page when using Brave. And with Brave you have to allow bad scripts along with the needed scripts to use the page correctly. This is why I use NoScript. I can allow each individual script or not selectively. So I can turn on just the javascript or media player without needing to turn on the other 50 3rd party scripts. I have hit pages that had over a hundred hidden 3rd party scripts. And NoScript also has a tool that traces those scripts to the unique origin and gives you all the data of IP, who actually owns them, Etc. So for me NoScript is an absolute must have tool and I am limited to a browser that will work with NoScript and correctly with Linux too. :)
So I am now down to Chromium or Waterfox because they will allow use of the NoScript.
HP is also on the list. Mostly certification for those who wish to do an install on their own terms, but also brand new computers at retail if requested.
https://certification.ubuntu.com/make/HP
https://www.techradar.com/news/hp-reveals-linux-laptops-tailored-for-data-scientists
“If you’re in the market for a HP laptop with Linux pre-installed, there are now quite a few models that you can buy with............”
That is interesting. I have been using brave on linux forever. Exactly what web pages do you have trouble with?
Only problem I see with factory installed Linux computers? There are so many distributions that it is hard to choose 1 to fit all.
I’ve used more than a few over the years.
Right now, the issue with Linux is security. I’m very cold on the latest partition method that is in vogue.
Am not convinced that eliminating firmware boot system is a good idea.
Brave isn’t breaking pages for you?
Not any more that I would expect from having all the scripts shut off.
Do you have to allow all and white list the whole site to fully render everything?
Linux Mint is fantastic. I use Mate as the DE. I know, I know, it just works for me.
I really like Debian based distros.
I just put Debian on the new Raspberry Pi 4. Works really well
Arch and their ilk always seems to fail after upgrades.
When there are pro audio tools available on Linux of the quality required to record, mix & master on Linux, I will be 100% Linux.
Till then, I have to stick to Win 10 in order to do my work.
Most of the techies behind Linux and other open source products are more communistic than the tech companies are.
They want to see all capitalism, as an economic model, destroyed. They believe companies should be replaced by “communities.”
There’s no warranty, or liability, either. I wouldn’t put any private info on any of them.
And before you mention Red Hat, it’s owned by IBM, which is the original Evil Empire.
Either way, you are using liberal products.
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