How Secure Is Linux?

[APTI]

I had no idea compuserve became yahoo. I had compuserve. I also wonder if any self respecting linux user has or would use M$ Edge on linux. I wouldn't trust it personally.

 

[Deleted member 147986]

But, anyhow, I happily cede my privacy in exchange for the services I get. They even pay me for the ads on my website. They also provide analytics, but those actually suck. They are not so good at that job. I'd think they'd be better at it, but they are not.

This right here is why we won't have a society 20 years from now. Smart people have become comfortable and no longer care about or understand long term consequences.

 

[KGIII]

This right here is why we won't have a society 20 years from now. Smart people have become comfortable and no longer care about or understand long term consequences.

I'm pretty sure the sky isn't falling.

I'll bet you $100 that we're just fine in 20 years.

 

[APTI]

in 20 years that $100 might buy you a gumball in a very screwed up society

 

[Deleted member 147986]

I'm pretty sure the sky isn't falling.

I'll bet you $100 that we're just fine in 20 years.

I would bet you money world war three happens in the next 2 years, but I don't want to put money on such a dark outcome. We've already been brushing up against it for the last 6 months and instead of deescalation we only see more aggressive language from politicians.

Try asking what a woman is on social media and see how that goes. The west is too afraid to answer that question, so how well does fighting a war go when all the men don't know what a man is? We've already lost before any shots were fired.

 

[The Duck]

Oh, absolutely. I knowingly (and willingly) cede my privacy to Google. In exchange, I get services that I appreciate, from ads to personalized search results.

Not me man no way do I find online ads appreciative even if they are stuff that I have interest in sponsored unwanted ads are just annoying.

I only see it as a problem when people aren't aware of what they're giving up. Then, well, it's on them to understand.

Well you just mentioned 90% of the people I know none of them ever go in to settings unless it's on a social media website.

Amusingly, I have someone that I know who will read all those terms of service and refuses to join things because she values her privacy.
Standing proud in her kitchen is an Alexa and her home security system is a web-based service.

Alexa's another worthless backstabbing nosy piece of software imo and I'm being nice so as not to break any of the proper language rules of linux.org forum.

But, anyhow, I happily cede my privacy in exchange for the services I get. They even pay me for the ads on my website. They also provide analytics, but those actually suck. They are not so good at that job. I'd think they'd be better at it, but they are not.

They are good at doing the job they were designed for collecting user data and the rest well attracting flies like uncovered food on a picnic table.
I ain't never been one to go with the standard flow of things and ain't about to change now.
We all have our own ideas of what we think is best suited for our own personal use.

 

[KGIII]

I would bet you money world war three happens in the next 2 years, but I don't want to put money on such a dark outcome.

As much as I'd love to have this conversation, we're definitely stepping into political discussion at this point. You can always email me to rant and rave. I ain't scared.

I will say that I'm 65. For my entire life, people have been predicting doom. So far, life is actually pretty good for many people. I'm kind of convinced that people like to be paranoid and scared of an unknown future. Me? I'm an optimist. (I think that avoids politics.) We can revisit this in a couple of years via email or whatnot. I'd love to offer a rebuttal, but it'd be either violating the rules or REALLY close to violating the rules. (I am not above them.)

Not me man no way do I find online ads appreciative even if they are stuff that I have interest in sponsored unwanted ads are just annoying.

Meh... Ads incentivize a great deal of content and pay for a great deal of content. It's just a reality of the web as it is today. Ads have existed on the web since long before it was a world-wide thing. For many sites, it's their only source of income.

I have ads on my site but they don't pay well. I'm okay with that. I'd pay the expenses even without the ads, but it's nice having some of the expenses covered. I unblock (and even click) ads on sites that I appreciate and regularly use. I figure it's the right thing (for me) to do. I also donate. Sadly, that's a rarity. I've had a few donations, which is nice. I know of sites larger than mine (and probably better written than mine) that don't get any donations at all.

I don't mind compensating someone for their time. Clicking interesting ads (and being a consumer of those products) is one way to do so.

Well you just mentioned 90% of the people I know none of them ever go in to settings unless it's on a social media website.

Yup...

I willingly and knowingly cede some privacy in exchange for services. I'm okay with that bargain.

Most folks are oblivious. They don't know, they don't care, and they don't learn.

It's sort of like how I'm perfectly fine with someone using Windows - but I think they should make an informed decision rather than just accepting the default. Linux would work just fine for a huge percentage of people.

I have no idea how to make people interested. As mentioned, I knowingly cede privacy and I am okay with that for me. Also, Google sends tens of thousands of visitors to my site. They'd probably do about the same, but I use their tools to optimize this. So, stuff like that is truly useful for me. (Note the repeated 'for me' types of statements. I'm find with you doing whatever works for you.)

As for the rest, we're pretty much in agreement. I see no benefits (for me) in having an Alexa in my house. I don't even like one in her house!

 

[Terminal Velocity]

As much as I'd love to have this conversation, we're definitely stepping into political discussion at this point. You can always email me to rant and rave. I ain't scared.

I will say that I'm 65. For my entire life, people have been predicting doom. So far, life is actually pretty good for many people. I'm kind of convinced that people like to be paranoid and scared of an unknown future. Me? I'm an optimist. (I think that avoids politics.) We can revisit this in a couple of years via email or whatnot. I'd love to offer a rebuttal, but it'd be either violating the rules or REALLY close to violating the rules. (I am not above them.)



Meh... Ads incentivize a great deal of content and pay for a great deal of content. It's just a reality of the web as it is today. Ads have existed on the web since long before it was a world-wide thing. For many sites, it's their only source of income.

I have ads on my site but they don't pay well. I'm okay with that. I'd pay the expenses even without the ads, but it's nice having some of the expenses covered. I unblock (and even click) ads on sites that I appreciate and regularly use. I figure it's the right thing (for me) to do. I also donate. Sadly, that's a rarity. I've had a few donations, which is nice. I know of sites larger than mine (and probably better written than mine) that don't get any donations at all.

I don't mind compensating someone for their time. Clicking interesting ads (and being a consumer of those products) is one way to do so.



Yup...

I willingly and knowingly cede some privacy in exchange for services. I'm okay with that bargain.

Most folks are oblivious. They don't know, they don't care, and they don't learn.

It's sort of like how I'm perfectly fine with someone using Windows - but I think they should make an informed decision rather than just accepting the default. Linux would work just fine for a huge percentage of people.

I have no idea how to make people interested. As mentioned, I knowingly cede privacy and I am okay with that for me. Also, Google sends tens of thousands of visitors to my site. They'd probably do about the same, but I use their tools to optimize this. So, stuff like that is truly useful for me. (Note the repeated 'for me' types of statements. I'm find with you doing whatever works for you.)

As for the rest, we're pretty much in agreement. I see no benefits (for me) in having an Alexa in my house. I don't even like one in her house!

I think you want to believe and you have convince yourself that ceding privacy to Google it's an OK thing to do, and that's because you are partners with Google. I believe Google pays too little for what they ask, and In fact they don't ask, they just take. I understand that you like the services of Google especially as a partner and you are not gonna change your mind, but for the rest of us who we are not interested for partnership with them, Google is a data-hungry monster

 

[The Duck]

It's sort of like how I'm perfectly fine with someone using Windows - but I think they should make an informed decision rather than just accepting the default. Linux would work just fine for a huge percentage of people.

That would require most computer users regardless of OS to learn a bit and learning requires thinking.

I guess if I had the expense of hosting a website that I might view things a bit different but I'm just a simple user.

I agree ads on websites have always been around although I just don't remember them being as annoying as they are these days.

Bottom line is Google will do what they want and pay the fines they incur and donate (ahem cough) to whoever and whatever.

Users opinions don't matter to big fat cat corporations like Google and Microsoft and every other fat cat corporation.

If my post is to political than let me know so I don't break no forum rules cause yeah were are getting close.

 

[KGIII]

Google is a data-hungry monster

You are not wrong. I even use an Android phone. So, they know quite a bit about me.

I used to be a bit of a privacy zealot. I'd harden my browser, block everything with things like uMatrix, use a VPN, use different browsers for different tasks (something I still do), etc... Heck, I even have a completely fake profile with its own PayPal account that I'd use.

It wasn't an overnight change, but it was a fairly rapid change, where I decided that certain parts of my data just weren't that important to me. I was going through tons of effort just so people didn't know my real name, address, phone number, etc... When, in reality, I just didn't care that much about it anymore.

I don't care if Google knows my real name and address. I don't even care that they tie my searches to that profile. The web is full of data-hungry monsters. If I want to keep something private, I don't put it online in the first place.

That would require most computer users regardless of OS to learn a bit and learning requires thinking.

Yes, yes it would. 'Snot going to happen, of course. See the above. There was a point in my life when I was pretty privacy-minded. This was partially motivated by some major life changes. I'm quite an optimist, but I don't think we're ever going to see even a majority of people care about such things.

My initial use of the web was before it was worldwide. I used it as an academic. So, my very real identity was known. Heck, anybody who could access the system could even find my class schedule so that they'd know exactly where I was - or at least where I should be.

There are still all sorts of things that I keep private, inasmuch as is humanly possible. The thing is, I keep them private by never putting them online in the first place (or by putting that data/information in places that I control). For example, I don't do much in the way of social media. I have no use for those services, except to automatically submit articles to Twitter.

But, yeah, we've moved away from politics a little bit. So, that's okay.

Though, I think I've added as much to the conversation as I can. I'm not seeking to change anyone's mind or anything like that. I give zero cares if someone doesn't like Google. I'm not going to lose even an iota of sleep. So long as you keep steering clear of the politics, you can carry on as far as I'm concerned.

 

[wizardfromoz]

This Thread has wandered a long way into Off Topic since about #5 or #6, I am locking it, and the OP will understand.

If you have posted since that time and want to save your input for further reference do so, because next day or two I will come through with a Hoover and clean it up. (remind me, Brian, Brian or David).

Wizard