What Happens After Big Tech is Finally Abolished

[Deleted member 111282]

When I came across this thread on here: https://linux.org/threads/firefox-lost-almost-50-million-users-here’s-why-it-is-concerning.35948/page-2, I said Big Tech's controversies are digging it's own grave. That made me think about what needs to be put into place so we can transition from a world with Big Tech to a world without it. Yes, organizations like the FSF have been campaigning for more people to use libre software (and I call it that to clear up the confusion between free speech and free beer). There are a number of libre software projects that have gotten commercialized. There have been forks of software that have been going downhill, such as UnGoogled Chromium. While those are all good examples of how strong the libre software movement has become over the years, I think there are some other goals we could complete to make this a smoother transition.

One thing I've suggested recently was creating a software cooperative where each Linux distro would be it's own OS. While that fixes some of the problems Linux has, I also think there should be other software cooperatives that act as competitors to Microsoft, Google, Apple, etc. That way, one bad apple (no pun intended) doesn't spoil the bunch, especially if each competitor only acts as a distributor of each software. The best way they can do that is to use the software of those companies against them (so-to-speak). Because ReactOS uses the Windows NT kernel, I previously mentioned in another thread that I'd hire a software developer to clean room a modern Windows OS, modify the source code of ReactOS so it mimics Windows, and put an original kernel in it. For anyone who would want to create a competitor to Apple or Google, they too can clean room the respective operating systems, fork FreeBSD (which OSX is based on) to have it mimic OSX and iOS, or Chromium to mimic Chrome, and put their own kernels in them. After those operating systems and their respective software become popular, hopefully that will be the end of Microsoft, Apple, and Google (which, IMO, are the 3 Stooges). While Amazon, Samsung, and Facebook are also considered Big Tech, I'm not too concerned about them because their controversies are digging their graves as well, and they have competitors already. Because Adobe falls under this category, it wouldn't hurt to create a libre software suite to compete with it. I'm not sure how good LibreOffice is compared to Microsoft Office, but if it's lacking in some areas, we can deploy improvements to it and make it just as good, if not better. Because LibreWolf is a spiritual successor to FireFox, and Mozilla has gotten into controversies, we can fork the rest of their software as well (if it hasn't been already).

 

[Mike13Foxtrot]

Apple announced it will be checking your I phone cloud storage for Child abuse images. Sending the info to authorities. In the article it talks about says it will compare the image data with collected data. Yet also says it will learn? So you have an I phone, and Apple just happens to ooops you to law boys. Sorry our bad. Yet it won't take long to use it for anything political. Post some anti commie meme but it got learned. Or just the meme itself is "radical"

Big staters gotta state, the US is the only place for Free Speech, or it was. People say other countries have free speech. Not true. Comedians are fined in Canada. People go to jail in England. In France the pres wants to arrest someone for a billboard with him pic'd as a Nazi. When Big tech is just helping the gov's of the world. The only course is either Linux, VPN's or typewriters and soup cans and lots of string.

I post here, not much elsewhere. Don't do TW, or AP, or FB. Don't have a smart phone, until a Linux Phone is really a thing then maybe. People do not realize that Ma Bell already installed switches in the Phone system when they built it because Gov. In order to license. Still needed a warrant to flip the switch. Just like we see in Cuba, when gov controls the web they just turn it off.

 

[Deleted member 111282]

Apple announced it will be checking your I phone cloud storage for Child abuse images. Sending the info to authorities. In the article it talks about says it will compare the image data with collected data. Yet also says it will learn? So you have an I phone, and Apple just happens to ooops you to law boys. Sorry our bad. Yet it won't take long to use it for anything political. Post some anti commie meme but it got learned. Or just the meme itself is "radical"

Big staters gotta state, the US is the only place for Free Speech, or it was. People say other countries have free speech. Not true. Comedians are fined in Canada. People go to jail in England. In France the pres wants to arrest someone for a billboard with him pic'd as a Nazi. When Big tech is just helping the gov's of the world. The only course is either Linux, VPN's or typewriters and soup cans and lots of string.

I post here, not much elsewhere. Don't do TW, or AP, or FB. Don't have a smart phone, until a Linux Phone is really a thing then maybe. People do not realize that Ma Bell already installed switches in the Phone system when they built it because Gov. In order to license. Still needed a warrant to flip the switch. Just like we see in Cuba, when gov controls the web they just turn it off.

Are you saying doing this would be considered a lost cause in the long run?

 

[Mike13Foxtrot]

Doing what you stated above? Or Apple delving into China spying? If someone posts something bad anywhere, the law should be investigating. Just like cops pretend to be 14 yr old girls. We do not need "Minority Report" style of justice. Hey records show in the future you killed a family drinking and driving. So we go back 10 years with a time machine and throw them in jail, guilty, before a crime. Be nice to stop evil. But not in that way. If it saves just one life.......then we should ban cars altogether. Tools are not evil people can be. Gov's tend towards the evil on the scale. Power is a drug, politicians, all the little minions at tech companies, the Pres of a Condo bldg. (Yes a lot are little power Nazis, I deal with them all the time, the people who pay the HOA fees hate them)

Gone are the days of privacy for the most part. "The old I don't care if the cops search my car, or house or email.....I have nothing to hide." Not the issue. Private property, privacy of person is important. Medical records, now with Covid I guess that may be not a thing.

 

[jpnilson]

Im all for hunting down and stomping out child porn. If you are worried about data safety/privacy I would suggest some encryption for your data at rest that is independent of Apple. I think there are enough people scraping info out of your social media to figure out your political leanings. I pretty much just assume anything that I send out across the Internet will be monitored or even stolen. I think I have several credit monitoring plans running concurrently due to various data breaches.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Privacy Whistleblower Edward Snowden and EFF Slam Apple's Plans to Scan Messages and iCloud Images

Apple's plans to scan users' iCloud Photos library against a database of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to look for matches and...

www.macrumors.com

Governments pull the child porn or terrorism card every time they want to push something through that steals another little bit of your privacy. Not everyone has enough knowledge about encryption and technology in order to add another layer of encryption to their own personal data, those that aren't tech oriented have put their trust in Apple for privacy and to keep their data safe. If you actually think you have nothing to hide, everyone has something to hide and has things that they don't want out in the open.

 

[Mike13Foxtrot]

I am already screwed, have been for a long time. I served in the US Army. Had a Top Secret clearance. FBI did a background check, they got my prints on file.

As I said before the gov has been on the in since Ma Bell. Did they get a warrant after they collected the voice recordings? The problem is the increasing use of gov/big tech hand in hand. Where BT not only is working with, but suggesting things even the politicos have not thought of yet. Too many who get elected have a lot of empty space behind their eyes. The Nazis, the Commies, all sought out who could help them. They used tech at the time, for different purposes than designed.

BT is seeking out, all of them helping ban wrong think for gov's all over. And designing intentionally the methods. I said people not tools are evil, but now the tools start out that way.

 

[Deleted member 111282]

I was talking about people creating, using, and distributing libre software alternatives in response to whatever Big Tech produces, creating alternative companies, and potentially and indirectly causing Big Tech companies to go out of business. What does government spying and child pornography have to do with doing those things?

 

[craigevil]

Biden Gives "Five Eyes" What It Always Wanted: Access To Everyone's Social Media - Activist Post

GIFCT is essentially a Five Eyes censorship program, masquerading as a Big Tech social media forum to stop terrorism and extremism.

www.activistpost.com

Big Tech isn't going anywhere. They are hand in hand with the government.
The problem with starting alternatives, just like Linux they fragment.
There are a dozen different video sites, freetube, peertube, librtv, odysee, etc and they all suck.

 

[Deleted member 111282]

Biden Gives "Five Eyes" What It Always Wanted: Access To Everyone's Social Media - Activist Post

GIFCT is essentially a Five Eyes censorship program, masquerading as a Big Tech social media forum to stop terrorism and extremism.

www.activistpost.com

Big Tech isn't going anywhere. They are hand in hand with the government.
The problem with starting alternatives, just like Linux they fragment.
There are a dozen different video sites, freetube, peertube, librtv, odysee, etc and they all suck.

Yes they fragment (which is what unfortunately makes libre software a double-edged sword), but that doesn't mean that they're completely incapable of overtaking their proprietary counterparts. If that one tech company, app, or service has a number of noteworthy competitors because of various software forks, that gives the former a run for their money.

I'm not going to say Lineage is perfect, but being that it's compatible with 25 different device brands, and has a large following because of that, they could go toe to toe with Stock Android if they work with those companies (minus Google and Motorola) to have it preloaded onto phones and tablets. In the situation that becomes more difficult than necessary (because those companies could have exclusive contracts with Google), they could always setup a retail division where people can take their devices in to have them rooted or repaired. If they advertise that division on TV and billboards, and in magazines, they'll get a following of some kind, which can grow over time.

 

[KGIII]

This is better suited for off topic, so I'm gonna move it there.

 

[Deleted member 111282]

This is better suited for off topic, so I'm gonna move it there.

Fair enough

 

[Tolkem]

There are a number of libre software projects that have gotten commercialized

This isn't a bad thing. Furthermore, "free/libre software" doesn't always mean it is open source, likewise, open source doesn't always mean it is free.

 

[Deleted member 111282]

"free/libre software" doesn't always mean it is open source, likewise, open source doesn't always mean it is free.

Yes I know

Also (not to go off-topic by saying this), I'm glad this one of the few times where we've managed to see eye to eye on something. I hope for more times like it.

 

[Tolkem]

I hope for more times like it.

So do I.

 

[f33dm3bits]

I was talking about people creating, using, and distributing libre software alternatives in response to whatever Big Tech produces, creating alternative companies, and potentially and indirectly causing Big Tech companies to go out of business. What does government spying and child pornography have to do with doing those things?

@Mike13Foxtrot was stating that with what Apple is currently implementing for scanning for child porn, is the start towards "Minority Report" style justice. I was reacting to that and something about privacy, having Big Tech companies act like police force is not something you want being that they already have too much power and don't need more of it. Not sure if cooperatives of smaller companies or free software makers will be able to outdo Big Tech since the latter has unlimited funding.

 

[Deleted member 111282]

Not sure if cooperatives of smaller companies or free software makers will be able to outdo Big Tech since the latter has unlimited funding.

Yes, we're considered the underdogs of the tech scene, and the libre software movement is fighting the current of a waterfall. Even after all of these years, things have rather remained the same (which I partially blame on normies). While I don't treat libre software like a religion (those who do are complete morons), having cooperatives acting as competitors to Big Tech would gradually level the playing field because they'd have market share power. They can achieve that power through advertisements, setting up their own stores, crowdfunding campaigns, word of mouth, endorsements, etc. As I said, if they can create software that works and feels just like their Big Tech counterparts, the average user wouldn't tell the difference, nor would they mind using it. Its one thing for Apple have 1 or 2 competitors, but being that libre software is forkable, Apple having 4 or 5 successful competitors makes them feel small and inferior. Think of those competitors being a fist aimed at Apple's face (that's going to lead to a number of bruises, black eyes, broken teeth, and a bloody nose).

 

[Mike13Foxtrot]

BT owns a lot of stuff. MS bought GitHub. Now NVidia is buying ARM, but Britain may stop it. The threat of big money like 7+ Billion to GitHub is not easily to dismiss. Hard to protect small from big money. They can bury you in service. Think Parlor pushed of Amazon for politics. Freedom ain't easy.

 

[Deleted member 111282]

Hard to protect small from big money.

If you're talking about acquisitions of smaller companies, these software cooperatives can outright refuse to be bought out

They can bury you in service.

It is challenging to be a small to medium business competing against a corporation, but if you view it as a game of wits, get inside the heads of the corporate bigwigs, and use their own crafty tactics against them

 

[Mike13Foxtrot]

these software cooperatives can outright refuse to be bought out

So 2 guys start GitHub in their "garage", a place to share code. Big tech programmers use it. MS comes along for 7.5 billion dollars hard to refuse. At the same time one of the guys was accused of being a jerk. Not a people person just like Linus was. Hard to turn down. Stand on principles or sell? They sold. Lure of money goes a long way.