> if you spent a lot of time on X you will likely remember a particular one: everyone seemed to be suddenly becoming fans of Adolf Hitler... I did not leave X the platform, but I did leave X the interface

You know, it really is entirely optional to hang out at the Nazi bar.

> A phone connected to cell is an always-on tracking device

A phone connected to wifi is also an always-on tracking device. You can't really escape this without removing the "phone" part of the equation

▲

privacyishuman 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Wifi is much less of a concern than cellular. The phone only connects to networks you choose, and MAC randomization keeps it anonymous. GrapheneOS also fixes VPN leaks that stock Android has, which helps on wifi too. Linux, Windows, and MacOS are not good at preventing VPN leaks.

Phones are not inherently bad for privacy. The cell connection, telemetry, and default apps are the main problems. The first can be solved with airplane mode, and the latter two with a custom OS (or an iPhone to an extent), just as you’d install Linux for those advantages over Windows. Due to their security model (app sandboxing, permissions, exploit protections), they’re a much better place to start for making a private OS that protects user data. GrapheneOS with airplane mode is more private than most desktop setups.

	▲	verdverm 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> The phone only connects to networks you choose For most people, the phone records and relays network SSIDs it sees as well, even if not connecting to them.

▲

mentalgear 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Unfortunately the network prison keeps people at the Nazi bar. Mandatory Interoperability is the only solution here, which depends on the government, which depends on Nov 11 folks.

▲

9dev 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

You know, there’s a world out there beyond the prison. It has no locks and no fences. You can just choose to go outside, right now; go for a hike, see some trees, watch a bird. There is nothing stopping you from never visiting the prison or the bar ever again.

▲

duskdozer 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

What is so important on xitter? I've ended up following a link there at most a small handful of times in the last 5-10 years. I can't think of anything I would miss if it shut down tomorrow.

▲

kolektiv 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I used to go to that bar a lot. When it became clear it was becoming a Nazi bar, and the owner saw that as a feature, not a bug, I stopped. Describing it as a network prison seems to imply that staying there isn't just a choice like anything else. Yes, it's a choice with consequences, potentially very negative ones, but these things often are. If it were always easier to be moral than amoral, we wouldn't be in this mess.

▲

verdverm 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The election in the US is Nov 3, the first Tuesday of the month

That is this next Tuesday, four days from now.

example: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voters/helpful-information/...

▲

komali2 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In what way will your life change if you never access twitter again?

	▲	eertami 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		People on Twitter really overblow it's importance, but the vast majority of humans do not use it. Things posted there really only matter to other Twitter users, and are inconsequential in the real world.

▲

swiftcoder 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I mean, the rest of us just stopped going there. The interesting tech discussions long since left twitter, and if you are jonesing for a fix there is always bluesky or mastodon

▲

KoolKat23 5 hours ago | parent [-]

You clearly have not been on in a while, such discussions have returned.

For example just yesterday there was a tweet by Richard Sutton.

Even Zuckerberg tweets.

▲

justincormack 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Richard Sutton is on this great social network https://arxiv.org/search/cs?searchtype=author&query=Sutton,+...

▲

swiftcoder 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Even Zuckerberg tweets.

Having worked for the man some time ago, I'm pretty sure a bowl of oatmeal has more insightful things to say

▲

KoolKat23 3 hours ago | parent [-]

That may be the case.

But misses the point. The guy owns his own Twitter competitor, yet has to go there if he wishes to have any influence.

It's where influential folks post. Whether you like it or not.

	▲	swiftcoder 22 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		> It's where influential folks post. Whether you like it or not. It's where a bunch of rich (and often very right-leaning) assholes post. I'm not clear that correlates with "influential" outside of very specific circles - certainly all the thinkers and doers I used to follow on twitter left long since.

▲

kolektiv 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I pretty much stopped reading at the justification for hanging around on X. Lots of people are still there! But at least own it. "I implicitly support the owner of the Nazi bar as long as he tells most of the Nazis to stay away from me" isn't a moral stand I'd be comfortable committing to on paper, digitally, or otherwise.