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NewsAn illustrated guide to 12 Factor Apps Pin
Kent Sharkey25-Feb-21 7:16
staffKent Sharkey25-Feb-21 7:16 
GeneralRe: An illustrated guide to 12 Factor Apps Pin
Marc Clifton26-Feb-21 1:54
mvaMarc Clifton26-Feb-21 1:54 
NewsWindows 10 is getting rid of the 3D Objects folder soon Pin
Kent Sharkey25-Feb-21 7:16
staffKent Sharkey25-Feb-21 7:16 
NewsStartup designs a modular, repairable laptop Pin
Kent Sharkey25-Feb-21 7:16
staffKent Sharkey25-Feb-21 7:16 
NewsThis browser extension shows what the Internet would look like without Big Tech Pin
Kent Sharkey24-Feb-21 12:16
staffKent Sharkey24-Feb-21 12:16 
GeneralRe: This browser extension shows what the Internet would look like without Big Tech Pin
trønderen24-Feb-21 13:38
trønderen24-Feb-21 13:38 
GeneralRe: This browser extension shows what the Internet would look like without Big Tech Pin
Sander Rossel24-Feb-21 21:30
professionalSander Rossel24-Feb-21 21:30 
GeneralRe: This browser extension shows what the Internet would look like without Big Tech Pin
trønderen25-Feb-21 9:25
trønderen25-Feb-21 9:25 
Don't let perfection stand in the way of the good.

You are perfectly right that if you want to evade any form of monitoring, you must find some remote mountain cave where you can live on wild berries and drink water from the mountain creeks.

But you can reduce monitoring a lot. E.g.

* stay away from social media such as Facebook, Twitter and the like
* install email encryption, and urge your friends to do the same
* when obtaining an encryption certificate, find a provider that allows you to generate the keys yourself
* do not let any web service store your documents, photos, video etc.
* learn to encrypt sensitive documents, even when storing them locally
* choose software alternatives that does the least amount of 'telemetry' (as they call it)
* turn all telemetry options as low as possible when you can't evade it completely
* regularly delete all cookies and browser history
* regularly clean 'recent files' lists of various applications (editors, media viewers etc.)
* regularly clean all temp directories (there may be several)
* turn off your network connection when you are not actively using it
* pay with cash whenever possible
* don't use membership plastic cards (it will defy paying with cash!)
* avoid web sites that require login as far as possible.
* prefer physical shops to web shops
* buy CDs, DVD/BDs, and books. Do not subscribe to streaming services and other online media.
* keep smartphone GPS, WiFi and BT turned off when not using it actively (saves battery power, too!)
* don't install smartphone apps uncritically
* if you must install an app, reduce its rights as far as possible
* leave your smartphone at home when you don't need it (or turn it completely off)
* walk or bike short trips, rather than driving your car past a toll station

I do not claim that the above list is exhaustive for non-paranoia rules, but it covers most of it.
You can go a lot further than this, but that could soon bring you into the paranoia zone.

Some precautions may appear to cost you money. Say, by not using your membership card to get that 1% discount, you pay 1% more. But the very purpose of the membership card is to make you spend more money, through directed advertisements, 'special for you' offers and the like. If that makes you spend 1% more on goods you wouldn't have bought without it, the membership discount is negative for you.

Some precautions are relevant only if your PC is seized, whether by thieves, authorities or others, or web spies attempt to get hold of the information. You may consider such threats so improbable that you will ignore them Smile | :)

Sometimes you do 'loose something', e.g. you can't participate in the discussions in a web newspaper Comments column without logging in. I promise you: At least nine out of ten times, after you have quit, gone to watching the discussions from outside, within a few months you would start asking yourself: Why the elephant did I waste my time on that sort of discussions? It was just a waste of time that neither improved my own life nor contributed to the saving of the world. (Well, you may consider it a kind of pastime, but once you get used to it, watching the Comments column dogfights may be just as fun.)

You should know where monitoring is unavoidable - sometimes, that allows you to relax a little. Say, when driving on automatic toll roads (where a chip behind your windshield is read remotely), the authorities can track you anyway, so you might as well pay by plastic card (and have the discount given by your membership card) when fueling up.

Sometimes, you may trust a website not to sell or misuse information about your login; you trust CP, say, enough to let them have your email address and login password.

Even if you practice all of the above rules, you will not evade all monitoring, but a lot of it. You might say "It isn't worth the effort, if it isn't perfect!", or "To me, letting all my four thousand FB friends know my whereabouts at any time is so essential that I don't mind authorities and commercial businesses being able to track me as well". That is up to you. If you do mind, you may use the above list as a checklist. Add your own extra points as you find appropriate.
GeneralRe: This browser extension shows what the Internet would look like without Big Tech Pin
Sander Rossel25-Feb-21 9:43
professionalSander Rossel25-Feb-21 9:43 
GeneralRe: This browser extension shows what the Internet would look like without Big Tech Pin
trønderen25-Feb-21 9:57
trønderen25-Feb-21 9:57 
GeneralRe: This browser extension shows what the Internet would look like without Big Tech Pin
Sander Rossel25-Feb-21 10:00
professionalSander Rossel25-Feb-21 10:00 
GeneralRe: This browser extension shows what the Internet would look like without Big Tech Pin
Eddy Vluggen26-Feb-21 6:49
professionalEddy Vluggen26-Feb-21 6:49 
News3 questions to ask when negotiating a contract job Pin
Kent Sharkey24-Feb-21 12:16
staffKent Sharkey24-Feb-21 12:16 
GeneralRe: 3 questions to ask when negotiating a contract job Pin
Joe Woodbury24-Feb-21 16:10
professionalJoe Woodbury24-Feb-21 16:10 
GeneralRe: 3 questions to ask when negotiating a contract job Pin
Eddy Vluggen26-Feb-21 6:51
professionalEddy Vluggen26-Feb-21 6:51 
NewsAI recodes legacy software to operate on modern platforms Pin
Kent Sharkey24-Feb-21 12:01
staffKent Sharkey24-Feb-21 12:01 
NewsAI can write a passing college paper in 20 minutes Pin
Kent Sharkey24-Feb-21 11:01
staffKent Sharkey24-Feb-21 11:01 
GeneralRe: AI can write a passing college paper in 20 minutes Pin
j snooze24-Feb-21 11:19
j snooze24-Feb-21 11:19 
NewsMicrosoft's latest product goes toe-to-toe with Squarespace Pin
Kent Sharkey24-Feb-21 11:01
staffKent Sharkey24-Feb-21 11:01 
NewsWhy developers procrastinate (and how to stop) Pin
Kent Sharkey24-Feb-21 9:46
staffKent Sharkey24-Feb-21 9:46 
GeneralRe: Why developers procrastinate (and how to stop) Pin
Eddy Vluggen24-Feb-21 10:08
professionalEddy Vluggen24-Feb-21 10:08 
NewsWhat is the definition of a good software engineer? Pin
Kent Sharkey24-Feb-21 9:46
staffKent Sharkey24-Feb-21 9:46 
GeneralRe: What is the definition of a good software engineer? Pin
Nelek24-Feb-21 10:21
protectorNelek24-Feb-21 10:21 
GeneralRe: What is the definition of a good software engineer? Pin
j snooze24-Feb-21 11:35
j snooze24-Feb-21 11:35 
GeneralRe: What is the definition of a good software engineer? Pin
Joe Woodbury24-Feb-21 16:13
professionalJoe Woodbury24-Feb-21 16:13 

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