Resplendent606

I bought a used Pixel 6 (for about $120 on Swappa) and installed GrapheneOS. I understand the irony of deGoogling and using a Pixel phone. From what I understand, the core reason GrapheneOS relies on Pixel phones is because they offer hardware security features (like the Titan M chip), an unlockable and re-lockable bootloader, and guaranteed long-term updates.

My favorite part of my phone (besides the ultimate security and privacy) is that my only “app store” (besides the GrapheneOS store) is Obtainium. There is nothing on F-Droid or Google Play that I can’t find (that I use/need) with Obtainium and IronFox. If I absolutely need to access something that requires proprietary or unwanted applications, I use IronFox to browse the website (my bank for instance). I have complete control over what my phone does and I only have FOSS software installed. It is a lot more work than I think most people would be willing to do, but it is important to me, and I think it is the only way (for me, this is subjective) to be truly free of Google or Apple and still use a smart phone.

Other “privacy” ROMS still communicate with Google in some way. The other ROMS are moving in the right direction, though. /e/OS, for instance, switched to AOSP instead of LineageOS, but it uses microG. By its very nature, microG communicates with Google, so that is not something I am interested in using. Some of the GNU/Linux mobile projects are showing promise (check out postmarketOS ), but they are a ways away from actually being reasonably usable on a newer everyday main device.

In conclusion, yes, just end it all. The best I can come up with is to deGoogle and reject all big-tech.

This is so true. I want to like Odysee but every other video is “anti-woke” and alt-right bullshit. It also has some weird stuff related to using a credit card in order to comment when you first signup. It has its own currency, which I am OK with people making money, but seems to be too big of a focus. I have never tried Rumble but it sounds like I don’t want to if its just a worse Odysee. With that said, I still prefer to watch a few of my favorite YouTube creators on Odysee, like Mental Outlaw and Oregon Pacifist.

I really like PeerTube and it is probably the best YouTube alternative after you weigh all the pros and cons. More content creators need to move to PeerTube but there are already some really good ones, especially if you like technology related videos. Some of my favorite creators on PeerTube are Veronica Explains, Gardiner Bryant, and The Linux Experiment. PeerTube also needs a better search and directory systems than the current SepiaSearch, which is often out of date.

Also, if you want to watch live-streaming stuff, like an alternative to Youtube live or Twitch, there is Owncast. The problem with Owncast, though, is there are very few people actually using it. Depending on the time of day, you’ll have people streaming games or tech related stuff (like coding). You can see some of those (who wish to be listed) streaming at any given time at https://directory.owncast.online/. You’ll often see more people live on Peertube than Owncast.

Invidious is fine but it is so hit-or-miss whether you’ll be able to use it, depending on the instance. What I’ve been experimenting with lately, as I still watch a lot of YouTube, is adding all of my YouTube subscriptions (I’ve narrowed them down to about 250) to my RSS reader and loading the ones I want to watch into Invidious. Sometimes, though, it is too frustrating when Invidious instances just don’t work.

deleted by creator

No, I think they might’ve deleted other comments, too. There is a guy trying to get banned it seems by throwing around antisemitic speech. It’s just chaos.

I went and snooped to see what happened. Doogie (M.D.) seems to be the one who did it. They deleted everything you posted and talked about it for a bit. There are a couple of boot lickers who praised them. Some others have come in to pick a fight with them.

I’m sorry you had that experience. Discord moderating is all over the place in most Discords, it can be hard to find a decent one. I received a warning recently for sharing a link that had a curse word in the URL with a very popular Linux Discord where I see double standards as well. I joined the Lutris Discord server awhile back but never found good conversation so I just ignore it at this point. Their logo is ironic considering your experience.

BTW, you are not a nutcase and do not deserve to be banned for calling them out.

Not everything requires a response and at some point you have to pick your battles. They have revealed to you that they are an idiot. It is not your job to fix them.

So, KDE Plasma but even more bugs?

edit: I was kidding. The “KDE is buggy” meme has been a long-standing joke on top of Wayland having a reputation of not running well for many Linux users, especially NVIDIA users.

Nothing OS is a custom OS by Nothing Technology Limited built on Android. It is not privacy focused like you would get with GrapheneOS but has very little bloat. It is proprietary to Nothing phones. There are unofficial versions of /e/OS available on on XDA for the CMF Phone 1. The Fairphone 4 also has the ability to run custom ROMS like /e/OS and LineageOS.

Here is a video talking about putting /e/OS on the CMF Phone 1: https://youtu.be/TkTzmM9izCo

While, I’m not sure if you’re in the US or elsewhere, here is my response from a US perspective. Another consideration is what carrier do you use, especially if you’re in the US. A phone with a user-replaceable battery that is under $300 is going to be hard to find, at least new.

My recommendation for a new phone would be the CMF Phone 1. While the battery isn’t user-replaceable in the “pop out” sense, it is designed with a more accessible battery for easier replacement than most modern smartphones. https://us.nothing.tech/products/cmf-phone-1

For used, this is also challenging. If you can find a Fairphone 3 or 4 in the US that works with your carrier, that would be perfect. The Fairphones have batteries that are removable by popping off the back cover. They are typically around $300 I think.

I think the trick is finding a balance between ignoring it and keeping up with what is happening. Most of the National News is just reports of what terrible thing the White House is doing today. Those reports are unnecessary and time consuming. Don’t give into the rage bait. A lot of this is easier said than done but try to find a balance.

Congratulations! That must have been quite the journey. I am getting close, but I still need to figure out a calendar service that I am happy with that works with my family and it will be hard curb my YouTube addiction.