Big Tech spying, data, etc..

[Jack.P]

Keep getting junk mail after going on sites I’d previously ordered from but not logged in 

 

 

 

 

 

[DanHorrich87]

I tried the search engine duckduckgo for a bit as an alternative to Google. Didn't get as good results back. Also, when looking up the filums, it always comes back in with a result of IMDB in russian! Click on the link and it obviously reverts to English/UK.

Maybe Putin wants to know what we're going to watch 😂

[Haironyourchest]

Try Brave browser.

[Macpherson]

4 hours ago, tcfengineering said:

A quick example :

 

Lets say someone needs help with mental health issues so they go and visit a therapist. This could be a very private matter and in some cases you would be quite right in keeping this information to yourself. Quite rightly so. Well if y ou take your phone with you, Facebook and Google know that you have visited a therapist (Not a therapist, that particular therapist, so maybe they also know why you visited him if they have a speciality). They are happy to sell that information to anyone who wants to buy it. Happy about that ? I am not

Once you start thinking about the potential this has, there is a lot to be concerned about.

 

Ok so I've seen others mentioning this subject before on youtube but as someone who's technically inept it quickly goes over my head and the thought of undoing something that I'm unable to put right has so far put me off trying to change anything.

 

I have thought of buying a new laptop and starting completely from scratch, new online ID avoiding all the  things you mention, I'm sure that with my introduction to the internet only about 12 years ago as an aging blundering fool I must have laid myself bare to countless scoundrels.

 

So, for instance if you, with you're new setup are then sent a link to something on Google or youtube for instance, and you open it .. does this re-expose you to what you're trying to avoid ?

 

Also do you still use online security ?, I use Norton but I've no idea or way of knowing if they are also involved in some sort of data collection / spying or if they are totally trustworthy... although I hope so.

 

I've often thought about this in the context of passwords, obviously you keep them private but then your using them for banking and purchasing online so presumably Microsoft knows them ?

I mean they're constantly offering to keep them safe for me. 😬

[Mick Dempsey]

Keep getting Milfs who  teach teens knocking on my door and ringing up asking for sex.

Getting right on my tits if I’m honest.

[Khriss]

Linux is pretty good, microsoft load of bollocks if yr actually trying to do work. 365 useless. K

[Stubby]

I tried Norton and found it slowed my pc down , like it was swimming through treacle . I use Kaspersky  now .

[Macpherson]

3 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I tried Norton and found it slowed my pc down , like it was swimming through treacle . I use Kaspersky  now .

AVG did the same to mine so I went Norton and all good, the annoying thing is that I've been told many times by IT savvy people that they're all a waste of money and they don't use them.. and then go on to explain why using words I've never heard of 😃

It's the only part of my life that I have no understanding or control of and I hate being helpless and dependent on others👎

 

[tcfengineering]

If you install linux, then you would completely wipe the computer so you would start with a clean computer. You dont need to buy a new one, it will work great on an older one, much better than windows. I use Freetube which lets you watch youtube and subscribe to channels but anonomously. You dont get any adverts also which is super nice. I use duckduckgo to search and never log onto google for anything.

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, tcfengineering said:

If you install linux, then you would completely wipe the computer so you would start with a clean computer.

Yes but if you just want to try it without altering your computer you can run it live from a CD, though it will run much slower.

 

You can also load it onto a new hard drive, leaving the old hard drive in the computer and then change the boot order of the computer, which essentially is what I have recently done.

 

I have used Linux for about 15 years and mint 17 for the last five and now Mint 20.