Yes

But, I thought Modi was a leader for true Hindi! I thought he was not at all authoritarian! It can’t be true! (Yeah, /s, just in case)

Sure seems that way. The only reason for root and flash to have become so obnoxious over the years is because that is the point.

This is how I remember it is supposed to work, but at some point I had problems with it. Lately I’ve been downloading the boot image to patch and flash it.

Most would know them through the infamous name “palantier”.

I got a notification on my phone, opened it, and was hit with the privacy practice update. Clicked deny, was hit with a warning my device would be crippled. Port forwarding and other features would no longer work and I would not get feature updates.

I’m getting ready to install the Merlin asuswrt ROM to give them a huge “fuck you” and possibly get access to features I chose not to use due to the data collection they have. Basically, they probably noticed that few activated the honey pot features and chose to just force the surveilance on us all.

There’s a part of me that wants to cringe from the conspiracy thinking clear in this response. Unfortunately, the logical, observational part of me is much bigger. I see the patterns on this one.

I just this morning got a privacy update from my Asus router. They’re going to start collecting my usage. I clicked disagree, and it went to another popup warning that I will lose most of the features I rely upon, with a button “re-read”. How is this not extortion?

Now I have to go through the traumatic process of installing wwdrt and hope I don’t brick my internet access entirely.

Several months ago, my brother scanner software would not work until I gave it permission to send my scans to their server. I no longer use that software.

The surveillance state is expanding at an exponential rate. We are amidst the " great reset" the right wingers warned of, but it is driven by their “great” leaders.

Definitely the intelligent way to do it.

Oh, yeah, and holding the right mouse and dragging to resize the window.

Came here to say this. Basically, the same way it’s used in Windows. I hit the key, type a few characters and I launch the app I seek.

Couldn’t handle the blowback, eh? I doubt this will convince the townsfolk to put down the pitchforks. Might need more walk back.

Paperweight? Oh, wait - too small and light.

Well, that’s rather cruel and self a destructive. Millions die immediately and billions die of starvation, leaving only the wealthiest, least compassionate people alive.

That graphic might be underestimating the damage. The last documentary I saw said a major global extinction was caused by the last one and areas similar to the ones here were scortched, not ash covered. But again, it was a while ago, and memory tends to make things bigger.

I’m not average. I’ve had system level adblock on my phones for at least 10 years. I see zero adverts on my phones. I use linux for my computers and of course ublock on the browsers and vpn 100% of the time on phones and computers. Zero adverts for years.

The one place I have to deal with them is streaming and air broadcast on TV because I haven’t carved out time to set up the *arr suite, so I get it on amazon prime (bastards broke the contract that got me to join) and any other streaming service. No adverts on YouTube due to an app I installed on the Chromecast, and the TV has no network access.

So… I see maybe .1 per day?

Somebody explain to me how this affects something like lineage OS? It’s based on aosp, it has nothing to do with Google.

Then if you add something like microG on it, how is that impacted by this decision?

I suppose they could detect and reject anything from microg. In which case, Google has just eliminated a customer base. Of course, we the enlightened who even care about security and privacy are few and far between and maybe they’ve made that calculation.

Personally, I’m in a tough spot since I’ve been using Google Voice for literally a decade and a half.

Now, I can use lineage OS for microG successfully with Google Voice. However if they decide to block that I will be left with basically two options. 1. Give in and just do whatever Google wants, or 2. ditch Google entirely and use lineage and only side loaded applications like those on F-Droid.

However, I saw an announcement that this move by Google effectively kills F-Droid. If their change does end up killing AOSP, then it really isn’t open source and uncontrolled by Google, is it?

You might be able to get AI to generate mermaid if you can get it to scan your topology.

That’s Wyoming - Yellowstone. Though given it’s size, I suppose it could also be there.

GAPPS is short for the google app suite. Most ROMS in recent years neither offer a version without them installed nor include a way to use microg.

I understand where you are coming from, but in my experience, the people I talk with, most just don’t care about privacy. When the situation is explained in plai terms, it’s like talking to a wall. When a simple means to reclaim some privacy is presented or offered, there is no interest.

I happen to currently fit into the discription you offered above, and I do find it challenging to improve my privacy. I’ve been putting off ditching google android on my main phone because I expect it to take hours. I even have a working prototype in my old pixel 2xl with LineageOS + microg. Maybe today I will take the plunge.

People who don’t care about their and their friends and family’s privacy until they are directly impacted are being willfully stupid. At least have the balls to see reality, even if one cannot entirely fix it.