this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2023
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Technology
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I use them even less than that. But I'm not sure what your point is. My individual choice to use the services of big tech companies as little as possible has little to no bearing on whether they force themselves onto society, and give many people little choice in whether or not to use them.
I mean, I also try to get a new phone as rarely as possible, but my ISP requires me to use one—and not just any, but a new model (within the last 2 years) of "smart" phone that their own proprietary app supports—just to change the security settings on my router. And that is the most minimal example of how corporations constrain society to choices that benefit them and not us.
You can't use your own router? That's insane anyway. Changing the security settings by app seems like the opposite of security.
I understand what you're saying but it doesn't negate what I said. I have email, internet connectivity, and access to information and services.
Having a smartphone doesn't mean you are forced to use it for Gmail and Facebook. I rarely use the internet features on my smartphone and manage quite well. I think people have allowed themselves to get accustomed to a lot of unnecessary shit.
Sure. I largely agree. I think, though, that we need to recognize the systemic and economic pressures that result in that, not boil everything down to InDiViDuaL ReSpoNsiBiLiTy.
I agree and don't think everything boils down to individual responsibility. That said, unless you want some elites deciding what's best for all of us plebs, we have to make certain choices. And the people using services aren't going to vote in the people who will tell them they can't use them any more than people with low mpg cars and trucks are going to vote for people who will pass a carbon tax.
New communications tech is always disruptive. People rail against social media, for good reason. But the internet is far less disruptive, at least in the negative sense, than the printing press was. At least so far. Knock on wood. Not that Russia isn't trying.
Why can't you use your own router? Having to use their router is a huge privacy risk. Yeah, ISPs can already know your internet data but now they've got access to your device data too.
Yeah. I agree. Unfortunately this ISP sucks, and it's part of the contract. Too bad I don't have other choices at the moment.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-76/subpart-P/section-76.1201
https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0510/DA-16-512A1.pdf
It's unenforceable. FCC has mandated that users can supply their own modems and routers (including if the modem is provided for free). They must allow it. You can start an informal complaint with the FCC if they're claiming that you must use their equipment. Usually gets the companies gears turning on the matter.