No Stupid Questions

2692 readers

1 users here now

There is no such thing as a Stupid Question!

Don't be embarrassed of your curiosity; everyone has questions that they may feel uncomfortable asking certain people, so this place gives you a nice area not to be judged about asking it. Everyone here is willing to help.

ex. How do I change oil
ex. How to tie shoes
ex. Can you cry underwater?

Reminder that the rules for lemmy.ca still apply!

Thanks for reading all of this, even if you didn't read all of this, and your eye started somewhere else, have a watermelon slice 🍉.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

Is Linux safe to write and save stories on? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

45 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I just want to write stories again and haven't been able to at all since 2025 due to...2025 and all that has entailed. I no longer feel safe or secure using any of my current devices. I feel surveyed and watched 24/7. I'm absolutely not okay with things as they are currently. (.-.) For more context, I have pre-existing mental disorders and this year has just done me in.

I'm striving toward switching out at least one device with something that I can install linux on. I was thinking either a lenovo or a dell, and will start probably with linux mint, they say it's a good beginner distro.

Not being able to write is killing me. I love writing so much even though it's not anything special. It just felt good.

I've never used linux but want to learn and I will learn, because you have to if you want to use it. You can't just hop in a car and hope it will work without knowing how to drive it. I will learn the commands. I'll fail at it a couple times but learn. It'll be great. Bring it.

I appreciate you taking time to reply.

Edit: You guys are amazing. My hope for the future is restored. Thank you!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (2 children)

What are your issues with Apple currently? Have you turned on Advanced Data Protection? Might not be possible anymore if you’re in the UK, but I’m wondering what reason you think you are being surveilled with the OS you’re currently using? It’s much more likely you’re being surveilled with the programs you are using than the OS, though Microsoft is pretty scummy about it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago

I’m wondering what reason you think you are being surveilled with the OS you’re currently using?

It's a fairly safe bet using either Windows or MacOS that they're collecting a not insignificant amount of data.

It’s much more likely you’re being surveilled with the programs you are using than the OS, though Microsoft is pretty scummy about it.

Absolutely, M$ with their forced OneDrive integration with everything, collect much more even using just 365 on say MacOS or android/iOS. Other alternative products do the same, especially if they're "free".
All this said....unless OP is writing battle plans or something that an alphabet organisation is taking an interest in, I think surveilled is probably the wrong word. Data collection is pretty wide spread, and you'd have to be doing something out of the norm to be actively under surveillance. Unless you live in, or send your data through, American owned servers. Well known for a while now that the NSA collects everything they can so it's on hand should they need it. Still wouldn't really call that surveillance though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

You're probably right. I have a feeling my paranoia is more amplified and it's not quite as bad as I'm making it out to be. I got incogni to clear my data from being used by advertisers. I was sad to have to do it but I left Youtube as well because they are tied with google and it was getting unsettling. Every video I clicked on seemed to make intimate references to me, my interests, everything, and it was awful. It felt like watching someone read a page torn out from my journal or something. However I have a mental disorder that runs in my family and this may not have been how I perceived it. It can be frustrating to not know what's real and what's not. And now with how the tech companies are behaving, it's even harder to know at times.

....I'm ashamed to admit I only recently learned what data encryption is. :')

The reason I worry about being surveilled is because I draw and write, and I'm hearing more incidents of people's work being stolen without their knowing. AI art theft is a huge problem. It's stealing not just art but people's identities, people's writing, everything. It's not okay.