Taking the topic back on track, I wanted to add my thoughts on bringing more sailors to SFOS. My approach is to raise awareness of privacy. Most people need to realize how big tech companies operate and that users are not their customers. Still, the user’s data is instead a product they sell. Using their software, you accept their rules and consent to those actions. I enumerate various areas where their data might be sold, like localization, payments, address book, microphone input, photos, search keywords, and so on, and show the wrong direction we are sailing towards. You think nothing bad can happen, and you have nothing to hide? But there is a fragile line between what most people think of convenience and using that data to control people’s actions on the government level. The data is already there, and people are already used to having the app for everything. It is just a matter of using this data in a lousy direction. Most of the time, you will even consent and justify such an action because of another world crisis.
For those not convinced, there is also a nice french document about the China social credit system that is based on smartphones and spying on their users, based on china’s couple filming their life for a month. It shows the threats of smartphones nicely and what we should avoid not implementing a similar system. I recommend to watch it if you have not seen it already (machine english translation if pretty good btw). Ma femme a du crédit | Documentaire LCP - YouTube
So the question is, what can you do? Don’t use services you disagree with. It is a matter of convenience - it is more convenient to have google maps and search for a specific store in one application and see the current traffic. It is convenient to make a payment with a phone instead of a plastic card or money, and it is convenient to use WhatsApp for business contacts and Facebook to contact family. But when you stop for a moment, you realize you don’t need those services, and a world without them can go on. You can pay with a credit card and make internet payments on the pc. You can use an alternative mapping system and alternative IM like signal, sms, email, or your own XMPP server. You have to find the balance for yourself, how much of your privacy you can give up to accomplish daily tasks. And the proper justification is to break the monopoly and take control of customers/citizens with a smartphone, not to be so quickly possible just for our own good.
If someone realizes that, they will come back to you for themselves, and you are open to showing off and suggesting Sailfish OS. I have convinced a few people to Sailfish this way. However, of course, some of them went for google free AOSP alternatives like lineage, which is still better than using google services. Many people argue that Sailfish OS is not ready for general audience, but in my opinion, if you show people right motivation they will make up their minds for themselves.
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