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Stardate: 20261006.0045
Location: The Lab
Input Device: daidenjin
Audio: fan, headphone static
Visual: screens, clutter
Emotional: tired.
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Answers to christyotwisty's 5 questions for October, 2026:[1]
Q1. How best for a North American to plan deGoogling? Beyond easy
fixes like installing F-Droid, using proxies for video
watching, how much planning should a beginner do to migrate
from a Gmail account, install a custom ROM, choose new
alternative FOSS apps?
A1. For myself, I have devices that use Android, but most are not
logged in and don't use the default applications. The way I do
my mobile computing is not conventional and to most people
would seem like madness, too complicated and too much work.
Here are some of the things I do:
At minimum, I carry 2 devices, a personal phone and a mobile
computing device. I am a gadget whore, so usually m0ar than 2.
My main personal phone is an unlocked flip phone. I mostly use
this for phone calls, text messages, mp3s, and as a wifi
hotspot/gateway for network access for other devices. It does run
a crippled version of Android and is not logged in under a Google
account. So yeah, not completely de-googled, rather,
google-minimized? Completely de-google would be to install a
custom firmware, like SailfishOS, Ubuntu Touch, Nura (formerly
PostmarketOS), etc.
My text messages are still short messages using manual multi-tap on
the numpad and I still practice SMS short-hand. if u no lyk, gtfo!
Plus I'd rather we go voice for anything >160 characters. If a pic
is sent to me within the acceptable limits, it gets saved and
transferred to an alternate device for viewing. If any response by
me is made regarding pic, it is most likely delayed, which is
expected of me from the people who send me pics.
Any non-built-in apps/apks are downloaded and sideloaded via adb on
a linux pc and have been tested and reseearched beforehand.
My previous personal phones were flip/dumbphones as well and are
separate from my mobile computing device. They also acted as
network gateways when the tech was available.
I still like using physical SIM cards and shuffle them when
rotating devices...oh yeah, I do that too. Most people prolly
don't rotate often and don't routinely wipe their devices and
restart from scratch.
I do have a google "test" account and use this sparingly on its own
"google minimized" smartphone device where needed. The "test"
device usually does not have a SIM and connects to wifi or hotspot
if needed.
For default smartphone android app replacements, fossify.org has
adequate ones. I use f-droid/aurora to replace the google play
store.
Smartphone media (video, audio, books, PDFs, etc.) are transferred
to the device for offline use.
For on-device adblocking/firewall, I use RethinkDNS.
ssh tunnel for poor man's VPN.
Shelter for app isolation (work profiles)
For "cloud" syncing, I run my own servers locally on low-powered
SBCs and use DAVx5 for PIM syncing and syncthing in termux for
files, as needed. Email is done in the terminal (on my own server
with my own domain.) Many of the "apps" I use are terminal apps in
termux or Debian (PRoot.)
In general, I try to do what I can to minimize the unnecessary data
that goes out to the data harvesters. Most of my personal
computing is still done in the home lab on my network on my
computer(s) and servers, not on a mobile device. Not sure if any
of that would be useful for beginners. The madness in my mobile
computing is part of the hobby ;)
Q2. What is your preference: hiking up a mountain, or reading a
good novel?
A2. I like both but these days, my preference is probably reading a
good novel. There is much exhaustion in hiking up a mountain.
Q3. What were your horseback riding experiences? If none, have you
ever caught a fish?
A3. On a trip to the Phillippines many years back, in Luzon
(island) we took a jeepney to Taal Lake and crossed on a boat
to the Taal Volcano (island), then went on horseback to the
Main Crater Lake where we saw Vulcan Point Island. This is an
island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island. Not too
many of those. We had guides who led the horses we rode on up
the crater. I don't really know how to navigate a horse.
Beautiful views inside and outside the crater. There was a
herd of cattle inside the crater by the water.
Q4. What is an activity that makes you feel alive? Have you
repeatedly remained hyper for hours post-activity?
A4. Before - arson, petty larceny, fights, picking up gurlz,
cutting myself, not getting caught, mosh pits. These days -
new learning experiences, near-misses on the freeway, attending
funerals, medical procedures, coming back from general
anesthesia. Hyper, sometimes.
Q5. Adult citizens in my locality have the opportunity to vote in
two elections this month. To what extent, if you are eligible
to vote, do you research a candidate running for public office?
A5. No comment.
Bonus Question: If you experience stimuli that trigger
post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, do you
keep quiet about its origins when your
parasympathetic system recreates stress (heart
palpitations, acute anxiety, wooziness, nausea, et
cetera) thinking everybody else has experienced
equal or worse trauma and come out of it adjusted
and comfortable? Do you figure that people who
haven't gone through your specific trauma won't
understand, so why bother opening up?
BA. I have established relationships with friends who I talk to
about these things. They understand and come from similar
experiences. They also share with me what they go through when
they experience an event or need to talk through past events.
For me, keeping in touch and sharing these experiences with
others who understand is part of my own self care practice. We
have learned to trust and support each other and we don't have
to be alone with our condition.
[1] gopher://sdf.org/0/users/christyotwisty/phlog/2026-10-5Q.txt
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