Reminder: Proton Mail addresses have vendor lock-in
Both auto-forwarding and auto-reply are paid features, which makes cancelling & switching much more difficult. Gmail is a breeze comparatively. I highly recommend against using their addresses (e.g. protonmail.com
, proton.me
, pm.me
)
Email forwarding is available for everyone with a paid Proton Mail plan.
(source)
How to use email forwarding | Proton
With email forwarding, you can automatically forward emails sent to your Proton Mail account to any email address.Proton
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This 88-Year-Old Reporter Predicted How US Would Attack Iran And It has Happened Exactly
Seymour Hersh. Nearly 88, running his Substack, and still outpacing governments, intelligence leaks, and every newsroom, Hersh once again proved why he’s a legend in investigative journalism.
On June 19, he published a detailed exposé revealing that U.S. B-2 bombers and naval forces were preparing a “coordinated assault” on Iran’s key underground nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. He cited unnamed intelligence sources warning the attack was imminent and happening with almost no oversight from Congress or NATO allies.
Many brushed it off. Some called it far-fetched. On Sunday, when President Donald Trump confirmed the strikes and declared the targets “obliterated,” Hersh had already been proven right, two days ahead of the world.
This isn’t Hersh’s first time uncovering what others missed. His 2023 scoop on the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, which he linked to U.S. operations, followed a similar path: ignored at first, later echoed by leaked investigations. The Iran bombing story played out just the same: initial silence, disbelief, then confirmation.
But Hersh’s reporting also points to a bigger shift. More than 60% of Americans now get their breaking news from social media, newsletters, and independent platforms. The reason? Speed, raw reporting, and growing distrust in traditional journalism. Hersh calls it like he sees it, often accusing mainstream reporters of being too close to power to ask real questions.
This 88-Year-Old Reporter Predicted How US Would Attack Iran And It has Happened Exactly
Hersh exposed US B-2 bombers and naval forces preparing a coordinated attack on Iran's nuclear sites, citing unnamed intelligence sources, with no oversight from Congress or NATO allies.Shruti Sneha (Republic World)
Share a script/alias you use a lot
# Download clipboard to tmp with yt-dlp
tmpv() {
cd /tmp/ && yt-dlp "$(wl-paste)"
}
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\#Create predefined session with multiple tabs/panes (rss, bluetooth, docker...)
tmux-start
\#Create predefined tmux session with ncmpcpp and ueberzug cover
music
\#Comfort
ls = "ls --color=auto"
please = "sudo !!"
\#Quick weather check
weatherH='curl -s "wttr.in/HomeCity?2QF"'
\#Download Youtube playlist videos in separate directory indexed by video order in playlist -> lectures, etc
ytPlaylist='yt-dlp -o "%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s"'
\#Download whole album -> podcasts primarily
ytAlbum='yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --split-chapters --embed-thumbnail -o "chapter:%(section_title)s.%(ext)s"'
# download video -> extract audio -> show notification
ytm()
{
tsp yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --no-playlist -P "~/Music/downloaded" $1 \
--exec "dunstify -i folder-download -t 3000 -r 2598 -u normal %(filepath)q"
}
# Provide list of optional packages which can be manually selected
pacmanOpts()
{
typeset -a os
for o in `expac -S '%o\n' $1`
do
read -p "Install ${o}? " r
[[ ${r,,} =~ ^y(|e|es)$ ]] && os+=( $o )
done
sudo pacman -S $1 ${os[@]}
}
# fkill - kill process
fkill() {
pid=$(ps -ef | sed 1d | fzf -m --ansi --color fg:-1,bg:-1,hl:46,fg+:40,bg+:233,hl+:46 --color prompt:166,border:46 --height 40% --border=sharp --prompt="➤ " --pointer="➤ " --marker="➤ " | awk '{print $2}')
if [ "x$pid" != "x" ]
then
kill -${1:-9} $pid
fi
}
alias realwd='cd -P .'
Here is an example :
$ echo $PWD
/home/me
$ cd Videos/Torrents/
$ echo $PWD
/home/me/Videos/Torrents
$ realwd
$ echo $PWD
/home/me/data/Torrents/Video
I also do some X application, compositor and WM development, and I have a few aliases to simplify tasks like copying from an Xorg session to an Xnest (and the other way around), or reload the
xrandr
command from my .xinitrc
without duplicating it.alias screenconf='$(grep -o "xrandr[^&]*" ~/.xinitrc)'
alias clip2xnext='xclip -selection clip -o -display :0 | xclip -selection clip -i -display :1'
alias clip2xorg='xclip -selection clip -o -display :1 | xclip -selection clip -i -display :0'
I have an alias for using MPV+yt-dlp with my firefox cookies :
alias yt="mpv --ytdl-raw-options='cookies-from-browser=firefox'"
I can't stand too long lines of text on my monitor, particularly when reading manpages, so I set the MANWIDTH env variable.
# Note : if you know that *sometimes* your terminal will be smaller than 80 characters
# refer to that https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Man_page
export MANWIDTH=80
I use null-pointers a lot, with a shorthand.
# Note: env.sh actually provide other helpful aliases on their homepage
function envs.sh() {
if [ $# != 1 ]; then
1>&2 printf "Error, need one argument.\n"
return 1
fi
curl -F'file=@'"$1" https://envs.sh
}
The usual fake editor in my path, so that browsers and other applications open Vim the correct way.
\#!/bin/sh
# st_vim.sh - executable in my ~/.local/bin
# for example in firefox's about:config :
# - view_source.editor.path : set to the value of $(which st_vim.sh)
# - view_source.editor.external : set to true
st -- $EDITOR "$*"
My
.xinitrc
is quite classical, I still have this in it (setup for dwm's title bar, people usually install much complicated programs) :while true; do xsetroot -name "$(date +"%d %H:%M")"; sleep 60; done &
I also have a lot of stupid scripts for server and desktop maintenance, disks cleaning etc... those are handy but are also very site-specific, let me know if your interested.
Charlie Musselwhite - Look Out Highway (2025)
Charlie Musselwhite - Look Out Highway (2025)
di Matteo Bossi Qualche anno fa, durante una lunga intervista apparsa sul n. 159 de Il Blues, per parlare del suo bellissimo “Mississippi S...Silvano Bottaro (Blogger)
Tinariwen - Tassili (2011)
Dopo l’ennesimo ascolto di Emmaar, il parallelo con Tassili, ultimo lavoro uscito nel 2011, è inevitabile. Il gruppo maliano che ha fatto, e continua a far conoscere la cultura tuareg in giro per il mondo, con questo disco, non si discosta di molto dal suo predecessore...
Leggi e ascolta...
Many times throughout my life, what would seem like a reasonably easy question to answer has changed dramatically.
30 years ago you could look at data collection and go there's no way that they could store a meaningful amount of data about everyone.
20 years ago you could look at data collection and go there's no way they could have the contents of every phone call It's just targeted it's not a big deal
We are the point now, where everything you ever wrote or said could be thrown into a model with such unimaginable levels of lossy compression that they could simply ask it if you are the kind of person who is into whatever the future administration deems as unacceptable and deny you access to things. All you need is a fascist regime or a dictatorship installed and all of a sudden anything you ever did can be used as grounds to lock you up.
On a governmental budget it wouldn't even be that expensive and we're just at the beginning of this.
We have seen that governments can change quickly, We know the data collection is affordable and can be permanent.
Certainly some people privacy-minded to the point of compulsion. But I can't say that anyone is wrong to seek extreme levels of privacy based on trends and capabilities.
They leave your cell phone at home and make sure somebody opens your apps and uses them people aren't anywhere near as crazy as they used to sound
As Dem Establishment Backs Cuomo, Calls Grow for NYC Mayor Race to Be 'Referendum' on Party's Direction
As Dem Establishment Backs Cuomo, Calls Grow for NYC Mayor Race to Be 'Referendum' on Party's Direction
"Cuomo winning will not only legitimize the Islamophobia that has dominated this race... but would also prove that you really can just waltz in and buy an election," said one observer.julia-conley (Common Dreams)
adhocfungus likes this.
La Finlandia accende la prima batteria di sabbia più grande al mondo
La Finlandia accende la prima batteria di sabbia più grande al mondo
In Finlandia è attiva la più grande batteria di sabbia al mondo: 1.000 MWh di energia termica stoccati per settimane.Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro (GreenMe.it)
Jeff Bezos: questo matrimonio a Venezia non s’ha da fare….
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Is there a Linux version that is similar to Freedom app?
Freedom: Internet, App and Website Blocker
Easily block distracting websites and apps on any device. The original and best website blocker, Freedom helps you be more focused and productive.Freedom
With apparmor, you could enable and disable profiles that could restrict access to files and paths by name.
For network traffic, it's possible to use dnsmasq to blacklist or whitelist some domains.
Iranian-Aligned Hackers Attack Trump's Truth Social: Report
Iranian-Aligned Hackers Claim Responsibility for Attack on Trump’s Truth Social Platform
A group of Iranian-aligned hackers has reportedly attacked something President Donald Trump holds dear — his Truth Social platform.Joe DePaolo (Mediaite)
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AI search finds publishers starved of referral traffic
The AIpocalypse is here for web sites as search referrals plunge
: Turn out the lights, the internet is overThomas Claburn (The Register)
Meta pauses mobile port tracking tech on Android after researchers cry foul
Meta pauses mobile port tracking tech on Android after researchers cry foul
: Zuckercorp and Yandex used localhost loophole to tie browser data to app users, say boffinsThomas Claburn (The Register)
Fact check: Viral drone video of Gaza destruction is real
Fact check: Viral drone video of Gaza destruction is real
A viral video is circulating showing the destruction caused by Israeli strikes in Gaza. DW has verified the footage of mass destruction at the Jabaliya refugee camp.Kathrin Wesolowski (Deutsche Welle)
Dal 27 al 30 giugno musica e gastronomia nella Sagra del Salame di Turgia a Devesi Di Ciriè (To)
La frazione Devesi di Ciriè si prepara a ospitare l’ottava edizione della Sagra del Salame di Turgia, evento che celebra uno dei prodotti più tipici del Ciriacese e delle Valli di Lanzo: il “Salam ëd Turgia” in piemontese, o “Salàm eud Tueurdji” in francoprovenzale. Si tratta di un salume preparato con carne di vacca, lardo e pancetta suina, aromatizzato con sale, pepe, aglio, vino rosso e spezie, poi insaccato nel budello torto di bovino. “Turgia” in piemontese indica una vacca sterile, ma può riferirsi anche a un esemplare giovane.
Organizzata dalla Pro Loco Dveisin Festareul e patrocinata dalla Città metropolitana di Torino, la manifestazione si terrà da venerdì 27 a lunedì 30 giugno in località Colombari, in occasione della festa patronale di San Pietro Apostolo. Una quattro giorni dedicata al gusto e alla tradizione, dove sarà possibile assaporare il Salame di Turgia in un clima di convivialità, accompagnato da altre specialità locali. La preparazione del salame affonda le radici nella cultura contadina e nelle famiglie che ne tramandano i segreti, rendendolo simbolo di identità e amore per il territorio.
Il programma prevede musica dal vivo, spettacoli e animazioni. Si parte venerdì 27 con l’inaugurazione affidata a Sonia De Castelli, cantante e volto noto della TV. Sabato 28 spazio alla discoteca mobile Energia. Domenica 29 salirà sul palco Luca Giordano, mentre lunedì 30 chiusura con l’orchestra Enrico Negro. Durante la sagra ci saranno anche momenti divertenti, come il Chupito San Peru e la gara di tiro alla fune domenicale.
Dal 27 al 30 giugno musica e gastronomia nella Sagra del Salame di Turgia a Devesi Di Ciriè (To) - ViaggieMiraggi
La frazione Devesi di Ciriè si prepara a ospitare l’ottava edizione della Sagra del Salame di Turgia, un evento che celebra uno dei prodotti più iconici della tradizione gastronomica del Ciriacese e delle Valli di Lanzo, detto anche Salam ëd...Redazione (ViaggieMiraggi)
Cina e l'inconfutabile dualismo nei ricami: da un lato scimmie, dall'altra cani - Il blog di Jacopo Ranieri
Cina e l'inconfutabile dualismo nei ricami: da un lato scimmie, dall'altra cani - Il blog di Jacopo Ranieri
Per anni quel ritratto mi ha fissato dall’angolo ombreggiato del salone, di un inquisitivo terrier a pelo lungo con gli occhi cerchiati di nero.Jacopo (Il blog di Jacopo Ranieri)
Mahmoud Khalil Discusses 3-Month Detention in First Interview Since Release
By Jonah E. Bromwich
June 22, 2025 Updated 8:10 p.m. ETThe administration argued that he had contributed to the spread of antisemitism through his role in the protests at the university.
But Mr. Khalil, a Palestinian born in a Syrian refugee camp, rejected the idea that protesting against Israel is inherently antisemitic.
“I was not doing anything antisemitic,” he said. “I was literally advocating for the right of my people. I was literally advocating for an end of a genocide. I was advocating that the tuition fees that I and other students pay don’t go toward investing in weapons manufacturers. What’s antisemitic about this?”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/22/nyregion/mahmoud-khalil-interview-trump.html
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Spotify CEO becomes chairman of AI military business
Spotify CEO, Daniel Ek, becomes chairman of AI military start-up after €600 million investment
The company is now valued at approximately €12 billionRachael Pimblett (Far Out Magazine)
That time a Marine general led a fictional Iran against the US military – and won
That time a Marine general led a fictional Iran against the US military – and won
In 2002, Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper to led opposing forces in a massive military exercise in history. In the first two days, he sank an entire carrier battle group.Blake Stilwell (We Are The Mighty)
Abandoned by Trump, a farmer and a migrant search for a better future
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/32117597
For this story, John Woodrow Cox interviewed more than 40 farmers across the country. He and photographer Matt McClain reported from Colorado while Sarah Blaskey talked to more than two dozen employees at the U.S. Agriculture Department and reviewed hundreds of documents and records that revealed the extent of the cuts and freezes.
June 21, 2025 at 6:05 a.m. EDT"The federal government had promised JJ a $200,000 grant, spread across two years, to cover the cost of a seasonal farmhand from Latin America. In a place where local, legal help was nearly impossible to keep, the extra worker would give him the freedom to handle more jobs and invest in his own equipment. It was an opportunity that could transform his family’s future, but, JJ explained to his friend, President Donald Trump had frozen the money."
Abandoned by Trump, a farmer and a migrant search for a better future
For this story, John Woodrow Cox interviewed more than 40 farmers across the country. He and photographer Matt McClain reported from Colorado while Sarah Blaskey talked to more than two dozen employees at the U.S. Agriculture Department and reviewed hundreds of documents and records that revealed the extent of the cuts and freezes.
June 21, 2025 at 6:05 a.m. EDT
"The federal government had promised JJ a $200,000 grant, spread across two years, to cover the cost of a seasonal farmhand from Latin America. In a place where local, legal help was nearly impossible to keep, the extra worker would give him the freedom to handle more jobs and invest in his own equipment. It was an opportunity that could transform his family’s future, but, JJ explained to his friend, President Donald Trump had frozen the money."
‘Doomsday Scenario’—Bitcoin Suddenly Drops Under $100,000 As Crypto Price Crash Fears Hit Ethereum And XRP 🎉
‘Doomsday Scenario’—Bitcoin Suddenly Drops Under $100,000 As Crypto Price Crash Fears Hit Ethereum And XRP
Bitcoin has plummeted sharply amid fears U.S involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict could escalate into a wider regional war...Forbes
Kevin Boone: How de-Googled is Lineage OS?
kevinboone.me/lineageos-degoog…
In an earlier article I wrote about my attempts to remove all trace of Google from my life. Part of that process, which is still ongoing, was to install Lineage OS on all my Android cellphones and tablets, replacing the original, vendor firmware. Doing this removes the egregious Google Play Services although, of course, this severely limits my ability to run Android apps. That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, although not without some regrets.
I’ve subsequently learned that hard-core de-Googlers eschew Lineage OS, because it remains too close to the stock configuration of the Android Open-Source Project (AOSP) on which it is based. There are certainly smartphone ROMs, like GrapheneOS, that are even more Google-free.
But I’ve grown to like Lineage. I don’t know what kind of future it has, but it works well for me, and it’s easy – as easy as can be expected – to install on all the devices I own. Installing and setting up Lineage is fiddly enough; I don’t want to make my life even more complicated, if I don’t have to.
Those of us who are divorcing Google worry most, I think, about Google’s intrusive data collection. Of course, Google is by no means the only business that engages in such practices – “surveillance capitalism” is big business. But Google presents a unique challenge because, not only does it collect a lot of data, it has a lot of clever ways to process it, and find connections between disparate data elements. Before my Google separation, it always amazed me how Google seemed to know where I was all the time, even with location services disabled on my smartphone. And Google’s advertisers seem to know what I’ve been shopping for, even when I’ve been doing my shopping in person at retail outlets. How Google does this, I don’t know; but I do want to reduce their opportunities to do so.
So I need to know what information my cellphone is sending to Google, even having removed all proprietary Google stuff.
I have to point out that I’m not talking about additional, 3rd-party apps that I might have installed on a Lineage OS device – all apps have the potential to create privacy problems, but I’m free not to use them. Here I’m just thinking about the platform itself.
Note
I run Lineage with no Google apps or services of any kind. If you do run Google services, you have to accept that absolutely everything you do with an Android device will be known to Google. There’s simply no point worrying about the trivial privacy breaches in this article – that would be like taking a cyanide pill and then worrying about your ingrown toenail.
In this article I’ll be describing various data leaks of which Lineage OS has frequently been accused, reporting which ones seem still to be present, and suggesting (well, guessing) how serious they might be.
The captive portal test
“Captive portals” are often found in hotels and entertainment venues. In a captive portal, all Internet traffic gets directed to the venue’s network filter, which ensures that the user has paid for a service or, at least, consented to some usage agreement.
Android performs a captive portal test every time the device enables a network connection. This test is a simple HTTP or HTTPS request on some publicly-accessible webserver. The request is expected to return a success (2XX) code if the server is reachable. In a captive portal, the service-providing organization will capture the HTTP(S) request, and return a redirection code to its own webserver. This server will provide a web page with further instructions.
By default Lineage OS uses Google’s webservers for the captive portal test. This means that Google knows every time a device raises a network connection.
Is this a problem? Google doesn’t get to find out anything except the IP number of the device, some limited information about the type of device, and the time of day. I’ve looked at the source code, and I don’t see any information other than this being sent – the code just uses the standard Java HTTP support to make the request. It’s plausible that, with a wide-area connection, the carrier might add additional information to the request, and Google might be able to infer your location from the IP number.
If you consider this to be too much of a risk, you can change the captive portal connectivity checker. Lineage provides no simple interface for this, but you can do it at the command line (e.g., by running a terminal app, or adb shell
). You don’t need to root the phone to do this.
$ settings put global captive_portal_http_url http://my_server
$ settings put global captive_portal_https_url https://my_server
Unless you want to disable the captive portal check completely, you’ll need to identify a public webserver that can provide the appropriate response. There are many such servers; some Android replacements that focus more on de-Googling, like GrapheneOS, default to using one of these rather than Google. Even then, they usually have Google’s servers as a fall-back, because an outage of the conectivity check server could otherwise cause serious disruption.
On the whole, I regard this (captive portal check) a relatively harmless breach of privacy. It isn’t telling Google anything they’re not going to find out about in other ways.
DNS
Every time you use a hostname to identify a remote server, there’s going to be a DNS lookup. This lookup translates the hostname into a numeric ID for use with the TCP/IP protocol.
Internet service providers and mobile carriers operate DNS servers, but so does Google. DNS is potentially a privacy problem because the DNS server gets to learn every site you visit. It won’t see the actual URL of a web request – just the hostname. Still, that’s enough information to be concerned about. But it’s worth thinking about who the “you” is in “every site you visit”. To track you, personally, as an individual, the DNS server needs a way to relate your IP number to something that identifies you. There’s no definitive way for Google (or anybody) to do that; but there are statistical methods that can be very effective. They are particularly effective if you happen to use Google’s other services, because these will link a small number of personal Google accounts to an IP number.
Is this a problem for Lineage OS? While it might have been in the past, I don’t think Lineage now uses Google’s DNS, except perhaps as a fallback. Both WiFi and carrier Internet connections are initiated using protocols that can supply a DNS server. On my Lineage devices, I’m sure that these are the DNS servers that are being used. Still, there are references to Google’s DNS server – 8.8.8.8 – in the AOSP source code. So I can’t prove that Google’s DNS will never be used.
If you want, you can supply your own DNS server in the network configuration in the Settings app. But, unless you run your own DNS in the public Internet, you’ll be putting your trust in one mega-corporation or another. I suspect most are less worrying than Google, but perhaps not by much.
By the way – Lineage OS supports encrypted DNS. While that will prevent third-parties from snooping on your DNS traffic – including your mobile carrier or ISP – this won’t protect you from snooping at the DNS server itself. So encrypted DNS is no protection against Google, if you’re using Google’s DNS.
Assisted GPS
It takes a long time for a mobile device to get a robust fix on GPS satellites – a minute in good conditions, or several minutes in a weak signal area. Assisted GPS (A-GPS) primes the satellite fix using environmental data. This data might including a coarse location from a cellular network. With A-GPS, a satellite fix might take only a few seconds.
A-GPS data is processed by a remote server, that has the storage capacity to handle the large amounts of data involved. The main operator of such servers is, again, Google.
What can Google learn about a device using Assisted GPS? As in any Internet operation, it will find the device’s IP number, and it might find the coarse location. The Internet traffic associated with A-GPS can be encrypted but this, again, won’t protect it from Google. To determine the location of a specific individual, Google has to be able to relate the IP number to the individual. As discussed above, that can be done with a reasonable degree of confidence.
On recent Lineage versions, A-GPS is disabled by default. If enabled, it uses Google’s servers – so far as I know there are no widely-available alternatives. I just keep it disabled, and live with the disadvantage of longer GPS start-up times.
Time synchronization, NTP
At one time, Lineage OS used Googles’ time servers to set the time on the device. So far as I know, this is no longer the case – a general pool of NTP servers is used. Even if that were not the case, I can’t worry too much about leaking time synchronizing data.
WebView
I believe that WebView is the most troubling source of privacy concerns for Lineage OS, and the one whose ramifications are the least well-understood.
WebView is a component of Android that renders web pages. Of course, a web browser will do this, but many Android apps and services have a need to render pages without actually being a browser. The ‘captive portal’ support I described above is an example: the device needs to render a page for user to log in or purchase Internet access, even if no web browser is installed.
Lineage OS uses the WebView implementation from the AOSP, which is based on Chromium. Chromium is Google Chrome without the proprietary Google stuff, and it’s undoubtedly less of a privacy concern than Chrome would be. But Chromium, even though it’s open-source, is still primarily a Google product.
There are many known instances where Chromium will provide some user data to Google servers. For example, we know that Chromium downloads lists of ‘unsafe’ websites to support its ‘safe browsing’ feature. This will happen however Chromium is used. When used as a regular web browser, Chromium might send data to Google for its ‘hot word’ detection, for example.
When Chromium is only used to provide a WebView implementation, I’m not convinced that these minor privacy breaches are significant. It’s worth bearing in mind that the Jelly browser that is shipped with Lineage OS is just a wrapper around the Chromium WebView – if you use this browser, you’ll have the same privacy concerns as if you use Chromium itself.
There are a number of Google-free WebView implementations, like Chromite. GrapheneOS uses a WebView implementation called Vanadium, which is essentially a de-Googled Chromium. Installing one of these implementations on Lineage OS is not straightforward, or so it seems to me.
I don’t use Jelly or Chromium itself as a web browser – I install a browser that is not based on Google code, like Firefox. This limits my exposure to Chromium to occasions where WebView is used other than as a browser. In my normal usage, I don’t think there are many of those occasions, so I’m not too worried about WebView.
Nevertheless, it remains a slight concern and, if I could replace it without a lot of effort, I would.
Are we in tinfoil hat territory now?
I don’t like Google knowing so much about me, but I don’t believe Google’s data collection is directly harmful to me. My disapproval of Google’s activities (and I know Google is not the only culprit) is mainly one of principle. I don’t want to be a source of revenue for Google, or to legitimize their behaviour by my own inaction. I don’t want Google to make the Internet more of a hellscape that it currently is.
But I’m not paranoid. I don’t think Google is out to get me, or is in league with people who are. My rejection of Google falls short of doing things that will make my life hugely more difficult.
I am aware, all the same, that I have one foot in tinfoil hat country.
I know a few people – some in my own family – who eschew smartphones because they create time-wasting distractions. I certainly know people who don’t give smartphones to their kids, because of the well-known risks that social media poses to their mental health. But almost nobody avoids Google because they believe, as I do, that the surveillance economy is detrimental to society in the long term. Even those few who do believe this are mostly not willing to take action, because they believe (or convince themselves) that the benefits of a connected world outweigh the costs of a total lack of privacy. For me that’s like understanding the risks of climate change, and yet choosing to run two or three gas-guzzling cars because it’s a half-mile walk to the shops.
The few people who do believe as I do, and are willing to act on their beliefs, tend to be people who also believe that they’re being monitored by the CIA, or that Covid vaccines are implanting mind-control receivers. That’s not a gang that I want to run with.
On the whole, I’m satisfied that Lineage OS, as I use it, is preventing nearly all of Google’s data collection. I don’t install or use any Google services, I don’t enable A-GPS, I don’t use Chromium or the built-in browser. I could eliminate more arcane aspects of data collection – like the Internet connectivity check – if I wanted to take the trouble.
I don’t think that taking reasonable precautions to avoid becoming part of Google’s data collection economy makes me a tinfoil-hatter. Nevertheless, I would probably use GrapheneOS instead, if I had devices that supported it. Ironically, if I wanted to use GrapheneOS, I’d have to buy Google-branded mobile devices, which is an irony that really stings.
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Lovely and well researched post... till I see the "tend to be people who also believe that they’re being monitored by the CIA, or that Covid vaccines are implanting mind-control receivers...".
I find it problematic that both are considered as the same type; there is an incredible abundant evidence that security apparatus of different countries (not necessarily just the CIA that ' technically' can only operate in non-Americans) are indeed scrutinizing phone's data to well beyond what we would consider "the regular suspects"... way beyond! The other, is just people that, while rightly so can be skeptical of government intentions with global mandates, they hide behind that paranoia for their lack of technical and intend knowledge. As the meme says... "we are not the same".
As for GrapheneOS vs Lineage OS, I am torn. For the majority of people, as of today, LineageOS is just fine... I like that it brings diversity of hardware too since it discourages governments from having to intend to compromise different manufacturers (thing that GOS faults at). Now, more people in GrapheneOS will bring awareness too and more privacy conscious apps. So, for majority of people, do install LineageOS (or their variants), you will be taken good care of... However, for a minority of people, minority but not tiny! you know who you are, you will do better with grapheneOS (hope someone is scrutinizing both GOS and the Pixel hardware though).
No Internet For 4 Hours And Now This
Well, I'm back online after a 4 hour blackout due to the heat in Brooklyn.
I found out that my ISP Optimum had issues with their equipment in Brooklyn due to the heat and humidity set on by this week's weather.
Now I'm worried that things will be really harsh on my equipment in the living room.
Any suggestions on how to keep the modem/router from overheating and causing problems?
Mahmoud Khalil Discusses 3-Month Detention in First Interview Since Release
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/32115867
By Jonah E. Bromwich
June 22, 2025 Updated 8:10 p.m. ETThe administration argued that he had contributed to the spread of antisemitism through his role in the protests at the university.
But Mr. Khalil, a Palestinian born in a Syrian refugee camp, rejected the idea that protesting against Israel is inherently antisemitic.
“I was not doing anything antisemitic,” he said. “I was literally advocating for the right of my people. I was literally advocating for an end of a genocide. I was advocating that the tuition fees that I and other students pay don’t go toward investing in weapons manufacturers. What’s antisemitic about this?”
Mahmoud Khalil Discusses 3-Month Detention in First Interview Since Release
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/32115867
By Jonah E. Bromwich
June 22, 2025 Updated 8:10 p.m. ETThe administration argued that he had contributed to the spread of antisemitism through his role in the protests at the university.
But Mr. Khalil, a Palestinian born in a Syrian refugee camp, rejected the idea that protesting against Israel is inherently antisemitic.
“I was not doing anything antisemitic,” he said. “I was literally advocating for the right of my people. I was literally advocating for an end of a genocide. I was advocating that the tuition fees that I and other students pay don’t go toward investing in weapons manufacturers. What’s antisemitic about this?”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/22/nyregion/mahmoud-khalil-interview-trump.html
Mahmoud Khalil Discusses 3-Month Detention in First Interview Since Release
By Jonah E. Bromwich
June 22, 2025 Updated 8:10 p.m. ET
The administration argued that he had contributed to the spread of antisemitism through his role in the protests at the university.
But Mr. Khalil, a Palestinian born in a Syrian refugee camp, rejected the idea that protesting against Israel is inherently antisemitic.
“I was not doing anything antisemitic,” he said. “I was literally advocating for the right of my people. I was literally advocating for an end of a genocide. I was advocating that the tuition fees that I and other students pay don’t go toward investing in weapons manufacturers. What’s antisemitic about this?”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/22/nyregion/mahmoud-khalil-interview-trump.html
Sorella di Perfezione - le poesie di Giuseppe Iannozzi - in libreria e negli Store online - LFA Publisher
Sorella di Perfezione - le poesie di Giuseppe Iannozzi - in libreria e negli Store online - LFA Publisher
**youtube.com/shorts/hk8RXKTvNTw…
Ulteriori informazioni su "Sorella di Perfezione"
**iannozzigiuseppe.wordpress.com…
“Sorella di Perfezione” di Giuseppe Iannozzi – booktrailer – LFA Publisher
Sorella di Perfezione offre al lettore poesie che trattano molteplici temi: amore, amicizia, erotismo, vita, morte, tristezza, solitudine, paranoia, ossessione, spiritualità. L’autore Giuseppe Iann…Iannozzi Giuseppe - scrittore e giornalista
Israel slams EU over ‘outrageous and indecent’ Gaza human rights review
Israel slams EU over ‘outrageous and indecent’ Gaza human rights review
An internal EU review of the trade agreement with Israel says there are "indications of a breach" of the humanAlexandra Brzozowski (EURACTIV)
Met chief 'shocked' by planned Palestine Action protest
Met Police chief 'shocked' by planned Palestine Action protest in London
The force says it cannot legally stop Monday's protest in support of the pro-Palestine group.Jacqueline Howard (BBC News)
Israeli Forces Slaughter 48 More Palestinians in Gaza Over 24 Hours
Israeli Forces Slaughter 48 More Palestinians in Gaza Over 24 Hours - News From Antiwar.com
Gaza's Health Ministry said on Sunday that Israeli attacks killed at least 48 Palestinians and wounded 104 over the previous 24 hours as the US-backed genocidal war continues, with much of the world's attention focused on the US attacks on Iran.News From Antiwar.com
Are there any examples of Linux (desktop) viruses that are actively or were recently in circulation?
like this
TLDR: While Linux is less susceptible to malware in some ways, it mostly boils down to Linux having a more technically minded userbase whereas Windows is a "mainstream" operating system.
Most Windows malware nowadays come from social engineering scams (complete this "captcha" by pressing Windows+R and pasting in this powershell script we conveniently put in your clipboard) or untrusted third party installers because Windows doesn't natively have a package manager. Like others have said, the old school self-propagating worms and drive by downloads that activate just by clicking on a link aren't really possible anymore (outside of state actors with unlimited budgets to buy zero days) unless your system or browser is horrifically outdated.
In terms of social engineering, Linux is not necessarily better at preventing it than Windows. In fact, sudo in Linux will unquestioningly delete the kernel and system software or make unlimited changes to them. Windows, for better or for worse (tbh more worse than better), uses TrustedInstaller to limit access to system files. Windows 11 won't easily let you delete or modify System32 for example, even if you're an admin. So it's in theory easier to do more damage to your system on Linux if you don't know what you're doing. But if someone is using Linux full time, they're most likely technical enough to not be fooled into running random untrusted bash commands.
The biggest thing is to be careful with those Linux terminal tutorial sites that have a "add to clipboard" button, they can put literally anything into your clipboard, including an enter key to run the script as soon as you put it in your terminal (though this may or may not be possible depending on your terminal app). Actually, they don't even need you to use their copy button. They can just set an event listener for control-C anywhere on their site and automatically replace the clipboard content. Just double check everything you copy before running it, especially since there's a lot of times where Linux users have to rely on obsecue tutorials hosted on untrusted websites.
You also don't really need to run untrusted installers on Linux because almost everything you need is in a properly moderated software repository, be it your native package manager, Flatpak, or Snap. Everything is signed by the authors and has a ton of eyes from the open source community on it. The only things to look out for is compiling something from GitHub, random AppImages, Elf binaries, scripts, and last but not least third party repositories that can be added as an installation source to your package manager/Flatpak/Snap. Basically, Linux gets most of its "doesn't get malware" reputation from the same place Mac does: you rarely have to manually download and run an executable from a random website, which is the norm on Windows. Add to the fact that even when that's needed, the Linux userbase is more technical and is more able to discern which sources are reputable and which are suspicious.
Another major source of malware is pirated versions of Windows or untrusted "license activators" from the internet. This just isn't a problem on Linux because there's no license to activate and it's free to begin with so there's nothing to pirate. And again, if someone is running Linux, they're probably technical enough to know not to run random pirated versions of paid software to begin with, helped by the fact that the vast majority of paid software is Windows only.
Desperation mounts in Gaza as Palestinians are killed while seeking food aid
Desperation mounts in Gaza as Palestinians are killed while seeking food aid
While the world’s attention is focused on Iran, Israel’s war in Gaza continues. Gaza health officials said Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours killed 51 Palestinians and wounded 104.John Yang (PBS News)
Why Are Americans Letting Israel Starve Us to Death in Gaza?
Why Are Americans Letting Israel Starve Us to Death in Gaza? | Truthout
US veto power at the UN is blocking Gaza’s chance for survival.Samantha Borek (Truthout)
good_hunter
in reply to bl4kers • • •John Richard
in reply to good_hunter • • •hansolo
in reply to John Richard • • •hydroptic
in reply to good_hunter • • •like this
TVA likes this.
irotsoma
in reply to good_hunter • • •HayadSont
in reply to bl4kers • • •Thank you for raising this point.
Are there even other privacy-respecting email providers that are fit for the job? I'm genuinely curious.
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DominusOfMegadeus
in reply to HayadSont • • •HayadSont
in reply to DominusOfMegadeus • • •DominusOfMegadeus
in reply to HayadSont • • •CoyoteFacts
in reply to HayadSont • • •Mailbox.org is a good pick to consider IMO. You can read some comparisons on PrivacyGuides, which I also recommend as a starting point for these sorts of topics. The mailbox.org web UI is not great, but it allows IMAP/SMTP access, so I use Thunderbird on both desktop and Android in order to interact with my inbox. My inbox is auto-encrypted with PGP using their Mailbox Guard thing, so my emails are all encrypted garbage on the web UI anyway. Mailbox.org only allows paid-for accounts, but considering the annoying stuff that Proton and Tuta do to their free accounts I'd rather just be honest about the service I'm getting. It allows auto-forwarding directly in the web UI, but given that you can hook up to it with IMAP anyway, it's not like you couldn't just do it yourself.
(Also, as another comment said I also recommend DuckDuckGo's Email Protection for email aliasing if you need it.)
Encrypted Private Email Recommendations - Privacy Guides
Privacy Guidesmybuttnolie
in reply to bl4kers • • •like this
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DominusOfMegadeus
in reply to mybuttnolie • • •like this
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mybuttnolie
in reply to DominusOfMegadeus • • •voracitude
in reply to mybuttnolie • • •DominusOfMegadeus
in reply to voracitude • • •voracitude
in reply to DominusOfMegadeus • • •That's the "special application" I mentioned, but it seems to have been updated since I last looked at it so it now offers the same level of encryption as the webmail app.
I would prefer to see it freely available, but it doesn't seem foundational to using the service in any scenario - free accounts have the webmail and mobile clients, which are arguably both more flexible (and maintainable) than the Bridge.
gewuerzwiesel
in reply to mybuttnolie • • •coffeetastesbadlikecoffee
in reply to bl4kers • • •Yes I realized this too late, after I had already used the private email adresses from proton pass everywhere.
My solution ( while not completely private but better than using the same one everywhere)
Is to use my own firstname.lastname@domainicontroll.com for thing already linked to personal info and then set up custom domain for proton pass hidden emails to @fuckgoogle.otherdomain.com
Then if proton ever goes to shit I can still go to another email provider and all I have to do is move the domains. Yes it isn't free but there is no such thing as a free lunch, self hosting isn't free either and I don't have the mental bandwidth to self host an email server right now.
utopiah
in reply to coffeetastesbadlikecoffee • • •Nothing is preventing you from changing those email addresses to the one you now have on your own domain.
The ignorance from OP is not vendor lock-in.
coffeetastesbadlikecoffee
in reply to utopiah • • •masterspace
in reply to utopiah • • •Uh, yes there is, by the inherent nature of how addresses (i.e. public identifiers) work.
An IP address, email address, physical address, etc, is a mechanism to have a string of text, become a unique identifier for something, so that you can just share that piece of text to refer to it.
Once you give out that piece of text, you no longer have control of it. I can give it to someone and then someone else could ask them about it, and they pass it on, and now I have no idea who has this unique identifier that represents me anywhere out there in the world. I can ask the first person to update their records but I have no guarantee that they'll do it successfully or that they'll remember every single person who they gave it out to you update.
By the very nature of being an identity provider, you are inherently offering your users something that they should be able to fully own in perpetuity. In those circumstances, it's problematic if an identity provider insists that you always have to pay for its services, just to have communication from your old identity forwarded.
gkak.laₛ
in reply to bl4kers • • •Reminder of this:
poolp.org/posts/2019-08-30/you…
And that mailu.io (and other similar projects) makes self-hosting email almost trivial 😁 (at least for people that can run a pre-configured
docker-compose.yml
and buy their domain etc)You should not run your mail server because mail is hard
poolp.orglike this
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melroy
in reply to bl4kers • • •utopiah
in reply to bl4kers • • •No, Proton email addresses do not. I have ProtonMail addresses using my domain. If tomorrow I point to another email provider, Proton can do nothing about it.
Being paid feature vs free is not vendor lock-in.
You are spreading misinformation, either by misrepresenting the situation or by not understanding what "vendor" (an arguable term since apparently you are focusing on the free version) is lock-in means.
ReversalHatchery
in reply to utopiah • • •utopiah
in reply to ReversalHatchery • • •masterspace
in reply to utopiah • • •I think OP is overblowing things, and is especially misguided in recommending gmail, but at the same time, they do have a valid point and I think you're somewhat misrepresenting what they said.
For one, they specifically said that the proton domain email addresses are problematic (
protonmail.com
,pm.me
), and weren't talking about custom domains that sit in front of Proton mail.For two, their point is valid. Auto-forwarding being paid, does create vendor lock-in and make it hard to switch away from Protonmail if you use the OOTB addresses. It's something worth considering.
As you said, the recommendation should be to use a custom domain that sits in front of Protonmail rather than switching to Gmail, but paid auto-forwarding is a valid criticism.
utopiah
in reply to masterspace • • •irotsoma
in reply to masterspace • • •Ulrich
in reply to utopiah • • •Zoma
in reply to utopiah • • •wellbuddyweek
in reply to Zoma • • •I have selfhosted my mail on my own domain, on a server in my closet, for about 4 years. In that time I never switched over realy important things, like government etc, out of fear of missing an email and not knowing. That was the only reason not to switch for me.
I've had to move a few times in a short peroid and my career started taking more of my time, so I have less time to manage the server, thus I started looking around. Now I settled on proton, I don't use any of their domains, only my own, and I've switched literally everything over, except for the recovery mail for my domain registrar login.
Since proton hosts professionally, I trust them not to drop mails without telling me, and I don't realy see a reason not to switch over. If I ever want to move provider, or start selfhosting again, I'll setup the new provider, update the dns for my domain and done.
If you have some specific questions about my setup or choices, let me know, although I'm probably not able to reply in the next 12ish hours.
CoyoteFacts
in reply to bl4kers • • •basiclemmon98
in reply to CoyoteFacts • • •CoyoteFacts
in reply to basiclemmon98 • • •The straw that broke the camel's back for me is the CEO's icky tweet about how great Republicans are for your privacy and how they stand up for the little guys (what), which they doubled down on using the official Reddit Proton account. There's already been a ton of discussion about this on the internet if you care to look for more angles on it.
But before that I'd already grown quite leery of them for their trend of endlessly starting new services before the old ones are polished, along with trying to push everyone into their walled garden and endlessly using naggy popups in the UI about it. Worst of all, they have a clear trend of not giving a damn about Linux support, sometimes giving up on certain features for their Linux clients or releasing the clients way after the Windows/Mac versions. For a "privacy company", not putting Linux as a first-class citizen is really just unacceptable, and they've been around for long enough that it's clearly a trend and not a fluke. To me, Proton just feels like a wannabe version of Apple. Its continued actions give me the feeling that it exists to serve itself, not its users.
basiclemmon98
in reply to CoyoteFacts • • •flatbield
in reply to bl4kers • • •All email services have vendor lock-in unless your using your own domain.
For what it is worth, I just moved my mail from my ISP to my own domain at a hosting service after 30 years. Took about 5 months to get everything changed but if I can do it anyone can.
Downside, using your own domain is probably less private but kind of depends.
unskilled5117
in reply to bl4kers • • •Workaround:
1. Use Thunderbird Desktop with Proton Mail Bridge
2. Create a filter inside Thunderbird to forward the mail
While that requires Thunderbird to be running on a desktop, it might still be preferable to checking your proton account
Proton Mail Bridge Thunderbird setup guide for Windows, macOS, and Linux | Proton
ProtonPleat1752
in reply to unskilled5117 • • •quickenparalysespunk
in reply to bl4kers • • •if you're not actually promoting gmail, you ought to make that explicitly clear.
by pointing out something bad about proton and praising gmail's version of that, it looks like you're doing nothing other than recommending gmail in a privacy community.
everyone already knows gmail has high usability and convenience and zero (financial) cost. using it as an example in this community is redundant and ineffective. better to use another e2ee email service as an example.
Zoma
in reply to bl4kers • • •obsidianfoxxy7870
in reply to Zoma • • •