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#import "/global/common.typ": *
#let doc = [
My reasons for self-hosting.
= Digital freedom/independence
#fig("self-host/freedom.webp", alt: "Freedom pic")
To put it simply, if you use a service such as Lastpass, iCloud, Dropbox,
GDrive, OneDrive, etc. to store your data, *you do not own it*.
You are _trusting_ corp. X to store it, secure it, and make it available to
you. Beyond the obvious privacy pitfalls with this, there are many other things
that could go wrong with your data being stored this way:
- Corp. X could vanish/close/"declare bankruptcy" (as with many crypto corps.
lately), and you lose your data.
- Corp. X could make a policy change and lock you out from accessing your
account.
- Or you could "forget" to pay the bills a few times and get locked out.
- Corp. X could get hacked, and your data gets stolen. This is the latest
trend!
- Many other doomsday scenarios.
Personally, I don't feel comfortable depending on the existence of corp. X
_for data that is important to me_ i.e. a lifetime's worth of documents,
memories, and passwords etc. I sleep much better at night knowing I am avoiding
most if not all of the risks above.
= Privacy <privacy>
Normies often ask me some variation of:
- Why do I care if corp. X has my data? I have nothing to hide!
- Since I'm aware of targeted advertising, it won't work on me, so why should
I care if corp. X has my data?
#fig("self-host/why.webp", alt: "my pic", width: "75%")
To such questions, I follow-up with:
#quote(block: true)[*Do you want to contribute to a dystopian
(#extlink("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orwellian")[Orwellian]) future?*]
#fig("self-host/police.webp", alt: "thought police", width: "75%")
If your answer is _yes_, then no need to read further, the following will not
change your mind.
If your answer is _no_, but you aren't convinced that/how these are related,
then the _argument goes something like this..._
- We live in a world of mass data-collection/surveillance.
- This enables corp. X to use techniques such as ML (Machine Learning) to
build/train models (or "AI" - Artificial Intelligence) that aim to predict
human behaviour.
- That by itself is not a problem here.
- The problems arise when corp. X use these techniques for profit without
regard for the harm they cause at a _population level_.
I have unfortunately lived through enough of these cases to be able to cite a
few recent examples:
- Instagram (etc.) designs its apps/products optimizing for maximum addiction
(see
#extlink("https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/")[Smartphones
and dopamine]). Think slot-machines. You might think you are "too smart"
to fall for these tricks, and you might be right, but what about the millions
of adolescents using these platforms who aren't as wise as you? The data
collected, and techniques developed from _your usage_ enables platforms to
target not only you, but _all_ users on the platform, including the most
vulnerable.
Unfortunately, many of these kids will end up suffering from mental-health,
body-image, self-esteem issues (see
#extlink("https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/online-master-of-public-health/impact-of-social-media-on-youth-mental-health/")[Mental
health and social media]), and for some it *will be fatal*. I do not
think this is morally acceptable, and is primary reason I refuse to
participate in social-media platforms.
#fig("self-host/6imv05.webp", alt: "Depression")
You could say "well that's due to bad parenting", but the point remains that
more and more of the digital world is having _real world_ negative consequences
regardless of your individual participation level. Another example:
- By now its well known that Facebook's (etc.) targeted advertising played a
significant a role in the 2016 US Elections (see
#extlink("https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/11/16761016/former-facebook-exec-ripping-apart-society")[Excerpt
from Facebook ex-exec]). Facebook was able to do this thanks to its users
voluntarily giving personal information for two decades. However, the
policies that come out of this election has real world consequences to
millions (if not billions) of people, regardless of their _individual_
Facebook usage, which undermines the very purpose of a democratic republic.
Regardless of your political affiliation, it should worry you that this
_can_ happen.
#fig("self-host/elections.webp", alt: "Elections")
To summarize, it might not be a problem if individuals disregard their privacy
at the individual level, but in aggregate, a _population-wide_ disregard has
dystopian consequences.
So the question you have to ask yourself is:
#quote(block: true)[*What can I do?*]
Start by *valuing your privacy*. Then, follow some of these tips to _say no..._
- *Limit your exposure to these services.* If a friend stops talking to you
because of this, then congratulations, you've just gotten rid of a fake
friend. You're welcome.
- #extlink("https://wiki.r-selfhosted.com/getting-started/what-is-self-hosting/")[Self-host]
as much as you can. You can see how I
#extlink("https://git.kumardamani.net/home-lab/about")[implement] this and replicate it
yourself, though it is a bit involved for normies.
- If neither of the above work for you, then you'll need to do some research to
find an alternative source that you can trust isn't doing the same thing. Use
#extlink("https://github.com/awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted")[this]
as a starting point and try to search (Ctrl+f) for your service. For eg.
Twitter, and Instagram both have popular options available.
- *Stop using Chrome.* If you must use it, use
#extlink("https://brave.com/")[Brave] instead. I advocate for
#extlink("https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/?redirect_source=firefox-com")[Firefox].
Neither are perfect, but both offer privacy respecting options in their
settings. Specifically disabling cross-site tracking is important. Beyond
that, install an ad-blocker extension such as
#extlink("https://ublockorigin.com/")[UBlock Origin] on both of them. Don't
forget to do the same on your mobile device!
- Things get more complicated on cell-phones. I suggest switching to a privacy
respecting operating-system such as
#extlink("https://grapheneos.org/")[GrapheneOS]. Short of this, you can only
limit your usage.
- Support government policies that respect user-privacy.
#fig("self-host/office.webp", alt: "office pic", width: "75%")
]
|
