linux phones aren't recommended currently for various reasons, they're just pretty unstable and have various security flaws among other issues.
i'd recommend looking into a google pixel and installing GrapheneOS. its open source, and pretty much as good as it gets for privacy and security on a phone. it really is an excellent project.
very easy to set up and install, plus amazing app compatibility, no bloat or garbage, etc. its overall a really good experience, i can't recommend it enough, had 0 issues with it.
either way, despite some of the other replies, i really would not recommend regular OEM android at all. android that comes with most devices out of the box is typically full of proprietary bloatware and spyware and other garbage that you can't remove, and isn't a great experience at all in general.
if you can't get a pixel for GrapheneOS, next best thing is DivestOS, followed by LineageOS.
great, i've really liked lemmy so far. its really the first alt big tech platform like this that i've gotten into, was never big on mastodon or any of the others out there.
lemmy is honestly a breath of fresh air. really great platform so far, i think it has very strong potential.
i still use reddit for some things, but overall i'm starting to use lemmy a lot more. great work from the devs, can't wait to see the future!
i mean TECHNICALLY it is more secure to not be able to sideload apps... at the cost of major user freedom and loss of control over your own device you paid money for.
its the equivalent of saying "you should never use the internet at all because there's a chance you could get a virus", its an extremely flawed logic. i think the user should always be given a choice.
apple will definitely lose money from this and i think that's their concern with having to allow sideloading, definitely moreso than privacy or security lol. apple previously has been able to monopolize and take a commission on every single app purchase or microtransaction thanks to the app store. if people sideload or use alternate app stores, apple will lose this. + some advertising revenue will be lost if sideloaded apps aren't using apple's advertising platform, etc.
i like mastodon's approach - its clean, simple, and easy to understand.
i think the fediverse is just a very hard concept for people to wrap their heads around if they aren't internet savvy or already knowledgable on these things. i think in general there needs to be an easier way to fully explain what it is and get it across to people.
lemmy should def adopt something similar here to mastodon. i think having a default server is smart and probably the right move (with the "Pick your own server" option or something similar right below, just like what Mastodon is doing, so users easily have the option), HOWEVER i think before that happens, lemmy does need to allow migrating and moving servers, and ik lemmy.ml is being overloaded really badly rn in general, so those issues probably need to be sorted too.
on android - mull (hardened firefox with telemetry and proprietary blobs removed)
for several reasons: its extremely customizable, open source, extensions like ublock origin work best on it, great privacy, not chromium based (fuck google and a browser monoculture), etc.
mozilla isn't perfect and i don't agree with all of their decisions for sure, but despite that, overall firefox ftw
i think most people would be fine with advertising, as long as it 1: isn't overly obnoxious, 2: isn't scammy and doesn't contain malware or other garbage, and 3: doesn't track you and everything you do. advertising itself isn't the problem, it's the way it's being currently handled on the internet that's the issue.
well said, i agree, the fediverse is definitely a good approach.
i think the only concern will be getting more people to move here and adopt it, it'll be harder to convince and appeal to more mainstream people. but i guess that'll be easier and easier as the web goes to shit and gets worse and worse over time than it already is, lol.
honestly heartbreaking in a lot of ways to see the current turn of events and how the web is today.
but what could we have done to prevent it? im not sure paywalls would've been feasible, i feel like most people would refuse to pay or just avoid your website all together. maybe a paywall network of websites of some kind could've worked? but its really hard to say.
i don't even have a problem with ads on sites to an extent, as long as they aren't overly obnoxious and don't spy on you and track your every move. that shouldn't be too much to ask, right? but alas, i guess it is in 2023. 🤷♀️
just such a sad state of things. the web is currently unusable without a content blocker or protection of some kind, which is insane to think about. this all really only scratches the surface too of the modern web's issues. in general a lot of the individuality and freedom of the internet is just... gone. all completely corporate and shall now, so much seo spam and clickbait and other garbage, just for the most clicks or revenue possible. there's little quality left for sure.
feels like we lost the internet in a lot of ways. i wonder what the solution is, if there even is one. i guess we just can't give up fighting.
nvidia's usually a pain in the ass when it comes to linux. that being said, it isn't too bad. just don't expect good wayland support. stick to x org and you're probably fine once you get the nvidia drivers installed and signed.
as far as distro goes, i recommend fedora. overall really solid choice, had 0 issues with it, gaming included.