Huan Truong

Notes from a developer

Github

Just

So, I have complaints about some annoying things in life lately, and received those suggestions from a smart friend.

  • Facebook peeks into my contacts. It stores my messages. It has shit tons of ads.
  • Just deny its request to peek into it, are you stupid? Just delete your messages, and don't send nudes, are you stupid? Just use ad-blockers, are you that behind the times?

And:

  • Google cancels my account and locks me out.
  • Just don't do anything illegal, are you stupid?

And:

  • Snapchat makes my phone slow.
  • Just upgrade your phone, are you stupid?

And:

  • Amazon listening to me all the time.
  • Just push that mute button and it won't listen to you in 12 hours, are you stupid?

And here is the suggestion from a serial killer:

A technological advance that appears not to threaten freedom often turns out to threaten it very seriously later on. For example, consider motorized transport. A walking man formerly could go where he pleased, go at his own pace without observing any traffic regulations, and was independent of technological support systems. When motor vehicles were introduced they appeared to increase man's freedom. They took no freedom away from the walking man, no one had to have an automobile if he didn't want one, and anyone who did choose to buy an automobile could travel much faster and farther than a walking man. But the introduction of motorized transport soon changed society in such a way as to restrict greatly man's freedom of locomotion. When automobiles became numerous, it became necessary to regulate their use extensively. In a car, especially in densely populated areas, one cannot just go where one likes at one's own pace; one's movement is governed by the flow of traffic and by various traffic laws. […] When a new item of technology is introduced as an option that an individual can accept or not as he chooses, it does not necessarily REMAIN optional. In many cases the new technology changes society in such a way that people eventually find themselves FORCED to use it.

I feel like I'm a sociopath to admit to friends that I don't have a Facebook (i.e. Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp, etc.) or snapchat. I don't know what will I have to explain when I enter then US next time and declare that I don't have such accounts. Maybe I should listen to my smart friend and just have a Facebook account.