Two big two and people don't challenge that
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This post isn't a real question, rather an insight.
Don't you find it funny how people don't question why we can pick from only two mainstream mobile OS ? I personally use UT on Nexus 5 as my main driver. I absolutely love it ! It does have bugs here and there but I use it to help core devs to make it better and I know what UT stands for. Plus I'm a die hard fan of Ubuntu in general. It kinda strikes me how people simply don't care that you can choose only from 2 mobile OS. Yes, there's Librem 5 Linux phone in development but it is still in works. Won't be released in months. And here UT which is also under heavy development that gives you back privacy you lost thanks to Google and Facebook.
But UT won't be mainstream anytime soon and not really sure if that's even on the table of core devs and sponzors.
My girlfriend says I'm making my life unnecessarily harder by not using iOS or Android. She's referring to mainstream app inaccessibility on UT. For example Uber app on UT isn't working 100%, Facebook and Twitter app aren't actually native apps but only HTML5 wrappers. Meaning ... there's no official support of Facebook for UT. Despite of it all I still love UT and what it tries to achieve. You can see on ads and poster everywhere icons of "get on Google Play" and "App Store" referring to iPhone. Windows 10 phone was pushed out of the game long time ago. Such a shame though. Sometimes I ask my friends don't you find it odd that you can pick different foods, vacations, cars, houses, clothes but when it comes to operating system on your phone you get to choose only 2 ??? Most people don't question that. Why is it like that ? -
Why should people bother on mobile devices when they didn't bother on desktops/laptops?
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@marek_python - I think it's a whole mindset. If we're really concerned about privacy and Open Source then we ought to want better app alternatives than Facebook and Twitter... And, in fact, there are better alternatives. It's almost as if we have to make a stand with people and say, "If you want to chat with me, download a Matrix app. There's no excuse: there's a client available for your platform." And if we want to express ourselves to the world, then there's Mastodon, Diaspora, Hubzilla etc. These are our modus operandi. And it's there that we find like-minded people.
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Funny you're mentioning Diaspora. I'm just installing / configuring it on my server.
My friends are bugging me that I don't have Facebook. I don't have it for reason. But I don't mind using Diaspora and it looks like you can connect Diaspora to your friends on Facebook. -
Hehe @marek_python! Then bug them back! They can't not have heard about the practices of Facebook... Exhort them to be better!
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Yes, I gave them very passionate speech about what Facebook and Google is doing. How they use personal information of their users and when they asked "what options do we have ?" I educated them about privacy-minded apps and practices on their current devices. I assumed they don't want to ditch their premium-bought-on-2-years-contract Android right on the spot. I did just that long time ago but it is too drastic for some. And then I told them about Diaspora and Ubuntu Touch. And guess what you get "But nobody is using these things ! All my family and friends are on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram !" then I flashed them with my Nexus 5 just installing updates and running UT and they looked at it like device from another universe.
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Yeah! I hear ya, @marek_python!
"All my family and friends..." is a comment I've received more than once...
People are attached to their devices. They like to use the apps they use...
Whatever people say; it does take a concerted effort to decide to go Open Source, and some people - even if they think/know they should, or even want to - never quite get there.But even if they're not quite ready to make the change, as I said before, there are apps available on all platforms for things like Matrix and Mastodon... It's really not too much to ask of them to download an app onto their device...
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Yeah ... I'm totally with you on this. People don't have to necessarily ditch their phones for UT. Especially if they like the design of the phone they use. Like for example Sony makes phones with really nice design. So yeah ... keep your phone but you can try out DuckDuck Go, ProtonMail, Diaspora apps. All of them are available in Google Play and App Store. All of them are designed not to compromise one's privacy. My girlfriend says DuckDuckGo app on iPhone runs quite slow she says.
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Agreed on the requirement for OS-alternatives.
I´d like to point out that UT still only provides syncing contacts to one of the biggest data-kraken google (or SIM...) or requires specific skills like scripting, setting up your own server or the like.
That doesn´t make sense to me. In my opinion mobile-OS-alternatives should first and foremost cover some basics before they get fancy (no offense, be as fancy as you like!), I consider carddav as basics for contacts.
correct me if I´m wrong or if I missed something.
Cheers
(missing carddav-option is the reason why UT is NOT my daily driver and as you might guess I am not a linux scripter :-)) -
@obacht have you try https://open-store.io/app/me.fredl.ghostcloud?
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@advocatux thank you, I´ve seen this for the first time.
it doesn´t work at first try. I am not shure but from what I understand that´s due to webdav (supported by ghostcloud) is more to "extend your filesystem", it allows file transfer.
But that is not what I need for syncing of contacts (carddav) or calendar (caldav). Those protocolls are not "included" in webdav (which was my first assumption). -
@obacht are you in https://t.me/UBports_Cloudsters (telegram) or https://matrix.to/#/#ubports_cloud:matrix.org (matrix) groups?
Edit: both groups are bridged, you just need to join one of them
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@advocatux
nor, would it help? -
@obacht I think so, you can find there how people are syncing
carddavandcaldav
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@advocatux Thank You! I appreciate your approach, I´ll consider joining these groups (and services) later, I do not have the time (not right now) to dive into scripting in Linux and stuff
@hummlbach same same here: Thank You! from what I understand in that linked github-thing is that there might be a solution maybe soon for GUI-dependant dummies like me.
Sounds very promising and worth the wait for me!
I´ll be very happy once my personal set of requirements will be covered by UT ootb.keep up the good work everybody
and sorry @marek_python for hijacking your thread -
When it comes to computers and operating systems (incl. smartphones) things get binary. Its a problem of our society still. Using anything else than microsoft, apple and google makes you a strange nerd that does not accept anything. I think its the fear of the unknown and the disability to open to new ideas.
What we can do is enjoing our ubports system (that is absolutely adfree by the way!!!) and keep being strange nerds (my last windows was win2000). I don't think ubports will get a real competitor to the big ones, for this it has too good intentions. But it is an alternative that works already pretty good. (it works impressively if we consider that we don't have support from hardwaresuppliers!). Hopefully our society once will get more openminded... -
@htc_tattoo
I´d like to add that it might not only be the fear of the unknown or the disability to new ideas (even though it may be true for a vast number of cases). I assume rather more than less would switch soon once they are presented a running system that fits their needs. But that “label” is likely to be seen differently by different people. And sure on top of that you get the habitat issues and what people are used to, I agree, that´s tough educational work....
My case does sure not reflect the majority but I think that quite some of those GUI dependent UT-aspirants out there are just hoping to have their core functionalities implemented in UT soon. Maybe we´re just a bit hesitant with the system as it is because not everybody is keen on learning how to script and dive into linux (Division of work has some good reasons :-))
But that does not denounce the "nerd" - instead the "UT-nerd" should take pride in the fact that he or she is working us all out of that dependency of the kraken. And that is a very important thing to do.
Hats off to everybody who contributes to Ubuntu Touch!
