posts about rss
December 22, 2020

A roadmap to reclaiming my attention and time

Last edited in October 2022

This is a page to document my move to quit using proprietary software, SaaS (Software as a Service) or “the cloud” (i.e. servers ran by third-parties).

When I started this I was seeking to replace each proprietary software (or SaaS or “cloud service”) I used with a “privacy-friendly” alternative. But after a while I realised that “privacy-friendly” software were often similar to proprietary software in essence. Some were partially proprietary like Duckduckgo the “privacy-friendly” alternative to Google, or with motivation that diverge from user’s best interest, for example they have investors thus will prioritise their what’s best for their investments. Other “privacy-friendly” software ran in the cloud, on the server of a third-party company; they restrict users with the freedom to run a copy locally, for example. So I eventually set myself on seeking free software and run these locally, on my computer. No SaaS, no cloud. These days I even try to run more of the stuff I use to do “online” i.e. on remote servers, locally on my computer e.g. bike itinerary routing, foreign language translations, checking time in another time zone.

Also, first, when I started, I was thinking in terms of substitutes e.g. “which software can I use to replace Google Alert, or LinkedIn?”, but as I moved further towards using copyleft-licensed software and running software and computing tasks locally, the way I use my computer has evolved away from habits which had been shaped by the design of software by companies which think in terms of creating software to create financial wealth to software which are developed by contributors who seek to build a tool they will rely on themselves, and that which others other can use freely if they wish to do so. The motivations of developers who build a software, whether they are driven by the financial profit or just building something they want to use and that other can also use (i.e. a common good) impact the way the software and its usage. So it no longer made sense to think in terms of substitutes. To give the reader an idea of where I am at in my move away from proprietary software, SaaS and “cloud”, it is best to list the programmes I now use (mostly from the command line):

  • less to view text files,
  • vim to do text edit (including writing emails),
  • git to keep track of files’ versions, changes, etc.
  • pandoc to convert files from Markdown to pdf, from html to epub,
  • latex to write templates of letters, invoices,
  • find to search for files (instead of using some SaaS like Evernote),
  • grep to search for text through text files,
  • openvpn to connect to the VPN server I use,
  • atril to view pdf,
  • bc to run calculation,
  • wc to count words in vim,
  • history (or CRTL + R)
  • backintime to backup the home folder of my computer,
  • date to check the time in other time zones,
  • keepassxc to store passwords,
  • abrowser to read html files (and browser www),
  • tor,
  • mutt to read emails locally/offline and send emails,
  • mbsync to download emails locally
  • msmtp to send emails from mutt or from the command line
  • msmtp-queue to “send” emails offline,
  • vlc to watch videos, listen to music or audio books,
  • sed & echo to edit files
  • wget to download webpages (and read offline) or to download MP3 files from webpages: podcast, radio programme or music (and listen offline),
  • youtube-dl to play video or music locally and offline,
  • diff to compare text files,
  • cat,
  • mount and umount to manage external storage e.g USB sticks, backup drive,
  • tail, head, sort, uniq.

Table of Contents

Journal

  • 2022-10
    • Deleted my iCloud account I had created in 2009 when I first bought a MacBook.
    • Deleted the account I had with a password manager in the “cloud”; I now use a password manager locally (i.e. on my computer only) and copyleft-licensed.
  • 2022-06
    • Deleted my accounts with LinkedIn, Twitter, Airbnb and Signal messenger (Why delete Signal? Because it is a walled-garden; no interoperability)
  • 2022-03
    • Stopped using my MacBook (and MacOS); I now use a second-hand PC laptop from 2012 where I installed the operating system Trisquel GNU/Linux as my main computer.
  • 2022-01
    • Deleted my accounts with WhatsApp, Uber and Lyft.
  • 2021-08
    • Removed Duckduckgo as my default search engine because it is proprietary - same as Google. I now use MetaGer, a search engine that is published (1) under copyleft licence (2) by a non-profit organisation.
    • Deactivated my accounts on LinkedIn and Twitter.
    • Got an old second-hand laptop and installed the operating system Trisquel GNU/Linux with the aim of switch from Mac to GNU/Linux.
  • 2021-01
    • Deleted all my articles on Medium and deprecated my account.
  • 2020-12
    • Replaced Books (on Mac) with Calibre to manage my ebook library. Next step is to get an e-reader built on Open Book printed circuit board (PCB).
  • 2020-11
    • Ended Spotify subscription and deleted account.
    • Started to send printed pictures via post to my friends instead of digital pictures.
  • 2020-10
    • Stopped carrying my mobile phone by default when I leave my house.
  • 2020-09
    • Started using an RSS reader.1
  • 2020-08
    • Started to send more (postal) letters to my friends. (What will be left from our relationships if all interactions and memories are digitised?)
    • Started to send less instant messages to friends and people. I call instead. We miss the subtlety of relationships via instant messages. Also, instant messages let us put the burden on others without investing much energy ourselves. In other words, we can demand the attention of others by sending an instant message without committing to invest the attention to listen to them. I am not saying instant messages are useful or to be avoided.
  • 2020-07
    • Switched back to an old dumb phone I had in my drawer as my main phone. Also, I did not want that switch to be an excuse to buy one of this “new” dumb phone which value proposition is to help people recover the time and energy they wast on smartphone.
    • Resumed using an analog camera.
    • Resumed using a dumb MP3 player where I can “drag and drop” music and audio book.
  • 2020-05
    • Replaced Pages, Number, Keynote, Notes, Mail, iCal, Screen capture, Dashlane with LibreOffice, Joplin, Thunderbird, Kap, KeePassXC.
  • 2019-07
    • Resumed using a pocket-size notebook and a pen to take notes on-the-go rather than using a smartphone; plus, paper and pen is best for thinking.2
  • 2018-07
    • Deleted email application from my smartphone.
  • 2018-03
    • Deleted my Facebook account.
  • 2017-08
    • Started a mailing list3.
  • 2017-05
    • Limited myself to check Facebook only once a day.
  • 2017-04
    • Deleted ‘social media’ applications or applications that use infinite scroll from my smartphone.
  • 2016
    • Started to use Signal

Appendices

On the Web

software deprecated or deleted* replaced with license organisation
Facebook deleted in 2018 I call people, send a newsletter, write postcards, letters, et cetera -  -
WhatsApp deleted Signal
Element		 GNU GPLv3
Apache-2.0		 non-profit
non-profit
LinkedIn deprecated this blog
a newsletter
Contacts
a RSS reader		 see blog
proprietary
proprietary
MIT License		 see blog
commercial
commercial
I don’t know
Twitter deprecated twtxt MIT License License held by the developer
Amazon deprecated bookstores in my neighbourhood4
epub		 - -
Chrome never used Firefox
Tor		 MPLv2.0
Free Software		 non-profit
non-profit
Google Search
DuckDuckGo		 deprecated in 2016
deprecated in 2021		 MetaGer GNU GPLv3 non-profit
Google Map deprecated OpenStreetMap ODbL non-profit
Gmail deprecated in 2017 ProtonMail MIT License & GNU GPLv3 commercial
Google Calendar deprecated in 2017 a calendar notebook
and Thunderbird to deal with e-invites		 MPLv2.0
-		 non-profit
-
Google Drive deprecated in 2019 I no longer need a cloud cause I have only one device; no need to sync - -
Google Doc deprecated in 2019 LibreOffice Writer
MacDown

-
MIT License

 -
License held by Tzu-ping Chung
Google Sheet deprecated in 2019 LibreOffice Calc - -
Google Slide deprecated in 2019 I don’t use slides these days - -
Google Alerts deprecated in 2019 I stopped using Alerts. I had already too much information to deal with. - -
YouTube deprecated in 2020 - - -
Spotify deleted in 2020 personal playlists on MP3 files
VLC		 -
GNU GPLv2		 -
non-profit
Netflix deleted in 2020 no replacement,
I do more reading, and I sleep earlier		 - -
Medium deprecated DNS provider
Blot
git

MacDown

proprietary
(check license)
MIT License
& GNU GPLv2
MIT License

 commercial
commercial
License held by Junio Hamano & others
License held by Tzu-ping Chung
GitHub I don’t know yet
Substack deprecated I don’t know yet
Quora deleted in 2020 - - -
Blablacar (ridesharing) deprecated in 2021 Mobicoop GNU GPLv3 cooperative
Netlify I don’t know yet

*Accounts are surprisingly difficult to delete! Even once I stopped using them.

This blog use to be a Medium account. Now I use Blot which I really like. My aim is to self-host.

I still use a few proprietary software ran by commercial entities. The plan is to switch to Libre software ran by non-profit.

On my laptop (MacBook)

software deprecated or deleted replace with license organization
Page deleted
2020-05		 LibreOffice Writer MPLv2.0 non-profit
Number deleted
2020-05		 LibreOffice Calc MPLv2.0 non-profit
Keynote deleted
2020-05		 LibreOffice Impress MPLv2.0 non-profit
Notes deprecated
2020-05		 Joplin MIT License License held by the developer, Laurent Cozic
Mail, Cal deprecated
2020-05		 Thunderbird MPLv2.0 non-profit
Safari deprecated Firefox
Tor		 MPLv2.0
Free Software		 non-profit
Facetime deprecated Signal
Jitsi		 GNU GPLv3
Apache License 2.0		 non-profit
iMessage deprecated Signal
Element		 GNU GPLv3
Apache-2.0		 non-profit
Contact
Books deleted Calibre GNU GPLv3 License held by the developer, Kovid Goyal
Dictionary
Screen capture deprecated Kap MIT License commercial
Map deprecated OpenStreetMap Open Database License (ODbL) non-profit
Quicktime deprecated VLC GNU GPLv2 non-profit
Photos deprecated Finder proprietary commercial
Preview
Finder
Terminal
Authy
Dashlane deprecated KeePassXC GPL License held by the developers

With other “smart” devices: ditch them

I want to ditch “smart” devices and replace them with “dumb” devices.

“Smart” is a euphemism.

This is the plain-word explanation of “smart device”:

a “smart device” is a device that substitutes for your cognitive resources while collecting personal data and metadata.

device deprecated replace with license organization
smartphone 2020-07 an old dumb phone
an analog camera
a $25 MP3 player
a $10 alarm clock
a pen & note-book
a paper map
a $15 quartz watch
a paperback book or a magazine		 - -
Kindle not yet a homemade e-reader built w/ Open Book PCB MIT License License held by the maker

  1. https://yctct.com/how-to-use-rss-feed↩︎

  2. Pam A. Mueller, Daniel M. Oppenheimer (2014), The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking, aps, Vol 25, Issue 6; Faria Sanaa, Tina Weston, Nicholas J.Cepeda (2013), Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers, Computers & Education Volume 62, pages 24-31; Anne Mangen, Liss Gøril Anda, Gunn H. Oxborough, Kolbjørn Kallesten Brønnick (2015), Handwriting versus Keyboard Writing: Effect on Word Recall, Journal of Writing Research, 7(2):227-247↩︎

  3. https://yctct.com/replacing-facebook-with-newsletter↩︎

  4. https://yctct.com/bookstores-berlin↩︎

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