It’s said “small acts matter”.
I feel angry about a lot of disasters that are going on in our world. I sometimes feel powerless. And I don’t like that. It's a fact that I might get into trouble if I speak up or get on my soapbox in my country.
I’d rather do something than accept it. I’m leaving Facebook, probably, for good. Lately, I deleted WhatsApp and Instagram after sitting on the fence for a while. That came after deleting my X (previously Twitter) a few months ago. I’m not sure whether moving away from these networks would make any difference for the causes I care about or even would do any good for people who are being starved in Gaza.
However, at least, I’m putting my money where my mouth is.
I instead started using Telegram and Signal. I’ve also begun to post my latest thoughts on Substack, instead of my old Google blog. I know it might be difficult to find alternatives for Google and Hotmail, or to move away from all the corporations that are complicit in genocides and wars.
I'll do my bit. Part of my bit is that I need to write and talk more about what I'm angry about and advocating for the causes and values I believe in.
In the moment it's 5:45 am Japan time and I'm going to go out with two of my friends. So, I can't read your post and comment. I just want to say thank you for reading and commenting on my posts first. When I get home, I definitely read your post! Have a lovely day! See you later!!
Thanks for the comment! Take your time! Enjoy the outing!
Hi, ZZ. I'm back and read your post. I support you. I've been keeping away from these SNS for years even though my reason is different from yours. However, I have to advertise my art, so unfortunately sooner or later, I know I'll have to go back.
When you don't use these platforms, you can use your time to more meaning things!
Anyone: "...genocide...." The BBC: "Well, let's not use that sort of language, shall we? I'll have you know that the Israeli Government will say that they're fighting terrorists and that this is a war."
This is my way of saying that we're like a grain of sand in a desert. Corporate companies and governments just don't give a f- about us. You'd also be surprised by some of the companies which are actually involved in the economies of genocide and occupation. Even Booking.com is involved. What can you do about it? I mean, the UN Special Rapporteur tasked with investigating the war in Gaza is Italian. Did I learn this from the Italian news? No! I had to watch a video in English on YouTube! And I'm Italian!
I highly recommend the book called "Meditation" written by Marcus Aurelius. I agree with Simo. Once I read the book (I mean it's better to reread it over and over), I have stopped caring things that I can't solve.
There's an email company called Protonmail and you can get a free email account with them. They're Swiss and may be as bad as everyone else but at least they're not Google or Microsoft (who run Hotmail). I also use DeepL for translation sometimes... They're not able to translate Arabic from images so I have to go back to Google sometimes.:(
I'm closely following Francesca. I admire her and her courage. I read her report on the corporations benefiting from the genocide. In her own words; "... why Israel’s genocide continues... Because it is lucrative for many”
I believe in people, Yumi. I believe that no matter how small our actions look or are, they count. We should never stop to care. We should never give up. As Francesca said: "... if not now, when? If not us, who?"
Here’s video highlight collective action (not surprisingly in Italy). People do care and they would try their best. And the grain of sand will become a mountain one day, Simone. https://substack.com/@ahmedeldin/note/c-137870797
Thanks for the suggestion, Graeme! Yeah, I understand how frustrating is that at some point we have to use these dominating platforms.
ZZ, of course that's a wonderful idea and we should do this. I support you. I only say, please don't spend too much time to think the things that you really can't change. We all have our own problems and it's much better to focus on ours. Have a lovely day!!
We have to try to change things, especially when people are killed and starved for nothing!
I wonder whether there's any coverage about the genocide in Gaza in the Japanses media!
@MusiqueGraeme Proton(Swiss) and Tutanota (German) are the best privacy-oriented email providers. In addition, Proton offers other services, such cloud storage and VPN.
Anyway, I despise companies like Google. I myself have tried to limit my use of Google services. However, you need to understand how the Internet works. Google has an incredible and dangerous power. Let's make use of analogies. Think of the Internet as the road network of a city, and websites and apps as shops and buildings. Google has scattered an army of agents all over the city. They're at every street corner and in every building. They keep watch of everything and nothing escapes them. Now, how does Google have all these agents posted at every corner and at every shop? Because the very same owners of the shops let Google inside their shops in exchange for using Google services. So, in short, you may well stop using Google, but Google won't stop following you around and collecting data on you.
@Double-Zee Yes, we have a lot of pro-Palestine rallies here in Italy. Italian left politicians accuse Israel of genocide, while conservatives are less united on the subject: some acknowledge the war crimes, while others simply act annoyed at Israel (that doesn't mean they're against the Israeli Government). Regarding the news, both public and private broadcasters use the word genocide, the same goes for newspapers. Although, some right-wing newspapers are only useful as toilet paper, if you know what I mean. The situation in Italy is very different from the one in the UK, where you can't even use the word genocide. Ask Gary Lineker. Still, before the war, Italians had no opinion on Gaza. That's because the narrative here in Italy was fragmented and lacked depth. Just like Israel wanted, I suppose. In fact, we Italians didn't have an opinion on the Gaza strip simply because we never understood what was really going on there. The news coverage of the war still lacks depth, but at least Israel is portrayed as the bad guy. In addition, they don't shy away from making it clear that children are dying of starvation and lack of health treatments, and that Israel blocks UN humanitarian aid lorries.
Hey @Simone-,
Thanks for sharing how different parts in Italy perceive the horrible situation in Gaza!
By the way, I added DuckDuckGo as an extention. Do you think it can be of any help?
DDG is my default search engine. However, you should know that they actually use Microsoft Bing's search API. So in short, it's as if you're using Bing. Although DDG has a deal with Microsoft, they claim that they do not share any personal data with them, or at least they anonymise it. If you're looking for a completely indipendent service, then you could try Brave, which has its own search engine. My default browser is Firefox. But even then, Firefox has some kind of deals with Microsoft. As for the extention itself, well, which browser do you use? I don't see the point of using the DDG extention. First, the fewer extentions you use, the more secure your browser. Secondly, I'd just set DDG as my default search engine in my browser settings.
Ah, I see. I use Google, unfortunately. I'd like to shift to another browser. I don't know how I can do it safely without losing bookmarks, passwords, etc! Do you have any suggestions for that?
To import data into Firefox, follow these steps: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/import-data-another-browser . Alternatively, if you want to do it manually, you first need to export the data from Chrome. To do so, go to the bookmarks and passwords managers, click on the three-dot icon and select Export. On your new browser, find the entry labelled "import". A pop-up window will then prompt you to select the corresponding files.
You should be aware that there may be compatibility issues with extentions. Some extentions aren't available for both browsers.
Thank you!
Is there a way to import data to DDG or Brave?
DDG is a search engine, not a browser. So you can't import data into it. DDG is the equivalent of Google Search and Microsoft Bing. These two are just the names of the search engines, while the browsers are respectively called Chrome and Edge. You can set DDG as your default search engine in any browser.
As for importing data from Chrome to Brave, you can either use the manual method or follow these steps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGDpHsOu_5s
Ah, thanks for clarifying that!
Thanks a lot for all the tips!
👍
Hey @Simone-, You sounded like a web nerd so I have one more question. It's about VPN. Do you know if a VPN only changes/hides the location where we actually are? Or does it change/hide the browser and operating system as well?
VPNs only change your IP location. They're not designed to provide anonymity. To anonymise your online activity, you need to use the Tor browser. Check out the website privacyguides.org . It's my go-to place for all things privacy-related. Make sure you go through the Knowledge Base section. It provides valuable insights into the murky world of online privacy. Also, don't skip the Tor section in "Recommendations". To be effective, Tor must be used as intended. For example, you must not resize the Tor window application. It's a small price to pay for anonymity.
VPNs are useful if you need to connect to a public WI-FI, such as at an airport or at a café, and want to protect your connection from malicious actors. You should always connect to public WI-FI through a VPN. Another use for VPNs is to unlock geo-blocked content, such as films on legal streaming websites like Netflix. Another use is to prevent websites from seeing your real IP address; this isn't really effective with the likes of Google. Google collects so much data about us that it can pinpoint anyone, no matter what.
I only use a VPN when I want to read articles on websites that are blocked in Egypt. I remember I tried using it a few years ago, when I was traveling. However, I still the browsers showed an Egyptian location! Maybe it was so because of Google as you said collects so much data!
Anyway, I asked whether VPN could hide/change browsers and operating systems because I have a (Google) blogger and I see many view from various countries and different browser and operating systems. I thought someone with VPN was going through my blog.
You should use a clean browser when connecting to a VPN. If you use your regular browser, all your cookies and data will be shared with the websites you visit. It completely defeats the whole point of using a VPN. Either install a new browser or create a secondary profile on your regular browser. Again, I'd recommend checking out privacyguides.org .
Also, not all VPNs are the same. Some leak your data, including your real IP, like water through a colander. I recommend using Proton's free basic plan, which provides IP addresses from the Netherlands, the United States, Japan, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. If you need an IP address from a specific country, I recommend Mullvad VPN. It's a Swedish company and the plan costs only €5 per month. I find Proton's premium plan too expensive.
Additionally, free VPNs channel all your PC/phone services through the VPN. For example, if you have Dropbox on your PC, you will connect to the Dropbox's server via your VPN. Ideally, you would want to avoid this kind of overlap, as it makes you stand out. Paid VPNs let you select which programs and apps to channel through the VPN.
By the way, what's the problem if someone visits your blog via VPN? I don't the see why you should be concerned.
I used to use VPN in an incognito window but it didn't really help. And yes, I use free VPN. I only had a paid one when I was in Sri Lanka, and I needed to keep working on a project that required my location in Egypt. :D It took me a couple of days to find a VPN with an IP address in Egypt.
I was just curious, not concerned. I wanted to understand who was behind all of these views, since my blog is not comercial or that fancy! Or maybe I'm obssessed, and I shouldn't think of it that much! :)
On another note, I checked Tuta Nota mail. It has that condition!
"Only one Free account is allowed per person. Free accounts may only be used for private communication. If you want to use Tuta for your business or as a freelancer, please order a paid plan. Please also note that Free accounts get deleted if you do not log in for six months.
If you intend to use it for work purposes, then you should probably avoid the free plan. I'm sure Tuta can figure out how you're using their services. However, if you don't need it for work, then go for the free plan.
Have you tried Tor?
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/technology/ethical-web-browser?utm_source=ECRA+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=bf5e0512e0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_08_15_web-browser-ns&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-bf5e0512e0-321350288
I use it frequently. Some people use it as their regular browser, some only for specific things, like me. As for the link you sent me, I tried to skim through it, but it's really too long, which makes me think it was partially made with AI.
I see!
I've been following Ethical Consumer for a few years. I don't believe they use AI to write their articles. Their posts are usually detailed and inclusive.