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Comment by lrvick | Hacker News Reader

I own everything I rely on in my digital life and am pretty happy.

Just stop using proprietary software, as it is never possible to own it no matter how much money you pay.

FOSS solves every software need I have, and likely for most people that choose to invest in learning it.

I’m slowly going more and more down this route but I’m curious about what you or others are using for banking apps and parking payment apps. I actually want to switch to graphene OS but there are always these rare corner cases.

Today alone I payed something like 20% extra because I didn’t want to download an app to pay for parking (other parking places won’t even accept payment without the app) and I had to download a closed source app to activate a sim card.

Not carried a cell phone in over 5 years, and only carry any internet capable devices at all when traveling.

Generally I only carry cash, a mechanical watch, and an ID.

For banking I use webapps.

For parking I choose lots that accept cash even if I have to walk a bit more.

Never stopped me from doing anything I wanted to do in the SF Bay Area.

I've been working in this direction as well. I treat it like a game. Sure I /could/ just order thing off the internet, but if it were a scavenger hunt, where could I find thing at a locally owned business and pay cash?

Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard, sometimes I give up and order it online. But the more people do this the more it will (continue to) be a supported use-case.

I've had some interesting conversations, interacting with people in the real world, just by going into a store and telling them I'm trying to find a thing. I tell them what game I'm playing, they're usually pleased to hear it and happy to help if they can.

Here parking places are removing their machines and replacing them with a requirement to use the smartphone app-duopoly.

I suggest going to the mobile phone store and asking them to activate it. There is almost always a way. Bring a decoy dumbphone if you want. And if they say no, try another store until they say yes or refund you.

>I’m slowly going more and more down this route but I’m curious about what you or others are using for banking apps and parking payment apps. I actually want to switch to graphene OS but there are always these rare corner cases.

I'm too busy right now, but I think my medium-term plan is to get a local bank and just use them locally like the old days. I'm stuck on iPhone for a variety of reasons, but I'd still like to get my app count down as much as possible. Plus if my phone falls into a river I'll still be able to do my banking. I think the convenience hit will be worth it.

They are slowly removing branches in the UK. Opening hours are only a few hours a week in certain places. You have to use the app to verify online purchases in my case. There is no workaround.

I basically firewall stuff like the bank apps and other stuff on my phone. My PC for the most part is just Debian Linux and my car is an older vehicle that can be literally repaired indefinitely due to it being more utilitarian.

Here bank branches and ATMs are being removed everywhere.

Graphene is great but you will face many choices where you will just need to say no to something others consider normal. Or have a second normie phone to use as needed.

Congratulations, I guess? Not everybody is lucky enough to be in your situation.

No luck needed. It was a series of intentional choices anyone could make if they wished.

I co-run two tech companies in silicon valley, maintain several online communities, organize events, have an active social life, travel a lot, have many tech hobbies, go to shows and events, etc.

I am hardly the amish person people tend to imagine.

FOSS software can work for virtually anyone in the modern world that wants freedom.

Who has the technical skill to use a command line and/or a build system.

So maybe 5% of the population on a good day.

You can install graphene os on a phone using a USB cable and a web page.

It takes a lot of luck to be able to live in the Bay Area in the first place, and a lot of luck to be able to "co-run two tech companies in Silicon Valley".

If you think this is something anyone can Just Do if they decide to do it, you have fallen pretty hard for a certain kind of capitalist propaganda.

> Who has the technical skill to use a command line and/or a build system.

everyone who is able to dedicate some spare time to it

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