No privacy, no freedom

Often, I think about how convenience affects the privacy of Web users.

Perhaps, I'm paranoid about some influencers' talk about how corporations and governments spy on us for their purposes.

You may have heard if it's free, you are the product.

A valid argument if you evaluate how Meta (Facebook) uses the information it collects daily from us for commercial purposes, at best.

Of course, tell me: who doesn't like free?

I'd be a liar if I said, not me!

There is nothing free in life.

But is there such a thing as something without associated costs?

Yes, I know! Air and water are only to name a few gifts of nature.

However, the fact that they are gifts does not imply that they are costless. In the cycle, there is a consumption of energy by the earth.

Well! Although I have had a Facebook account for quite some time, I don't share what I do there. I even thought of canceling the account and deleting the little I uploaded there.

But perhaps out of laziness, I haven't done it yet. Besides, my children use it intensively. I watch my youngest daughter (daily) watching series or my son using the Marketplace to sell and buy.

Whether I like it or not, it is a reality that Facebook (now Meta) leads to the attention of young people.

Mega tech corporations dominate the market.

Unless you have an iPhone, you are already in the hands of Alphabet.

Although, if you go the money route: you'll be surprised how deluded we are. Both (the supra-valued Apple and the Holding company that owns Google) have among their wholesale investors the same groups.

So, competition is an apparent truth. A (smart) way to circulate the money that belongs to them and keep us entertained with products that oscillate between free (like subscription services for the people) and high-end items for the supposedly wealthy.

Don't ask me who these investors are. Do your research. Ask the appropriate questions in the browser of your choice, and you're sure to get the answers.

Clouds: Centralized vs. Decentralized

All this rambling came to me because I require a (free) service from the Web. Yes, I need a storage service for my personal content.

You tell me, what's the problem? If you already have iCloud or Google Drive, just use them.

In fact, you don't have to pay anything; these are free to use.

And you're right. It's so convenient and easy to access these services that it's scary!

What do you mean scary? You're really crazy! Hahaha

Remember, my friend. If it's free, you are the product.

Ask yourself, how much will it cost you? Or how many are you worth?

See how crazy I'm getting.

In any case, for those who explore decentralized paths, being partially crazy also makes us look for other options.

Yes, Google Drive gives you 15 GB of free storage and associated apps that makes your job easier, just as iCloud gives you the freedom to use its office suite. And I don't deny the great experience, but in return, they keep your data and know everything about you.

However, for some reason, I didn't use it intensively. Maybe it was pure intuition.

So, I always relied more on backing up to portable hard drives.

But now, I am seriously evaluating using decentralized and Blockchain-based storage services, such as Filecoin with 100 GB free, Storj with 150 GB free, and Skynet on SIA with 100 GB free. Only to name a few.

Of course, without giving up solid-state disk (SSD) drives.

Convenience keeps you from seeing better deals.

You may ask, why now?

Over the weekend, my wife's iPad fell off the bunk bed and stopped working. A catastrophe since the information she stored: was never backed up to iCloud.

Years of notes and notes on PDFs and videos on a hulk with no guarantee to be recovered. Imagine the look of tragedy on my wife's face.

She certainly didn't give up privacy, but she didn't have the backup habit either.

Nevertheless, I wonder: Why does anyone have the mania of saving information, thinking that someday it will come in handy?

When I see the folders full of documents in an old closet, I extrapolate it to the digital space. Yes, we accumulate things we will never use again.

Perhaps, someone in the future will find some use in recreating the history of our generation.

Source: Image by emrahkarakas on Pixabay 

Final thoughts

Convenience has a high cost associated with it. But a nice one that makes us turn our faces the other way.

If I turn my face away, I may end up using: Google Drive or any cloud computing and storage service such as Dropbox, Box, or TeraBox (which, by the way, offers a TB for free), crazy.

But on the other hand. Being congruent with the philosophy of those who believe in the liberating potential of cryptocurrencies. I should opt for emerging decentralized cloud storage technologies such as IPFS.

Privacy is a universal human right that must be protected if freedom is not to be lost.

In the end: one must choose between the comfort of the modern slave or the responsibility of one who wants to be truly free.

An original article by @Jnavedan

The thumbnail by  mohamed Hassan on Pixabay 

Cover image by  Merhan Saeed on Pixabay  

I end by thanking all my colleagues in the community, who add value every day here. As well as all my sponsors for believing in the content I share with you.