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I agree with all the things you say about trying to get more freedom on mobile platforms, but let's not be disingenuous. Allowing more freedom on app stores abs

I agree with all the things you say about trying to get more freedom on mobile platforms, but let's not be disingenuous. Allowing more freedom on app stores absolutely increases viruses and malware that can get onto phones. If we aren't honest about that then we won't be out brainstorming methods of avoiding that kind of cesspool.

the8472 7y ago
Is that brainstorming a prerequisite to letting people be adult humans with free will who can, after a few warnings, be allowed to make their own choices? We allow people to drink, gamble, join ponzi schemes or self-harm. The non-negotiable nannying around app stores seems infantilizing in comparison. To answer your question, yes the risks are real. But so is life.
- hombre_fatal 7y ago
  No, I don’t think sewing opportunity for scammers to take advantage of others is better. I used to agree with you in my libertarian utopia stage as a uni freshman but looked at things differently when I watched my tech unsavvy parents lose money to scams like subscription antivirus software that just played the same bullshit scanning animation every time. “Personal choice” is probably the same justification the scammers have. To me it’s just naive. Power users can already use Android and bypass such constraints. Win/win.
  - the8472 7y ago
    Again, I don't see how antivirus scammers are any different than other IRL scams such as lotteries (state-sanctioned!), ponzi schemes etc. Cash transactions are no different from sideloading (on desktops we call this "installing") applications. They are between only you and the vendor, no 3rd party involved. Sure, your parents are affected. But other people's parents are smokers, having their QALYs stolen by the tobacco industry. And yet all we do is add some nudges and hope they'll stop, nothing more. This is hypocrisy.
- scarface74 7y ago
  How has that worked out in the PC era? You’ve never had to remove random crapware from your parents computer? Even now, it’s a lot easier to convince me to install random crap on my iOS device than computers knowing that the app can’t do any damage and the permissions are clear. I know exactly what those other things you list can do. I have no idea what a random app will do on my computer.
  - the8472 7y ago
    > How has that worked out in the PC era? You’ve never had to remove random crapware from your parents computer? No. Once or twice from the computers of classmates. Malware was a far smaller problem than gfx drivers, printers, network issues, failing software installs etc. Of course there were some IE bars and nagware that had to be removed but in a way that has been normalized today with "free" ad-infested, data-gobbling apps.

the8472 7y ago

Is that brainstorming a prerequisite to letting people be adult humans with free will who can, after a few warnings, be allowed to make their own choices? We allow people to drink, gamble, join ponzi schemes or self-harm. The non-negotiable nannying around app stores seems infantilizing in comparison. To answer your question, yes the risks are real. But so is life.

hombre_fatal 7y ago
No, I don’t think sewing opportunity for scammers to take advantage of others is better. I used to agree with you in my libertarian utopia stage as a uni freshman but looked at things differently when I watched my tech unsavvy parents lose money to scams like subscription antivirus software that just played the same bullshit scanning animation every time. “Personal choice” is probably the same justification the scammers have. To me it’s just naive. Power users can already use Android and bypass such constraints. Win/win.
- the8472 7y ago
  Again, I don't see how antivirus scammers are any different than other IRL scams such as lotteries (state-sanctioned!), ponzi schemes etc. Cash transactions are no different from sideloading (on desktops we call this "installing") applications. They are between only you and the vendor, no 3rd party involved. Sure, your parents are affected. But other people's parents are smokers, having their QALYs stolen by the tobacco industry. And yet all we do is add some nudges and hope they'll stop, nothing more. This is hypocrisy.
scarface74 7y ago
How has that worked out in the PC era? You’ve never had to remove random crapware from your parents computer? Even now, it’s a lot easier to convince me to install random crap on my iOS device than computers knowing that the app can’t do any damage and the permissions are clear. I know exactly what those other things you list can do. I have no idea what a random app will do on my computer.
- the8472 7y ago
  > How has that worked out in the PC era? You’ve never had to remove random crapware from your parents computer? No. Once or twice from the computers of classmates. Malware was a far smaller problem than gfx drivers, printers, network issues, failing software installs etc. Of course there were some IE bars and nagware that had to be removed but in a way that has been normalized today with "free" ad-infested, data-gobbling apps.