Tracking, big tech, sneaky sh...

Destry · 2018-08-13 21:00:18

(Subject line renamed for more general use.)

You should suspect it already, but here’s more lovely evidence that Google ignores your settings and tracks you like it or not If your using its apps.

I had all apps removed at this point except one, Goog Translate (seemed hard to replace), but today I can finally be free of Goog entirely. I’ve found an alternative, DeepL. Maybe you know about it already. I wish I had earlier.

Last edited by Destry (2018-09-07 15:20:42)

bici · 2018-08-14 02:36:31

news to me. DeepL bookmarked

phiw13 · 2018-08-15 07:01:34

Destry wrote #313430:

I’ve found an alternative, DeepL. Maybe you know about it already. I wish I had earlier.

Pity that DeepL only does such a limited subset of languages (atm ?). I often need East-Asian languages.

As for alternatives: Bing translate and Yandex translate are not bad at all. The latter has a slight edge for Russian / Central Asian languages and Simplified Chinese. All of them, including DeepL, do some form of tracking.

Destry · 2018-08-15 08:42:55

Yeah, DeepL (in Germany) is limited with languages at this point. I forgot to mention that.

I was aware of Yandex translator, but people in masto were saying it’s really no different than Google, and that’s not the kind of replacement I’m looking for. That it’s Russian doesn’t make matters better, all things considered.

Hadn’t considered Bing, but I guess yet another ‘big tech giant’ solution.

So that might be DeepL’s advantage, aside from limited supported languages. I think there’s benefit supporting the underdog and small creators, even if not perfect, which nothing about the web is.

phiw13 · 2018-08-15 11:37:27

Destry wrote #313436:

I was aware of Yandex translator, but people in masto were saying it’s really no different than Google, and that’s not the kind of replacement I’m looking for. That it’s Russian doesn’t make matters better, all things considered.

It is not worse either :=)

Hadn’t considered Bing, but I guess yet another ‘big tech giant’ solution.

Yeah, most of those translation services are part of the “big tech” businesses. There are a couple of Chinese services as well.

So that might be DeepL’s advantage, aside from limited supported languages. I think there’s benefit supporting the underdog and small creators, even if not perfect, which nothing about the web is.

Oh definitely, I certainly didn’t mean to demean DeepL. I’ll possibly use it myself when needed.

michaelkpate · 2018-08-15 15:55:46

I used to love Google Maps Location History/Timeline because it was a great way to figure out my work hours at the end of the month. But the last couple of months it has gotten flaky and shows me driving randomly for like 10 hours a day.

I thought at first it might be the Android P Beta but it is still happening.

Destry · 2018-08-15 17:38:13

I realized I just don’t need Google Maps anymore either. It definitely had advantages, such as when I needed to see Metro lines in Paris, and often shows alternate types of transport paths, and the the streetview is a handy (if but scary) tool. But there are apps for things like Metro lines, and Apple tracks me enough as it is, and I want to spend more time building in Open Street Maps. My area is kind of void, so it’s been interesting to fill in landmarks and such.

Bloke · 2018-08-23 20:54:59

michaelkpate wrote #313444:

the last couple of months it has gotten flaky and shows me driving randomly for like 10 hours a day.

Maybe someone’s borrowing your phone during the day and doing donuts in the office car park for 10 hrs :-p

Destry · 2018-09-07 15:23:36

Forgot this thread already existed, so I edited the subject and am adding the links here.

So We Got Tracked Anyway

We don’t single out Amazon as much as we do the others, but Sanders didn’t miss a beat here. BEZOS.

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#1 2018-08-13 21:00:18