[Mo3]

No, you're not. I even went as far as abandoning Dropbox and rolling my own Owncloud (owncloud.org) system on my VPS. Synced folders, webdav, global bookmarks and automatic sync of my phone's Contacts and Calender.

[Cyril]

Ha, same. I've gotten a little paranoid as well. Changed pretty much all my passwords recently, generated more powerful SSH keys, etc

I'm not at the level of going through a proxy, but I stay logged out of all web apps; I close accounts (when I can!) that I don't use anymore, and disable any apps (for example, I don't have any apps linked to my Facebook or Twitter, the exception being the official clients).

Same with the "hard copy" as well
People (*COUGHLUKE*COUGH*) often advise me to use services like Dropbox, Google Drive or something similar... Nope, I'd rather have my documents on my own computer, preferably on a separate partition or hard drive.

Probably going to ditch CloudApp as well, in favor of FileShuttle and my own server. Going to have to find some good hosting though (I think I've got it sorted though. Just need a little more €€).

[Quinn]

Cyril, on 30 June 2012 - 07:12 AM, said:

Same with the "hard copy" as well
People (*COUGHLUKE*COUGH*) often advise me to use services like Dropbox, Google Drive or something similar... Nope, I'd rather have my documents on my own computer, preferably on a separate partition or hard drive.

Flash drives man, flash drives.

Honestly, I've stopped really caring about my privacy. I just have a feeling that we, as in humanity, won't be here much longer, but I don't want to derail this thread at all.

[TheMaster]

Quinn, on 30 June 2012 - 07:17 AM, said:

I just have a feeling that we, as in humanity, won't be here much longer...

What makes you say that? Much longer as in a few thousand years or....?
/derail

--------------

Yeah, I've been become increasingly paranoid about privacy too. (Last 6 months or so.) I'm starting to realise just how much you can find out about somebody based on computer/internet use.

I have and use services such as Dropbox and the like - but am considering moving away. I'm also considering making my own email server, just so all private emails are on my own server - rather than big brother Google's (know any good tutorials - SMTP/IMAP server?).

Facebook for instance, I am using less and less of. Same with Google. I rarely use it anymore - but rather search directly on sites (WikiPedia, other encyclopedia's for school stuff, inbuilt search engines on other sites). Funnily though - many site specifc search engines are powered by Google anyway

I do not like the fact that more and more stuff is "going to the cloud". Cloud computing scares me. It is just TOO big brother. Who owns the cloud? Why would I want to use somebody else's cloud for personal stuff? Its like I'm using and ok with, putting all my personal information on a major corporation's servers, while pretty much granting them access to it all. WTF?! I don't like it.

Operating Systems are likely to become cloud based (there are already some prototypes...or Betas I guess you'd call them). Video games in the cloud are common now too, as are documents and such (Google Docs). More and more of our internet and computing usage is actually done on "somebody's else's computer", where they have full access to it. Why should we let them? I personally think that this is a huge, willful, breech of privacy. We are letting it happen.

Whenever somebody says "in the cloud", I just think "in the hands of a stranger". Do you know the person who owns the cloud? Do you know the people who own the cloud? Do you know how MUCH of your information is there!?

If people knew that Google logged each and everyone of your searches, and Facebook logged every website you visit that has a "Like: button - people would be scared. Well, you'd think so. Many people DO know, but don't care. Lack of privacy, for the sake of convinience and ease of use.

And that is what technology will come to. Ease of use, accessibility, and connectivity at the expense of privacy, is where we are headed. Nothing is private anymore.

------------------

Now stay there while I go grab my copy of 1984....

Mo3, on 30 June 2012 - 07:10 AM, said:

...rolling my own Owncloud (owncloud.org)...

Wow. I was looking for something like this. I am definately replacing Dropbox with that!

[TheEmpty]

Google s privacy is very good, and they have a shit load of data on you. Also, keep in mind most people use Google analytics or ads. So they'll still be tracking you and see that you went to those sites. Also tose other sites are much more likely to sell your information.

[Leamsi]

TheMaster, on 30 June 2012 - 08:19 AM, said:

Now stay there while I go grab my copy of 1984....

I have to read that book, i gotta feeling you ruined it for me a bit.
</derail>

Like quinn, I just don't care anymore. Google can use my search history to find that i enjoy video games a bit too much.

[gibbonweb]

AwesomezGuy, on 30 June 2012 - 07:03 AM, said:

I'm really considering switching my search engine to something like DuckDuckGo. Am I just being silly or are my concerns founded?

i already switched to DuckDuckGo to escape the filter bubble and find myself getting better search results than ever with it.
I'm too lazy to ditch my GMail account though.
I really like Dropbox but I've read up on owncloud lately and plan on setting up a personal cloud for our household soon... But I'd need to upgrade my VPS...

Constantly browsing via VPN is a bit paranoid to my eyes, but since on the Internet "of something is free, you're not the customer, you're the product", it might become more and more appropriate.


@you guys running ownclouds: where do you host them? WHO do you trust with that?

[TheMaster]

@gibbon

I just setup an owncloud on my NetBook server which sits safely in my room. Fully encrypted, and only accessible using SSL.

I can't get syncing to work on Windows 7 though

[_Sam]

I just use NoScript which blocks everything and you can just add exceptions. You won't believe how many sites have a script from google running.
Is there no Cloud Host that does store your files encrypted so you can access them with a password/key, but the owner of the host cannot see your files?

[Mo3]

Quote

@you guys running ownclouds: where do you host them? WHO do you trust with that?

Owncloud can encrypt your files automatically, just FYI.

I used to host it on a Hetzner VPS (and I trust Hetzner), but now it's hosted on my Raspberry Pi which is sitting on my desk at home.

[gibbonweb]

_Sam, on 02 July 2012 - 06:15 AM, said:

Is there no Cloud Host that does store your files encrypted so you can access them with a password/key, but the owner of the host cannot see your files?

Of course! Every decent cloud host should do that. Haven't explicitly heard of SkyDrive, iCloud and Google Drive doing it, but Dropbox definitely does and uses an SSH connection.
Anything else would be insane.

[gibbonweb]

Mo3, on 02 July 2012 - 06:37 AM, said:

hosted on my Raspberry Pi which is sitting on my desk at home.

lol, the first and foremost reason I use cloud storage is to keep my data safe in case my house burns down or gets robbed or any other worst case scenario...

[dida]

gibbonweb, on 02 July 2012 - 01:09 PM, said:

lol, the first and foremost reason I use cloud storage is to keep my data safe in case my house burns down or gets robbed or any other worst case scenario...

Protect your house first, not your data.

[soulcyon]

If you authorize a private company to track your data, then it's not exactly "invading your privacy" since you are voluntarily using their service. If you don't want your data to be tracked, dont use their service - enough said.

I mean, we're not at the stage of being surveiled by the government 24/7 are we?

[TheMaster]

soulcyon, on 02 July 2012 - 06:27 PM, said:

I mean, we're not at the stage of being surveiled by the government 24/7 are we?

I think we a very close. Closer than anyway knows. Great Britain has got camera EVERYWHERE; London is what - 90% cimplement covered?

Our Internet life is certainly tracked. Haven't you seen/heard that huge data centre the NSA was (finished now?) building?

[TheEmpty]

soulcyon, on 02 July 2012 - 06:27 PM, said:

I mean, we're not at the stage of being surveiled by the government 24/7 are we?

I probably am because I'm Muslim and have a beard. There are times when my emails stop working for 24 hours (GMail, self-hosted, company-hosted). I know family members have had the FBI email them asking to explain one of their emails. They record my phone calls as well. Thankfully, we're not at the stage some other people want where all the Muslims have to be marked and it shows on our license and we're exlcuded from things.

[JustinP]

ThatRailsGuy, on 02 July 2012 - 07:47 PM, said:

I probably am because I'm Muslim and have a beard. There are times when my emails stop working for 24 hours (GMail, self-hosted, company-hosted). I know family members have had the FBI email them asking to explain one of their emails. They record my phone calls as well. Thankfully, we're not at the stage some other people want where all the Muslims have to be marked and it shows on our license and we're exlcuded from things.

Isn't racial profiling illegal? This is one of the things I really hate about the USA. So much unfounded racism here.

[soulcyon]

"you're suspected of being a terrorist"

racism lol

[TheEmpty]

JustinP, on 02 July 2012 - 08:52 PM, said:

Isn't racial profiling illegal? This is one of the things I really hate about the USA. So much unfounded racism here.

soulcyon, on 02 July 2012 - 09:54 PM, said:

"you're suspected of being a terrorist"

racism lol

Sad part is I'm from a long line of Americans and have a lot of family in the military and am actually Greek not Arab, if you trace it. I would like to think it's because I have family in the military that they're worried, but I feel like it's because of them that I haven't been harassed by govt. officials like others. Yeah it's sad to see America come to this, esp. since 9/11 wasn't really a surprise to anyone that knew what was going on in the world. But still no one knows! No one at my university, except Arabs, knew about the genocide going on in Syria. And before 9/11, before I cared about the world, I didn't know we basically invaded a country and 9/11 was them striking back trying to get some attention. Also I just found out that all the "terrorist" on that plane were already declared dead or already claimed their identity stolen five or six years ago and had moved on with their lives. I also refuse to believe that when we killed that one guy, Osama Bin Laden, that there was a porn stash there. That just sounds like they are trying to hard to make his people hate him and turn on his ideals... yeah I have no idea why the government would be watching me. lol. I don't agree with a lot of what our government says and does, but I'm sure there are key things that I don't know and asshole politions that are in the way and greedy men that are doing the best they can. I would love to see some reform, but have no idea how that could happen. Arab springs, so far, don't seem to be too successful.