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Tech - - (+6|-1)
Reasons why fagOS is gay #1: IT that Phones Home and Bypasses Firewalls and VPNs(sneak.berlin)
9 commentsbyLarrySwinger
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[-]pumpkin2(+2|0)

To my knowledge the software on all OSs potentially phones home. Historically it's been easier to block that traffic on Apple and Unix systems, though the problem remains that propriatary software rarely works properly these days unless it phones home.

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[-]RickSanchez2(+2|0)

What about BSD Unix and GNU/Linux?

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[-]pumpkin2(+2|0)

I've used Macs since the late '80s, while also using PCs and unix systems for other tasks. MacOS uses an XNU kernel that's mostly derived from BSD code.

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[-]RickSanchez2(+2|0)

XNU is based on the MACH Kernel, and is used in Darwin the free sources of MacOS as well. Apple contributes to a lot of open source code. MacOS/Darwin is based on BSD Unix, true, but the non-free parts of MacOS spy on the user.

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[-]pumpkin2(+2|0)

Yes, though I refer first to "software on all OSs", not initially the OSs themselves.

Regarding OSs, it's impossible to shut off transmissions from Windoze machines to Microsoft, whereas there are ways to reduce the transmissions from macOSs to Apple. I'm not sure if every transmission can be stopped, but most of them can be. In any event, software on all OSs still collect data, as do all web browsers, and IOSs.

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[-]RickSanchez2(+2|0)

https://github.com/builtbybel/Winslopr is a Windows tool to remove transmissions and other slop from Windows.

This is what I used to tame Windows 11 Pro: https://github.com/thedogecraft/sparkle

The options in the start menu to turn those things off are hard to find, so hackers wrote scripts to do it for you.

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[-]pumpkin2(+2|0)

I agree we should look for these tools and use them where possible. The privacy they provide is improved but still limited.

Winslop does not stop all traffic to Microsoft, but it is designed to disable, remove, or block a significant portion of bloatware and slop (AI-related features, telemetry, ads, and tracking components) in Windows 11. It's also user-friendly.

Whereas Sparkle is very good at managing Microsoft traffic (such as bypassing SSL inspection for performance), there is no indication that this telecom provider forces a total, permanent block of all Microsoft traffic.

But to be clear, I think these are excellent tools.

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[-]RickSanchez2(+2|0)

I don't know if all spying is stopped on Windows 11, but it runs faster and without ads and Copilot taking up bandwith and RAM.

I agree we should look into tools like those and spread the news around.

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[-]LarrySwinger2(+2|0)

He means regarding them phonign home. I can't speak for windows regarding that point. It's true that in Davos you can still block ocsp traffic using the hosts file or pf. But on linsucks and BSDs there is no phoning home by default to begin with.

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