Hello, I've been in the free software cult for about a year now, and yet, I feel more lost than ever.
I have pretty much switched to all free software other than Whatsapp, which I only use to contact family and people that ignorantly don't care.
I'm having troubles finding a mobile alternative to Signal, which I can talk to people with, but everything I've found is only available on computers.
I use my phone for communication, chess, searches, and navigation, so I'm tied to a device that actively spies on me, and unlike normies, I can't ignore it.
Solution for all would simply be to just let them go, but I'm already in a shit-hole socially, so that'd just make things worse.
I'm still using a 5 year old lenovo thinkbook I got as a present, and I have plans of replacing it with something I can put GNU boot and use a functioning system with parabola on like a Lenovo Thinkpad T400, T500, X200, and X200T. However, I do mechatronics, so I'm going to have serious issues with CAD, compiling, and ethical machine learning, which I have to do for most projects. Even with a lightweight suckless dwm setup, it's going to suck at everything.
That's not even considering the security risks, which are especially bad considering I do activism on topics that are outright banned in countries that I live in / visit.
Have you experienced such a phase? I would really appreciate your advice on getting past this roadblock and finding a device to switch to both mobile and desktop for better privacy.
Edit: user asudox infromed me that matrix was available on mobile, so now I'm using a client called fluffy chat available on both andriod, IOS, web, and GNU+Linux systems which is great.
Stop doing what you’re doing.
Your whole post is “I want to only do this but it messes up every other part of my life”.
Just stop doing what you’re doing. There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. You can’t weigh your devices and their softwares unfreedom against a feather and be admitted into gnu/fsf heaven.
There is no benefit to your everyday experience of life, something you have a very limited supply of, by going libre in all computers.
It gives purpose. A way of rebellion however small is still rebellion.
That’s not very well thought out. You can find purpose in things that don’t actively mess up other parts of your life.
Rebellion in an unsustainable way is not a contribution to a greater cause. Rebellion isn’t ontologically good in and of itself.