Follow me to a trip to China

[notabitail]

I've always had a feeling things were going to go this way eventually, being tracked at our every move. Just awful. And forcing us to use a smart phone is just not right.

Especially trying to force tech illiterate old people to use one when all they do is open the phone, messages, and camera apps and don't know how to use the rest of the phone. Have a dentist appointment? Sign in with the app. Don't have the app? Then go on. Your teeth can rot.
I love technology but I hate how it is being abused.

 

[notabitail]

This last post decided me - when you go again (I realize that may be many years from now), you can count on me to carry your bags for you. I just want to trail around after you to all the interesting places. Love the museum, his house and his work.
In principle I feel the same as you about the phones and lack of privacy. In practice I have already kind of given up. I don't lead a very interesting life. I worry of course about rogue actors emptying my bank account, but if the government wants to spy on me they will get very bored.

All they will see is a clip of your chooks demand treats and pooping on you and your stuff when you deny them. Very boring for them but entertaining for the chooks.

 

[notabitail]

Ok.

It does not matter whether your life is interesting or boring, we all need to resist. At least in the US, the government pretends not to spy, or rather, it does not admit to collude with big corporations to spy on you.

My Dad has this thing called a PinePhone. It is a Linux smartphone. Still a far cry from being as usable as a modern smartphone but can take phone calls and texts and web browsing. And it has privacy switches on it to disable functions. I love it but it does not do what I need. Maybe I should invest in a nicer camera than my phone.

 

[notabitail]

They will look at you shockingly and tell you to go get a phone with local plan?

Summer 2019 I was also in China with an American friend. We went to the Great Wall. Surprised to learn at the gate that we need to reserve a ticket on WeChat through phones first. This is the Great Wall, the post card of China! I was upset and embarrassed as this is no way to welcome anyone. There were lots of old folks, less tecky, standing at ticket office struggling with their phones to buy ticket. No officials were out there to help. They were all sitting inside and tell you to use your phone. it was chaotic as it was a new rule then.

In the end, we did get tickets at office, but after I showed his US passport and explained for quite a while that I do not have wechat (I could have reserved tickets for me and him on my phone).

I've been to the Great Wall (the most popular section, Badaling) four times and it is truly magnificent.

To answer your question seriously, I do think it might be okay if you show your passport.

Getting a phone with a local plan that you can wipe and install a custom ROM on when you get home to remove the spyware would be better than using your everyday phone.
That's awful that they do that to people.
How do you install wechat on your phones there? I assume there is no Play Store.

 

[notabitail]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread. Thank your for sharing your trip @lightm!

 

[lightm]

I wonder how much they sold computers for there. Would be interesting to see that computer mall and the gardens. (they should have a computer garden).

The computer mall has been there forever and is doing well. The repair shop I went to is great and well connected to the factories that produces all the parts.

You should probably use a different phone other than your main one for all that stuff. I may just be paranoid but I have no trust in wechat or any kind of app like that. And at that maybe just buy a phone just for trips like that and leave your real one at home in order to ensure they can't get your data easily.

I actually specifically bought a phone for my Chinese trip, only because the phone I was using is not "smart" enough for China... I am afraid that I will keep using this new phone.

My Dad has this thing called a PinePhone. It is a Linux smartphone. Still a far cry from being as usable as a modern smartphone but can take phone calls and texts and web browsing. And it has privacy switches on it to disable functions. I love it but it does not do what I need. Maybe I should invest in a nicer camera than my phone.

Yeah. I want a linux based phone. I was looking at Murena which is de-googled android I believe. Any thoughts on Murena?

Getting a phone with a local plan that you can wipe and install a custom ROM on when you get home to remove the spyware would be better than using your everyday phone.
That's awful that they do that to people.
How do you install wechat on your phones there? I assume there is no Play Store.

Right there is no play store. Usually I search for the app I want and directly download the apk.

 

[notabitail]

The computer mall has been there forever and is doing well. The repair shop I went to is great and well connected to the factories that produces all the parts.

I actually specifically bought a phone for my Chinese trip, only because the phone I was using is not "smart" enough for China... I am afraid that I will keep using this new phone.


Yeah. I want a linux based phone. I was looking at Murena which is de-googled android I believe. Any thoughts on Murena?

Right there is no play store. Usually I search for the app I want and directly download the apk.

What brand is it? Some phones can have a custom ROM installed. I like LineageOS, as it is pretty close to stock Android, and by default comes with no Google apps. I think getting something like a Google Pixel and installing Lineage would work great. That would mean no Play Store or any Google apps, just plain Android with the basics. You can install Murena's, /e/, but I prefer Lineage as the Murena system is a modified Lineage.
If you got something like a Motorola, a Google Pixel, or a Xiaomi, you can install Lineage on them provided the bootloader is unlocked.
The computer mall would be fun for me. I may go broke buying cheap parts for my broken devices though.

 

[RoyalChick]

What brand is it? Some phones can have a custom ROM installed. I like LineageOS, as it is pretty close to stock Android, and by default comes with no Google apps. I think getting something like a Google Pixel and installing Lineage would work great. That would mean no Play Store or any Google apps, just plain Android with the basics. You can install Murena's, /e/, but I prefer Lineage as the Murena system is a modified Lineage.
If you got something like a Motorola, a Google Pixel, or a Xiaomi, you can install Lineage on them provided the bootloader is unlocked.
The computer mall would be fun for me. I may go broke buying cheap parts for my broken devices though.

I understood the first sentence and the last paragraph. Nothing in between!

 

[lightm]

What brand is it? Some phones can have a custom ROM installed. I like LineageOS, as it is pretty close to stock Android, and by default comes with no Google apps. I think getting something like a Google Pixel and installing Lineage would work great. That would mean no Play Store or any Google apps, just plain Android with the basics. You can install Murena's, /e/, but I prefer Lineage as the Murena system is a modified Lineage.
If you got something like a Motorola, a Google Pixel, or a Xiaomi, you can install Lineage on them provided the bootloader is unlocked.
The computer mall would be fun for me. I may go broke buying cheap parts for my broken devices though.

It is Samsung galaxy s10, pretty old model.

 

[lightm]

I understood the first sentence and the last paragraph. Nothing in between!

As you get exposed to more and more tech talk, you will understand more and more. Think of a baby learning language