We wouldn't have these silly arguments?

To do what I want with my own property seems pretty essential to me.

So install a different ROM

And when you do that, you lose access to your bank, because bank apps routinely refuse to run on devices that leave the user in control (e.g. unlocked bootloader, rooted phone). Graphene and similar would be a much more acceptable solution if remote attestation of a locked bootloader were banned.

Get out and vibe grass

> ... in a way that can unseat big tech.

Where is it stated that this is a goal for this project? You and I both may want a way to break the influence of the dominant social media companies. But this doesn't have to be that in order to be successful. It just needs small groups of people to use it in a way that benefits their communities.

Replacing a spark plug requires a spark plug socket, which is a specialty tool that is generally only found in an automotive shop.

But I have three spark plug sockets (two different sizes) in the garage, which happens to be about 75m away from my house. I would walk there to get them.

Remember, the question is: “I need to replace a spark plug. The garage is 200 meters away should I walk or drive there”

The answer is absolutely "walk", in many cases.

If the question had been "I need to take my car to a repair shop for some work. The shop is 200m away. Should I walk or drive?", then the answer would be less ambiguous.

I'm guessing my car is old enough that is comes with a spark plug socket in the toolbag in the back along with the jack and spare wheel; you're right it probably isn't standard equipment anymore. (Car is Mazda from 2005 for reference)

> Race to the bottom?

There is no bottom. It's turds all the way down!

I really know next to nothing about the IBM mainframe world--I'm more of a retro-DEC guy. But that seeing that beautiful 3278 terminal pegs my retro-envy needle every time. God I would love to own one!

> The premise is, the general population is too stupid to do the right thing themselves

This isn't premise, it's observable fact.

> and need to be reminded of the drought by being inconvenienced by completely ineffective performative policies.

This is just evidence that the authorities are also members of the general population.

If you're a developer at the dawn of the AI revolution, there is absolutely a gun to your head.

Yeah, if anyone can truly afford the AI empire. Remember all these "leading" companies are running it at a loss, so most companies paying for it are severely underpaying the cost of it all. We would need an insane technological breakthrough of unlimited memory and power before I start to worry, and at that point, I'll just look for a new career.