XPost: comp.mobile.android, alt.comp.os.windows-10, alt.comp.os.windows-11   
   XPost: alt.os.linux   
   From: andrew@spam.net   
      
   AJL wrote on Tue, 2 Jul 2024 11:25:56 -0700 :   
      
   >> Even if your computer or phone is stolen, all they get is the   
   >> device.   
   >   
   > The only thing that stands between most folks Android phone's unlocked   
   > Google data is the lock screen.   
      
   I know this. I agree with you. It's sad.   
   We agree on principles.   
   We differ slightly on implementation.   
      
   Fundamentally though, most people aren't like you and me (and most here).   
      
   Most people don't know how to use computers.   
      
   Specifically, most people don't know how to keep sensitive data separate   
   from everything else. If they did understand how to use computers, they   
   wouldn't need to lock steel bars all around their phones & PCs.   
      
   Overall, I feel sorry for anyone who puts a lock on a phone or computer.   
   It's sad that they live in such intense fear of everyone around them.   
      
   >> Nobody who knows computers has sensitive data stored in the clear on   
   >> them.   
   >   
   > Agreed. My sensitive data requires 2 passwords/pins. One for the lock   
   > screen and one for the sensitive app.   
      
   While Android can lock specific apps with an additional PIN, I'm not aware   
   Windows or Linux can lock specific apps with an addition PIN. Can they?   
      
   Even so, most of the people on this newsgroup know enough about computers   
   to understand the concept of keeping only the sensitive data under wraps.   
      
   Of course, I'm only talking about *personal* devices, as corporate devices   
   follow a much more stringent rule of locking everything down to the core.   
      
   >> It's a standing joke that people who put biometric gimmicks on their   
   >> phones   
   >   
   > I never could get my lock screen fingerprint to work the first time. I   
   > found that I could more easily enter a pin in a few seconds.   
      
   I agree with you that, if locks are necessary, the PIN is very reliable.   
   Biometrics are a marketing gimmick - mostly propagated by Apple marketing.   
      
   Very few people, I believe, are aware that biometric gimmicks were mainly   
   propogated by Apple because the design of the iPhone is inherently flawed.   
      
   In keeping with the topic of this thread, it's obvious to all who   
   understand privacy that the iPhone is designed as a dumb-terminal device.   
      
   Hence, the iPhone is so poorly designed that it absolutely must log into   
   the Apple mainframe servers dozens of times a day - just to be useful.   
      
   Think about that flaw. Dozens and dozens and dozens of times a day, the   
   iPhone is logging into the Apple matrix mainframe servers in Cupertino.   
      
   No other common consumer operating system (other than ChromeOS) requires   
   logging into mothership mainframe servers every moment of your life.   
      
   No wonder Apple promotes biometric gimmicks to make it easier to do that.   
      
   >> & computers must live in the slums - but it's not supposed to be   
   >> literal.   
   >   
   > Burglaries happen everywhere. In both good and bad parts of town.   
      
   The "slums" part is intentional to make a point; it's not meant to be   
   literal - but the main point I am making is that if you set up your device   
   intelligently - when it's stolen - you lose no sensitive data.   
      
   I may need to repeat that statement because it's a fundamental point.   
      
   If you set up your device intelligently, it doesn't matter if it's stolen.   
   All they get is the device.   
      
   They never get your sensitive data if you are intelligent about setup.   
      
   >> Putting locks like that on a *personal* home desktop computer or   
   >> phone is like welding bars across your windows & blocking the doors   
   >> with furniture.   
   >   
   > As I said I get a 2 second lock screen entry. Not all that terrible...   
      
   It's not a concept of "terrible" so much as a concept of poor setup design.   
   Any personal device that needs to be locked - is poorly set up by the user.   
      
   All sensitive data should be locked - but there's no need to lock up your   
   web browsers or your app installers or anything that is not sensitive data.   
      
   Again, I'm talking about *personal* devices; not corporate equipment.   
      
   >> If people can't trust their own spouse and children around their   
   >> personal desktop computers, then I feel sorry for them. I really do.   
   >> It's sad.   
   >   
   > My wife knows my pins/passwords in case I croak.   
      
   I would expect most of us to trust our wives and kids, which is why I said   
   it's sad when people have to lock up their devices to protect against them.   
      
   Overall, I feel sorry for anyone who puts a lock on a phone or computer.   
   It's sad that they live in such intense fear of everyone around them.   
      
   >> "I feel sorry for those who can't trust anyone"   
   >   
   > I do trust some folks. But I still lock my house, car, and electronics...   
      
   While I put the daily drives unlocked in the garage, the kids' cars are   
   parked outside unlocked, as are my tools in the unlocked shed.   
      
   The Federal Express/Amazon/DHL/etc., delivery guys put the packages on my   
   front door (which they don't even know, nor care, is likewise unlocked).   
      
   I don't live in the slums though, and I trust my wife and kids.   
      
   In summary, this is a philosophical question, where the only thing I want   
   others to think about is to ask themselves WHY are biometric locks so   
   highly advertised by companies that WANT you to log into their mainframe   
   servers every moment of your life (or the device won't work otherwise).   
      
   I want people to THINK about why Apple, in particular, is really big on   
   promoting not only that you MUST log into their servers every moment of   
   your life just for the phone to do the stuff you like - but also why you   
   must lock up your data which is stored on the cloud services they sell you.   
      
   I propose an intelligently set up device is:   
   a. One that keeps sensitive data separate from everything else   
   b. Where only that sensitive data is locked   
   c. And, where the device works WITHOUT needing to be logged into servers   
      
   This has been a philosophical discussion - which was a tangent from the one   
   statement which you picked up upon that people don't need to lock personal   
   devices unless those personal devices are badly designed or poorly set up.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)