NetBooker
@Brian Masinick, no worries about rabbit trails! One of the cool aspects of antiX is that it keeps history alive in the form of “retro” hardware resurrection (enabled through this forum) and the context of where we came from is relevant.
Your point about the minimal expectation of privacy intrusion is IMO accurate and actually reflects the technical hurdles I cleared in this project. In 1995, a protocol like POP was a simple, open door; you asked for mail, the server handed it over. Today, IMAP and OAuth2 aren’t just about convenience; they are built to accommodate the modern overall computing environment.
I think the reason my Armada struggled with IMAP/OAuth2 relates to what you mentioned regarding tracking. Modern protocols require a handshake that proves exactly who and where you are at every second, requiring the heavy TLS 1.3 encryption. I believe the Pentium III was basically trying to do the 2026-level identity verification (encryption/decryption) using 1999 power. Not only was it slow, it was physically unable to keep up with the speed that modern servers demand. By reverting to POP3, I used a legacy door that asks for fewer credentials and less traffic between the machines.
I agree with your take on tracking; nowadays, to use the modern web is to be seen by it. My goal with the Armada isn’t necessarily to hide, but to see if I can still participate without needing a machine that tracks my every heartbeat and eye movement. There’s a certain satisfaction in knowing that while Google or Yahoo might be tracking my login, they’re doing it through a machine that doesn’t have a GPS, camera, etc. It’s under-the-radar “security” through obscurity, plus I’m doing my part to minimize e-waste!
Also, it’s fascinating that you mention the Univac 1110. The transition from ferrite core to the next level of memory was a turning point, maybe analogous to my SSD upgrade from an IDE HDD!
Cheers, Allan
- This reply was modified 7 months ago by NetBooker.