Why do Dell owners have so many problems?

cheaterslick · 2026-08-02T09:34:19-0400

Bree said:
My Latitude E4310 has large buttons and one of the smallest (and least usable) touchpads I've ever seen

I think mine's about the same size and have never had any problem with it. When I bought mine, it had a bigger touchpad than my old HP nc6400 did, so I wasn’t complaining.

Marie SWE · 2026-08-02T09:39:46-0400

cheaterslick said:
I totally know what you mean. lol...

Same thing happens to me, too.

I'm glad I'm on Linux as daily driver.. as malicious webpages with bad scripts is made for windows machines.. so i have antecedently clicked my way in to a bad page.. but nothing happened as I'm on Linux.. if i ever go back to windows as main driver.. i would make darn sure i have noscript installed, so scripts cant run if i end up on the wrong website.

SlicEnDicE · 2026-08-02T13:48:12-0400

Marie SWE said:
Escape data collection from google, facebook, apple etc.. Yeah it is possible..... just don't use their products and services.

It doesn't work that way. Only way to escape it is by disconnecting completely from the internet, use cash only during purchases etc...

spapakons · 2026-08-02T14:12:43-0400

Bree said:
All my laptops that have a touchpad without any separate left/right buttons actually have mechanical switches hidden beneath the bottom left/right corners of the touchpad - and they still click like any visible button when you press those corners of the touchpad.

Yes but they are not the same as the traditional separate buttons. If I had a laptop without separate buttons I would use a USB mouse.

spapakons · 2026-08-02T14:14:55-0400

cheaterslick said:
That's what I thought too, until Lenovo started pushing them back on me. They acted the same way as Microsoft did by doing this.

Just block the respective Windows updates, see my previous replies.

Marie SWE · 2026-08-02T14:49:21-0400

SlicEnDicE said:
It doesn't work that way. Only way to escape it is by disconnecting completely from the internet, use cash only during purchases etc...

okay.. so i boycott google.. I have never owned a Google account. i have never had an google device (google android) i block google from running scripts in my browser, so no data is going out to google (example when i visit 11forum google is blocked). I have never had google chrome as a browser and i dont use google web search.

So how should google be able to collect my data?

SlicEnDicE · 2026-08-02T14:55:39-0400

Marie SWE said:
okay.. so i boycott google.. I have never owned a Google account. i have never had an google device (google android) i block google from running scripts in my browser, so no data is going out to google (example when i visit 11forum google is blocked). I have never had google chrome as a browser and i dont use google web search.

So how should google be able to collect my data?

I have no freaking clue, but there has been a few experiments done with this and the conclusion was that Google will still know more about you than you think. If you do even one single mistake during your boycott, they have enough data to link a lot of online activities to you. Even if you block everything Google, that does not mean the service you are using does not use Google in the background.

This server stuff and tracking is quite complicated...

Marie SWE · 2026-08-02T15:05:07-0400

SlicEnDicE said:
I have no freaking clue, but there has been a few experiments done with this and the conclusion was that Google will still know more about you than you think. If you do even one single mistake during your boycott, they have enough data to link a lot of online activities to you. Even if you block everything Google, that does not mean the service you are using does not use Google in the background.

This server stuff and tracking is quite complicated...

Yes.. privacy is a hard and complicated topic.. It is so much to understand how metadata works, how does the internet backbone and routers, servers etc works.
The most important is to never-ever give Google a real identity.. that way even if they manage to get 1Mbyte of data from a tiny slip.. they dont know whom to tie that data too and that data becomes useless.
Edit: For me its easy as i have been in to privacy since internet came to consumers in the first half of the 90's.. So my full real name do not exist online when using any search engines.

KevTech · 2026-08-02T15:07:27-0400

Marie SWE said:
So how should google be able to collect my data?

Might have Google in the Windows registry and you did not even know it.

Look here:

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google

Marie SWE · 2026-08-02T15:11:07-0400

KevTech said:
Might have Google in the Windows registry and you did not even know it.

Look here:

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google

i use Linux as daily driver.. But for fun i will boot up my win10IoT VM i only use for one thing and see whats in there.

what i do know is that VM can't connect to google.. google is blocked
Edit: The folders is there, but it dont have any keys more then if i install google chrome windows security should not object

Scannerman · 2026-08-02T15:12:14-0400

Marie SWE said:
okay.. so i boycott google.. I have never owned a Google account. i have never had an google device (google android) i block google from running scripts in my browser, so no data is going out to google. I have never had google chrome as a browser and i dont use google web search.

So how should google be able to collect my data?

A search engine would be one way. It needn't be the Google search engine. If you use AI online I'm pretty sure your activity with any AI application is up for grabs. Forums such as this one have varying degrees of security. I regard this forum as one of the safer ones, but let's be real: Anything we type here is up for grabs. I'm okay with that. What we type here is strictly a contribution.

Google also owns YouTube.

I too boycotted Google after I learned about Mr. Schmidt's fascist views which pretty much echoed that of Herr Joseph Goebbels. "You have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide." I can't make my family stay off Google but I refuse to use the browser. I prefer Start Page. That doesn't mean I'm 100% safe. There is no 100% safe when you're online.

FrancoDT · 2026-08-02T15:16:33-0400

KevTech said:
Might have Google in the Windows registry and you did not even know it.

Look here:

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google

Marie SWE said:
Yes.. privacy is a hard and complicated topic.. It is so much to understand how metadata works, how does the internet backbone and routers, servers etc works.
The most important is to never-ever give Google a real identity.. that way even if they manage to get 1Mbyte of data from a tiny slip.. they dont know whom to tie that data too and that data becomes useless.
Edit: For me its easy as i have been in to privacy since internet came to consumers in the first half of the 90's.. So my full real name do not exist online when using any search engines.

Why “complete” Google blocking is impossible

Even if you avoid Google products, several unavoidable mechanisms still leak information:

IP address exposure — Any website you visit sees your IP unless you use a VPN or Tor. Many sites use Google services (fonts, analytics, ads), so Google sees your IP indirectly.
Device fingerprinting — Browser characteristics (screen size, OS, fonts, hardware quirks) can uniquely identify you even without cookies.
Network-level tracking — ISPs, mobile carriers, and backbone providers can see traffic patterns. Google owns major internet infrastructure (e.g., Google Global Cache).
Android OS telemetry — If you use Android, Google receives some data even if you disable everything.
App SDKs — Many apps include Google Firebase, Google Ads, or Google Analytics, which send data back to Google.

These cannot be fully eliminated without extreme measures.

SlicEnDicE · 2026-08-02T15:18:47-0400

To add to that list...anything that involves online booking or online payment will with extremely high likelyhood be tracked and can be linked straight to you and your full identity.

FrancoDT · 2026-08-02T15:27:09-0400

And if that's not enough:

Google doesn’t just run search engines and email. It runs the plumbing of the internet.

Even if you avoid all Google apps, Google still sees you through:

1. Google Analytics

Used by ~70% of websites. You visit a random blog → Google sees your IP, browser, device, and behavior.

2. Google Fonts

Millions of sites load fonts from Google servers. Your browser fetches a font → Google sees you.

3. Google Ads / DoubleClick

Embedded in news sites, shopping sites, forums, apps. You never click an ad → Google still sees you.

4. Google APIs

Developers use Google-hosted scripts for convenience. Your browser loads the script → Google sees you.

5. Android telemetry

Even “de-Googled” Android phones leak some data through:

baseband firmware
carrier services
hardware identifiers

6. App SDKs

Apps use Google Firebase, Google Ads, Google Maps, etc. You open the app → Google sees you.

7. Device fingerprinting

Even without cookies, Google can identify you by:

screen size
GPU
OS
browser quirks
installed fonts
time zone
language
IP patterns

This fingerprint can be extremely unique.

FrancoDT · 2026-08-02T15:31:18-0400

I guess my bigger question would be, is it even worth the hassle and effort of trying to hide if you have nothing to really hide? All your doing is limiting, restricting, and inconveniencing yourself by all that effort.

Marie SWE · 2026-08-02T15:31:54-0400

Scannerman said:
A search engine would be one way. It needn't be the Google search engine. If you use AI online I'm pretty sure your activity with any AI application is up for grabs. Forums such as this one have varying degrees of security. I regard this forum as one of the safer ones, but let's be real: Anything we type here is up for grabs. I'm okay with that. What we type here is strictly a contribution.

Google also owns YouTube.

I too boycotted Google after I learned about Mr. Schmidt's fascist views which pretty much echoed that of Herr Joseph Goebbels. "You have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide." I can't make my family stay off Google but I refuse to use the browser. I prefer Start Page. That doesn't mean I'm 100% safe. There is no 100% safe when you're online.

Online AI.. then i use it for lazy scripting/coding, so i get a template to work from. I also use it for calculations.. But no personal stuff. I have local AI for that.
I know Google owns Youtube and more.

FrancoDT said:
Why “complete” Google blocking is impossible
Even if you avoid Google products, several unavoidable mechanisms still leak information:

IP address exposure — Any website you visit sees your IP unless you use a VPN or Tor. Many sites use Google services (fonts, analytics, ads), so Google sees your IP indirectly.

Device fingerprinting — Browser characteristics (screen size, OS, fonts, hardware quirks) can uniquely identify you even without cookies.

Network-level tracking — ISPs, mobile carriers, and backbone providers can see traffic patterns. Google owns major internet infrastructure (e.g., Google Global Cache).

Android OS telemetry — If you use Android, Google receives some data even if you disable everything.

App SDKs — Many apps include Google Firebase, Google Ads, or Google Analytics, which send data back to Google.

These cannot be fully eliminated without extreme measures.

VPN.. always
Device fingerprinting.. yes.. but it require the information can be sent back to google from my device.
Network-level.... yes.. but i do have an ISP that is about privacy.. and in sweden its not allowed to sell userdata to big tech and i am also behind a VPN.. or to be exact i have several VPN's to get a total device isolation with different IP's to all computers.
I dont have Google android, so I'm safe

No apps that has ads or anything related to google or big tech I dont even run windows updates online.. i do offline installations of security updates

Marie SWE · 2026-08-02T15:33:48-0400

FrancoDT said:
I guess my bigger question would be, is it even worth the hassle and effort of trying to hide if you have nothing to really hide? All your doing is limiting, restricting, and inconveniencing yourself by all that effort.

here is another point of view.
Why give them data that they can make money of and you dont get a cent.
If i make music.. shouldn't i get paid for my music?.. so why should i give away my data for free?

pseymour · 2026-08-02T15:37:20-0400

FrancoDT said:
I guess my bigger question would be, is it even worth the hassle and effort of trying to hide if you have nothing to really hide?

Yes.

To paraphrase Snowden, arguing against right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is like arguing against freedom of speech because you have nothing to say.

Maybe you have nothing to hide, or say, but some people do, and as long as they do, both are worth defending.

Scannerman · 2026-08-02T15:38:15-0400

FrancoDT said:
I guess my bigger question would be, is it even worth the hassle and effort of trying to hide if you have nothing to really hide? All your doing is limiting, restricting, and inconveniencing yourself by all that effort.

I would invite you to give me your social security number, your bank account number, your date of birth, driver's license number and all the particulars. While you're at it you're welcome to give me the passwords to any accounts you have online and the name of each account BUT because I am an ethical individual who supports the idea of privacy and ownership I choose to decline from asking. Keep it private.

Scannerman · 2026-08-02T15:42:03-0400

Marie SWE said:
.. so why should i give away my data for free?

Because you're a kind and generous person?

Why do Dell owners have so many problems?

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1. Google Analytics​

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5. Android telemetry​

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7. Device fingerprinting​

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I almost never bite.......

Why “complete” Google blocking is impossible​

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Why “complete” Google blocking is impossible

My Computers

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1. Google Analytics

2. Google Fonts

3. Google Ads / DoubleClick

4. Google APIs

5. Android telemetry

6. App SDKs

7. Device fingerprinting

My Computers

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Why “complete” Google blocking is impossible

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