I’ve only taken a glimpse at this myself, have not even started setting it up) I’m looking at Owntracks, for example.

I guess the other option would be Linux like PostmarketOS, but it’s not yet ready to be a botherless daily-driver for a non-enthusiasts, from what I’ve read.

and a very significant portion of the Android ecosystem requires GPS to function

Which ones? Not encountered that except for maps.

Auto updates, built-in Android security features

At least Graphene does auto-updates of the system and basic apps just fine, and when it comes to installed apps - you can use F-Droid, Obtainium and other methods that can do it as well.

a significant portion of secure apps like banking and financial service applications

Yeah, those are often blocked off indeed. Although this depends too - for example, in my country all the major banks aside from one don’t require Google services, primarily to accommodate Huawei and other Chinaphones that come without Google services. Find My Phone - indeed, although there might still be workarounds, just not looked at that.

And it’s funny because each one of these removed features are generally replaced with a third party alternative, which means you’re still trusting a third party with your data…

Thing is - you have CHOICE in what third party to trust. And a lot of such choices are indeed more trustworthy than Google judging by prior history. You can eliminate middlemen, such as getting apps directly from the devs’ repos rather than from F-Droid. Oftentimes you can avoid a third-party entirely, as a lot of things are selfhostable.

You may be completely happy with Graphene, but the overwhelming vast majority of people won’t be because it removes the specific advantages of using Android as an ecosystem.

That’s not the same argument as you made previously - “De-googled projects get none of the benefit of being android, while all of the downfall of being android”. Removing Google does still leave a convenient daily driver - whether it’s suitable universally is another question.

Funny thing is that the more you block, the less these bans matter. Every time a big social media gets blocked, a few more unaware people install a VPN (even if a sketchy one, but that’s a completely different story). So pretty much everyone around me uses at least one banned service, which in turn makes all the other bans not matter. The only instance when it does is when they block the previously-working means of ban evasion (like when they blocked Wireguard/Openvpn last year) and people have to find a new one.

get none of the benefit of being android

As someone who uses Graphene… No? It gets the benefit of being usable as a daily driver and having tons of apps. What exact perks are you talking about? You overestimate the benefit Google gives to the OS’ user.

Especially since you can selfhost the server for location sharing!

There are several major degoogled Android projects, while Linux on phones is nowhere near mature enough for mainstream use yet.

There are open-source selfhostable location trackers like Owntracks.

That’s awesome. I just know that someone in my country complained about the absence of offers in our currency and region, even though they’re available and allowed. There was apparently just more variety on Bisq. Hope there are more diverse offers soon!

there is also Bisq - Haveno’s older brother, but Bitcoin-only. Not tried either, but given how much longer Bisq has been around, my guess is that it has a bigger chance of having a suitable offer.

I recently noticed that this website has an AI picture as a main banner and now I can’t unsee it. I really hope this was just a placeholder, otherwise that’s disgusting.

I have come to the opinion that until stores and malls accept crypto, they will never grow betond being a commodity like gold

I don’t think they need to either. In the physical world, cash is the absolute best. Using crypto in the real world is like using cash by mail - cool gimmick but very impractical. Crypto is a way to buy your VPS, domain, email, etc - the purely virtual things.

GeoGebra! Our school used it for demonstration on the lessons and had us do homework in there! Have good memories of it.

• Do not upload pictures of your face ANYWHERE, period - including private chats
• Do not use any name even resembling your real one, or rederencing your known interests
• If something asks for a phone number, avoid using it
• If it is mandatory (like for government services) or very hard not to use (like Whatsapp or Telegram), ask the parent first, maybe there is an aliasing solution
• If the data sharing is mandatory, try digging deeper for alternative options because it may turn out to be not so mandatory
• Do not post anything political or even remotely questionable in the current climate (should be talked about with the parent), and must understand you can be arrested for pretty much anything and be made an example of
• Each time an application is installed, think about what data it is able to access, pay attention to permissions
• Prefer FOSS programs for everything possible
• Learn to treat a Windows PC or a non-degoogled phone as a fundentally unprivate device and learn to not trust them with personal things (if I were a parent, I’d install a privacy-preserving OS on a device prior to giving it to a kid anyway)