Google!!! (read: Khannnn!)

Ok ATS, I expect about 4000 stars and flags on this one, because I know most everyone has to be just about as tired of this damned company as I am. I don't know when access to Google became absolutely proprietary to do...anything! but I'm getting pretty sick of it.

Firstly, I got a new phone...old one was stolen and I had it for such a short time that I don't even remember the number. So, upon receiving my new phone with a new number I just want to do some simple things like download apps, but I need to log into my Google account in order to do so. When I try it says that the device is not recognized, but I could get a code at my listed number (won't let me change the damned thing like I"m the only one to ever lose a phone). So I jump through a ton of hoops in order to get my phone recognized, and I finally get a message saying that they thank me for confirming my account (I had to get a code sent to my email, answer when I set up the account, by the way if you need to do this I just looked at my introduction email which I never deleted from like 2010, a myriad of other things), but that they still wouldn't verify the account! They confirm it's me, say thanks, and then tell me to piss off anyway.

Well yesterday my friend got a new computer. My laptop had also been stolen along with everything else, so he wiped his drive on his old one and gave it to me (nice guy). So I've got my new laptop and I go to get onto it, and guess what, I've got to log into my Google account to even get into the computer. I don't just mean use Google services, neither do I mean just access the internet, but literally just to get to the start screen so I can use the programs! What the hell? It's a damned Samsung, not a Google laptop. So I go through the same deal, again being denied entry, and the only reason I'm typing this now is because I finally saw that I could log on as a guest. Yep, I have to log in as a guest into my own computer...lovely.

Last one, and then my rant is complete. With my previous computer I had set up a password to get into it when I first bought it. After securing my lock-screen with a password I went ahead and logged into my Google account and began using my computer for normal operations. The next time I used my computer, however, upon trying to get past my lock-screen I kept getting a message that the password was incorrect. I knew it couldn't be incorrect, I had just made the damned thing and had already confirmed it by shutting down the computer and testing it upon getting back on. On a hunch I tried the Google password that I used, and it worked! Google changed my lock-screen password from what I had entered to what I had to enter for them. Again, what the hell!? I didn't give them any such permission, nor can I understand why the computer would do that. I didn't want my lock-screen password to be the same as my Google account. Giving someone your screen password is not a huge deal if they need to access your computer and you're sitting there, but revealing the password to your Google account is! Anyway, this all just pisses me off to no end. And also, how can one of the largest companies in the world be so impossible to get on the phone. I'm just growing tired of it...

Peace...

PS: Oh, I know that there are many out there who know exactly what happened and how to work around it, etc etc, but just please understand that there are those of us out there whose lives do not revolve around absolute and complete understanding of our machines, but rather use said machines for our purposes and nothing more. I resent being held hostage by an insistense that I garner some knowledge that I, frankly, shouldn't be required to for simple, normal operations. There...I feel so much better.

You don like da Goo?
Da Goo is da new God

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein
You don like da Goo?
Da Goo is da new God

All hail da' Goo!
Bow before da' Goo!
Da' Goo demands your first born as-well-as prima nocti!
Gooooooo.....

a reply to: TheElectricPriest

Ok! Only 3998 flags to go to reach my goal of 4000. I guess I just have to wait for everyone to get back from lunch.

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein
I like the fact that God automatically uses AI facial recognition and location analysis software during real time as data is ingested by its cloud services on any device actively connected to the internet so no matter if you go to the movies, a local hair salon, or a smoke shop it knows that as well and can make recommendations not only to myself, but all of my friends if they recognize them in any shots and will also consider sending them recommendation as well.

Thank you God, I mean google. pfft, God, everyone knows thats the NSA's computers not Google.

If it's windows 10, it may have been setup to log in using an email/Microsoft account. You can change that to log in using local account (what you are used to). Usually that setting is done when PC is first turned on. If the OS is not Windows 10, then I can't help you on that one.

i turn off automatic updates on EVERYTHING.
i backup my phone numbers and texts,using an ap. now when i get a new phone, open up the file, all my connections are there. i save this backup on a harddrive.

i do not use the cloud ever.

i like to lets say, 'customize' my video game systems. the way to do that, is to never update firmware.

i recently had to get a new computer, i was using windows XP still. when i got win10, or whatever the heck it is, i saw it now has adware, built into it, straight out the box.

same thing. turn off all updates. (if i restart my computer i have to connect to the internet, its not automatic!)

so i redownload win10, then delete all updates, delete all adware, delete any cloud crap, and attempt to delete as much communication between my computer, and the bad guys that be.

im running an older version of firefox, which keeps 'reminding' me to update. i have 3 adblockers running at all times. sometimes websites do not work as they are supposed to, because of adblockers, but sooooooo worth it.

on my cell, i turned off as many updates as i could as well. its in settings. but i also 'disabled' as many programs as i could as well on my cell. spell checkers, turned off for sure. maps, i used to have turned off, but a few programs will not work with maps off.

during the day, i constantly turn my phone off. i know 'they' can still track you when your phone is off, but marketting companies cannot.

i hate the internati0nalists, and people might tell me i am overly cautious. but my computer is SWEET and fast moving, because no ads.

FOR sure, i turned off mozilla sync. when i first got a new cell phone i noticed how my email searches were being traded between the two devices.

if your computer tells you , you are locked out. wipe the harddrive and reformat. ESPECIALLY if is brand new.

backup everything on external harddrives or a dvd. i can reformat any of my devices and only lose 1 day of pics or notes if that. any notes or work i do, i immediately back up on external drives, away from the pc or phone.

and again, i come home, backup all my texts into a file, back up my pics, transfer all my work to external harddrive, and then delete delete delete. friends ask me for old pics, i tell them, nope, got none.

on my cell phone's hard drive? i have music and comic books. (i read comics on there, its awesome!) i do have a few photos of my work, but for the most part, anything on my cell is 1-3 days old.

i learned how to use adobe illustrator and photoshop early on, and one thing my teachers emphasized ALWAYS hit save constantly. thats what i think of the stuff on my phone.

i know people who have years of important work on their phone, and no backup. thats crazy. i have phone insurance, and ive had to replace lost or broken phones a few times. again, never had to worry, cause i only lost 1 day of work.

so in conclusion.

1. turn off all automatic updates
2. turn off all syncs
3. disable as many programs as you can from automatically starting
4. backup everything on a regular basis to an EXTERNAL harddrive, computer does not count. or burn that stuff to a dvd.

A Samsung laptop? Is it a Chrome device? If so, this all makes total sense for you needing to sign into your google account, or if you set it up as a non local account as one of the previous posters suggested. Seems like you’re out of the loop on things. They’ve already taken over, it’s too late. Just give them what they want.

But sure, don’t update things. What’s gonna happen when you need to replace said device, oh that’s right it will be updated lol.

Your only chance, Linux with a windows VM

Also, back up stuff to an external drive?? Do you think data isn’t shared between the OS and external drives? Do you fools not remember when they let out the NSA has tapped into the firmware of all drives and there’s nothing that can be done?

Who cares what they know. Really.

a reply to: TheElectricPriest

I've never had any problems with google.