Introduction – Walk Away in Baby Steps
Welcome to 10 Steps to Escape the Big Tech Digital Prison
currently being built around us
Course Objectives:
Small Incremental Improvements towards Digital Freedom
COURSE VIDEO – Walk Away in Baby Steps
Play time : 22.05
Watch Online or Download for Off-line viewng
COURSE NOTES – Walk Away in Baby Steps
The Course Notes are not intended to replace the course video.
They are intended for quick reference and review.
G’day, Welcome to my 10 Steps to Escape the Digital Prison course. I’m The Virtual Webmaster and have been an IT professional for more than 40 years, and have spent the past 20 years as a Webmaster, SEO specialist and online entrepreneur.
I was around long before the Big Tech takeover of Silicon Valley.
In fact, I was around long before the internet.
I even predate the release of the first “Personal Computer”.
When it comes to IT, I am ancient.
I got my first Microcomputer 1979, the term Personal Computer would not be created until 1981 with the release of the IBM PC.
This was one of the ways my brother helped me get into IT. We went havles in buying it and were meant to share it but looking back I think this was his way to help his High School Dropout younger brother into a career.
Now I want to tell you a bit about this computer
And there is a point to this, I am not just reminiscing or providing more evidence about how ancient I am.
This computer had a whopping 4K of memory and came with a monochrome screen. It had no graphics, no sound and no internal storage. You could not save any work on the computer itself. This is what the cassette recorder was for, and yes this is the same cassette player used for music in the 70s.
How does that compare with the average phone today?
4k of RAM is four thousand bytes
This is much smaller than most online mages, some of the small icons are around this size.
4Mb of RAM is four million bytes
A typical 3-4 minute MP3 song encoded at a bitrate of 128 kbps will have a file size of approximately 3-4 MB
4Gb of RAM is four billion bytes
4Gb is absolute entry level minimal requirement for most modern operating systems, most phone and tablets have way more than this
4Tb of RAM is four Trillion bytes
4Tb is now a common size for an external hard drive for home use
Technology is evolving exponentially – humanity is not.
Technology has come a long way since then but when it comes to awareness of digital privacy, most people have made very little progress.
When the internet was available, I was one of the early adopters and since then I have watched it evolve.
In the early days, it was like the Wild West with no regulation and little censorship.
It was an exciting place full of diverse opinions and new ideas and it enabled people from all around the world to discover and connect with other people they would otherwise never have met, and share information.
It promised to bring the world closer together.
But as the internet grew, its potential was recognised and soon attracted Big Money which evolved into Big Tech.
I have watched as Big Tech has crept into almost every aspect of our digital lives.
Instead of bringing the world closer together, Big Tech has made the internet a divisive place full of echo chambers, created by addictive algorithms designed to maximise engagement.
Increasingly there is one official narrative, and any other view is labeled misinformation AKA wrongthink.
but there is much more at stake than just our privacy and censorship
THERE IS A WAR FOR CONTROL OF THE INTERNET
NOT just content with the huge profits from internet dominance
BIG TECH WANT TOTAL CONTROL!
NOT just control everything you can see and do online
They ultimately want control of what you
THINK and BELIEVE!
YOUR PERCEPTION OF REALITY ITSELF!
A digital prison of the mind and body
A Roadmap to Online Freedom
I knew I had to do something to help people become less dependent on Big Tech and more aware of digital privacy.
I considered making my own how-to type guides for online privacy and Big Tech alternatives, but I knew that at the end of the day, in most cases, I would be reinventing the wheel, and just adding to the information overload we all experience.
I understood the obstacles stopping most people but I knew that something even more important was missing.
People need a simple framework and methodology to follow, or to put it in simple English; A way to know how to navigate to the right information, find alternatives best suited to their needs, and then have a process to follow to safely implement them.
I could not find anything like that so in late 2022 I started to create that framework and called it A Roadmap to Online Freedom.
I ran eight weeks of live training with a small group recording more than 20 hours of video on how to obtain online privacy and anonymity.
When I started the pilot training I had an outline of the training I wanted to provide but as I progressed, I experienced several epiphanies.
One of the first was realising that the issue of digital privacy extended way beyond what we consider to be online. The Internet Of Things means that almost everything in our physical environment is being connected to create a surveillance state that has already surpassed 1984 in many ways.
I created 10 Steps to Escape the Digital Prison because also realised that, WE CAN NEVER ACHIEVE PRIVACY WITHOUT FREEDOM FROM THE DIGITAL PRISON. For these reasons, I have started talking about Digital Freedom instead of Online Freedom.
I created A roadmap to Online Freedom because I could not find anything like it and I wondered…why me? Cybersecurity has always been a major part of all my roles but I have never been Cybersecurity specialist.
I started to realise that my experience and skill set were unique and this gave me a different perspective on Digital Privacy
Here are some of the roles I have had spanning over 40 years in IT:
It was my experience as a Webmaster and as an SEO specialist that I kept referencing when creating the training.
My role was to analyse the Google algorithm and optimise websites so they would rank higher in the organic search results.
This included attempting to manipulate the Big Tech algorithms using fake accounts and backlinks generated using an amazing array of specialised online marketing tools and services available.
Assisting businesses to get on the top of Google Search Results was worth a lot of money. What we were dong went against Google terms and conditions.
So it was all about avoiding detection and staying under the radar.
I was also a big user of Google’s advertising services (Adwords & Adsense) and this gave me an insight into the amount of personal data Big Tech are collecting.
We need to change the way we think about privacy.
This means taking control of your digital life and developing a new level of privacy awareness
As with anything new, such as learning to drive a car,
It can seem overwhelming at first, with so many new things to consider and coordinate.
But over time with practice and experience, it becomes second nature.
The same is true when claiming your Digital Freedom.
FUTURE SHOCK IS NOW!
The world is changing radically and technology is driving that change.
In 1970, Futurologist Alvin Toffler predicted the impact of disruptive new technologies on society.
He described Future shock as “the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time.“
This is the guy who invented the term “Information Overload“
He described a world where most people will become obsolete…
Toffler was consulted by many world leaders, “they” have known what was coming for years…
These emerging disruptive technologies have arrived!
How have our world governments prepared for this FUTURE SHOCK?
These technologies are coming together to create the potential for a surveillance state that makes 1984 seem mild by comparison.
Together they enable the creation of the
Internet of Things – Everything Connected
Understand that the Technology genie is out of the bottle.
We can try to ignore it, but it will not ignore us.
It’s not going to leave us alone
because there are some that think they have a right to monitor, and ultimately control every aspect of the lives of others.
We either control our technology,
or it will be used to control us!
WE HAVE AN ESCAPE PLAN BUT FIRST THE BAD NEWS
Understand that nothing is going back to the way it was before
This is not a boycott
Big Tech has nothing we need
We do not want to reform Big Tech
Everything they do can be easily replaced
The existing Big Tech platforms are based on centralised Web 2.0 technology and we simply need to walk away from them.
There is NO magic software that is going to do this for you
A VPN is a good example of the Magic Software approach
If you are currently using one, that is great, but don’t assume it’s providing anything like complete privacy and protection.
Big Tech has multiple ways of tracking you online. A VPN is just one tool in the privacy kit and needs to be used correctly and in conjunction with other privacy measures.
In Step 2 we are going to cover the multiple ways Big Tech can track you, what VPNs do and how to use them correctly, but for now, you just need to understand that there is no software that is going to do this for you.
No one is coming to save you
None of them are fighting for you Digital Freedom
There are many who consider these people to be fighting against the “globalists” and for our “Freedom”. Whatever they may or may not be fighting for – None of them are fighting for your Digital Freedom.
We have seen politicians holding senate inquiries with calls to break up Big Tech under anti-trust laws or regulate freedom of speech into existence on Big Tech platforms. We should all know by now how new Government regulations and laws workout…
net result – the government has more power and people have less
and very little else changes!
and remember that politicians will be co-wardens of the Digital Prison
NO ONE ELSE CAN DO IT FOR YOU ANYWAY!
The only person that can give you Digital Freedom is YOU
If you don’t value your Digital Freedom enough to fight for it then why would you expect anyone else to care?
NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS
We Can Escape and Win This Digital War!
and the good news is much easier to do than most people believe
So how do we win this war for control of the internet and gain our digital freedom?
By simply taking control of our digital lives and Walking Away from Big Tech
This means taking responsibility for your digital security and privacy and continuously taking baby steps toward Digital Freedom.
Most people don’t even know where to start. The problem is not a lack of privacy information and good alternatives, the problem is information overload.
There is actually too much information out there already and people have no way to filter the good from the bad and then determine what is suitable for their needs.
When it comes to privacy, following the wrong or incomplete advice can be more dangerous than doing nothing, especially if you are lulled into believing you are secure and private when you are not.
10-Step Course Overview
For most people, online privacy has been just way too hard!
I will introduce you to a secret weapon, a powerful yet little-known method to help you do this,
This method also provides the absolute best defence against identity theft and most other cybersecurity threats.
including learning how to isolate Big Tech and Big Brother from the rest of your digital life.
While we have NO control over BigTech technology…
We do have control over how we interact with it.
We can also choose better alternatives to replace most Big Tech applications and services and be part of building our own Digital Freedom based technology.
THEIR DIGITAL PRISON AND PUT THEM IN A VIRTUAL DIGITAL PRISON ON OUR DEVICE
AND for the times when we do need to interact with Big Tech, we can limit what Big Tech can see of the rest of the rest of our digital life.
Effectively putting Big Tech into a virtual digital prison on your device.
THIS ESCAPE PLAN IS FOR EVERYONE!
It is something everyone can do regardless of their technical level, from Technophobe to Net Savvy.
You start where you are with what you have
You don’t have to purchase any additional hardware or software. And you will soon discover that the alternatives really are better.
Each step will take you through an area where you can isolate Big Tech from the rest of your digital life.
Step 1 – Digital Freedom
Change how you think about privacy
Exposing some Big Tech myths
Thinking about what Digital Freedom
Step 2 – Private Browsing
Introduction to compartmentalisation
Using browser isolation
Creating your own Browser strategy
Step 3 – Private Search & Discovery
Alternative search
Using proxies for Big Tech Search
AI assisted search
Step 4 – Private Communication
Introduction to private communication using encryption including email and personal messaging.
Step 5 – Private Alternatives
How to find alternatives
How to evaluate alternatives
How to safely migrate to alternatives
Step 6 – Private E-commerce
Safe online transactions
Private transactions
Exploring parallel economies
Step 7 – Private Social
Alternative social platforms
Manage your Big Tech social
Better manage your information
Step 8 – Backup & Storage
How to locate all your data
How to secure your data
How to remove data online
Step 9 – Decentralised Networks
Decentralised networks are central to creating digital freedom enables us to create alternative internets that can’t be controlled by Big Tech or Big Brother
Step 10 – Private Internet
We explore Web 3.0 and the new alternative Internet currently being built for us.
Warning & Disclaimer
But before we proceed I have this WARNING and disclaimer:
There is an old adage that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing and this is especially true when it comes to digital privacy. As you acquire more knowledge on privacy there is a risk of believing you are private when you are not, and some may be tempted to engage in risky activity – I strongly advise against this.
I have created 10 Steps to help you achieve greater online safety and privacy. But ultimately this is about you being responsible for your digital life and the freedom to do what you feel is right.
This is educational content, you are always encouraged to Do Your Own Research and should not trust or base any action on information from a single source. DO NOT proceed unless you agree to take full responsibility for everything you do with regard to online security and privacy.
THIS ESCAPE PLAN IS FOR EVERYONE!
It is something everyone can do regardless of their technical level, from Technophobe to Net Savvy.
You start where you are with what you have
You don’t have to purchase any additional hardware or software. And you will soon discover that the alternatives really are better.
Each step will take you through an area where you can isolate Big Tech from the rest of your digital life.
Step 1 – Digital Freedom
Change how you think about privacy
Exposing some Big Tech myths
Thinking about what Digital Freedom
Step 2 – Private Browsing
Introduction to compartmentalisation
Using browser isolation
Creating your own Browser strategy
Step 3 – Private Search & Discovery
Alternative search
Using proxies for Big Tech Search
AI assisted search
Step 4 – Private Communication
Introduction to private communication using encryption including email and personal messaging.
Step 5 – Private Alternatives
How to find alternatives
How to evaluate alternatives
How to safely migrate to alternatives
Step 6 – Private E-commerce
Safe online transactions
Private transactions
Exploring parallel economies
Step 7 – Private Social
Alternative social platforms
Manage your Big Tech social
Better manage your information
Step 8 – Backup & Storage
How to locate all your data
How to secure your data
How to remove data online
Step 9 – Decentralised Networks
Decentralised networks are central to creating digital freedom enables us to create alternative internets that can’t be controlled by Big Tech or Big Brother
Step 10 – Private Internet
We explore Web 3.0 and the new alternative Internet currently being built for us.
Warning & Disclaimer
But before we proceed I have this WARNING and disclaimer:
There is an old adage that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing and this is especially true when it comes to digital privacy. As you acquire more knowledge on privacy there is a risk of believing you are private when you are not, and some may be tempted to engage in risky activity – I strongly advise against this.
I have created 10 Steps to help you achieve greater online safety and privacy. But ultimately this is about you being responsible for your digital life and the freedom to do what you feel is right.
This is educational content, you are always encouraged to Do Your Own Research and should not trust or base any action on information from a single source. DO NOT proceed unless you agree to take full responsibility for everything you do with regard to online security and privacy.
THIS ESCAPE PLAN IS FOR EVERYONE!
It is something everyone can do regardless of their technical level, from Technophobe to Net Savvy.
You start where you are with what you have
You don’t have to purchase any additional hardware or software. And you will soon discover that the alternatives really are better.
Each step will take you through an area where you can isolate Big Tech from the rest of your digital life.
Step 1 – Digital Freedom
Change how you think about privacy
Exposing some Big Tech myths
Thinking about what Digital Freedom
Step 2 – Private Browsing
Introduction to compartmentalisation
Using browser isolation
Creating your own Browser strategy
Step 3 – Private Search & Discovery
Alternative search
Using proxies for Big Tech Search
AI assisted search
Step 4 – Private Communication
Introduction to private communication using encryption including email and personal messaging.
Step 5 – Private Alternatives
How to find alternatives
How to evaluate alternatives
How to safely migrate to alternatives
Step 6 – Private E-commerce
Safe online transactions
Private transactions
Exploring parallel economies
Step 7 – Private Social
Alternative social platforms
Manage your Big Tech social
Better manage your information
Step 8 – Backup & Storage
How to locate all your data
How to secure your data
How to remove data online
Step 9 – Decentralised Networks
Decentralised networks are central to creating digital freedom enables us to create alternative internets that can’t be controlled by Big Tech or Big Brother
Step 10 – Private Internet
We explore Web 3.0 and the new alternative Internet currently being built for us.
Warning & Disclaimer
But before we proceed I have this WARNING and disclaimer:
There is an old adage that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing and this is especially true when it comes to digital privacy. As you acquire more knowledge on privacy there is a risk of believing you are private when you are not, and some may be tempted to engage in risky activity – I strongly advise against this.
I have created 10 Steps to help you achieve greater online safety and privacy. But ultimately this is about you being responsible for your digital life and the freedom to do what you feel is right.
This is educational content, you are always encouraged to Do Your Own Research and should not trust or base any action on information from a single source. DO NOT proceed unless you agree to take full responsibility for everything you do with regard to online security and privacy.
OFFLINE COURSE NOTES
Download a PDF copy of the Course notes for Off-line reading
ONLINE COURSE NOTES & DOWNLOADABLE PDF
DIGITAL FREEDOM TUBE
The following results have been automatically generated for you from the DIGITAL FREEDOM TUBE based on terms matching the major topics discussed in this part.
Dangerous Phone IDs Destroying privacy
Are these Phone Identifiers Destroying Our Privacy? IMEI and IMSI
EU DECLARES CITIZENS WHO REFUSE BILL GATES’ DIGITAL ID WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY
Discussion related to the Digital Gulag
Weekly Round Up – 7th Oct 23 – Switched to Linux
Using Linux to fight back
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Your Gateway to an Alternative Internet
Red Pill or Blue Pill
DIGITAL FREEDOM
IT’S TIME TO CHOOSE!
Hint – Select the Red Pill if you want to escape
COMPLETED: Step 1 – Part 2
Version 2.0 – December 2023
Dedicated to my brother “Max” who gave me my start in IT
1937 – 2021