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PayPalStadia is back on the spotlight and not for their overhype, new games or stopping first-party games, in fact it's due to Terraria now being cancelled due to Google locking the accounts of a developer. This isn't just any developer either, this is coming from Terraria developer Andrew Spinks, who is the founder of Re-Logic.
Spinks wrote a thread on Twitter, highlighting the issue after being locked out of a Google account now for three weeks. That means access has been lost to anything purchased on Google Play, all the data on Google Drive, even the official YouTube account for Terraria cannot be accessed due to all this.
In a follow-up tweet Spinks mentioned that the bridge has been burned and so Terraria for Google Stadia is officially done and cancelled and that Re-Logic will "no longer support any of your platforms moving forward" and in another "I will not be involved with a corporation that values their customers and partners so little. Doing business with you is a liability."
You would think, that if it was coming to Stadia and it was already rated for it by PEGI, that Google would be keeping a close eye on it. Enough to ensure the developer can actually access anything. Apparently not.
A time where Google could really use some good news for Stadia, treating developers like this is clearly not going to go over well with anyone. This will likely put off other developers too, the damage of this happening with such a hugely popular game can't be understated.
It's a shocking reminder that many of us (myself included) rely too heavily one on single provider for multiple things. Personally, I have begun moving from Gmail wherever possible to ProtonMail and might I suggest you try it too. The trouble with Google is they are almost everywhere, I couldn't imagine losing so much and never getting an answer.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Arehandoro Feb 8, 2021
Still a long way ahead, at least another year for proper delivery, but people willing to get off Google in their smartphones could look into the Librem 5, or PinePhone if someone isn't a heavy phone user because the performance is still under par. Real Linux smartphones are around the corner, and we all know they're the future.
2 Likes, Who?
junibegood Feb 8, 2021
Many Youtubers have had these kind of problems that need weeks to get solved.
Apparently, one of the reasons it's so hard for Google to fix things is quite funny : they rely too much on their own technology. Most of the support is handled by robots. And when you've passed through several layers of useless robots, the human you think you're talking is probably an AI. It talks like a human being, but is as bad as any bot at solving things if your problem is not something that happened a million times before.
Three weeks is probaly the time it takes to reach an actual human being able to understand and solve your problem...
Apparently, one of the reasons it's so hard for Google to fix things is quite funny : they rely too much on their own technology. Most of the support is handled by robots. And when you've passed through several layers of useless robots, the human you think you're talking is probably an AI. It talks like a human being, but is as bad as any bot at solving things if your problem is not something that happened a million times before.
Three weeks is probaly the time it takes to reach an actual human being able to understand and solve your problem...
6 Likes, Who?
I would also like to remind that Chromium is losing sync among some other functionalities; it will work only in closed-source Chrome. Here's the recent news from Arch Linux: https://archlinux.org/news/chromium-losing-sync-support-in-early-march/
6 Likes, Who?
no_information_here Feb 8, 2021
I learned not to trust Google quite a while ago, but it is certainly hard for regular people to avoid its services.
Email (incl basic webhosting): https://fastmail.com (excellent service)
Password manager: https://keepassxc.org/ (offline)
Messaging: https://signal.org/en/
External Backups: https://spideroak.com/
Maps: https://www.openstreetmap.org/
Phone Maps: https://osmand.net/
Phone Authenticator: https://freeotp.github.io/
I still end up using a few google services (maps, youtube) occasionally, but generally not as a logged-in customer.
Email: https://www.posteo.deNice list, here is mine:
Nextcloud: https://www.thegood.cloud
Article vault: https://www.wallabag.it
Password manager: https://bitwarden.com
Comms: https://www.matrix.org (Any client will do, the official is https://element.io/get-started)
Video-conferencing: https://meet.jit.si
External Backups: https://backblaze.com
Email (incl basic webhosting): https://fastmail.com (excellent service)
Password manager: https://keepassxc.org/ (offline)
Messaging: https://signal.org/en/
External Backups: https://spideroak.com/
Maps: https://www.openstreetmap.org/
Phone Maps: https://osmand.net/
Phone Authenticator: https://freeotp.github.io/
I still end up using a few google services (maps, youtube) occasionally, but generally not as a logged-in customer.
5 Likes, Who?
Arehandoro Feb 8, 2021
Ah, I mustn't forget! If any of you is involved with the FOSS community and needs of infrastructure, please also look at: https://fosshost.org
0 Likes
Arehandoro Feb 8, 2021
I learned not to trust Google quite a while ago, but it is certainly hard for regular people to avoid its services.
Email: https://www.posteo.deNice list, here is mine:
Nextcloud: https://www.thegood.cloud
Article vault: https://www.wallabag.it
Password manager: https://bitwarden.com
Comms: https://www.matrix.org (Any client will do, the official is https://element.io/get-started)
Video-conferencing: https://meet.jit.si
External Backups: https://backblaze.com
Email (incl basic webhosting): https://fastmail.com (excellent service)
Password manager: https://keepassxc.org/ (offline)
Messaging: https://signal.org/en/
External Backups: https://spideroak.com/
Maps: https://www.openstreetmap.org/
Phone Maps: https://osmand.net/
Phone Authenticator: https://freeotp.github.io/
I still end up using a few google services (maps, youtube) occasionally, but generally not as a logged-in customer.
Yeah, the hardest for me is definitely maps. I use openstreetmaps a lot, but the commodity to search by postcode in the UK, having updated bars/restaurants (pre-Covid19) and so on makes it a must in comparison. For bike touring and hiking though, and offline maps, osmandMaps is much, much better.
1 Likes, Who?
Google is great at coming up with new tech solutions and running systems at a global scale but boy do they suck at supporting their customers. We've seen this countless on YouTube with dubious DMCA claims taking down channels and only after a big enough uproar do things get looked at by someone at Google.
At this rate Google will make the owner of https://killedbygoogle.com/ bankrupt because of constantly having to upgrade the hosting plan to accommodate all the dead Google projects lol.
Also, Liam makes a good point about relying on one provider for a lot of things. While it is convenient having one account but the risk of losing everything is too high. At the very least moving your email to a different provider might be good enough since email is used as a recovery method for most services so you could also lose access to other non-Google accounts if Google decides to terminate your account.
Not trying to defend Google here (I have no love for them) but the problem on Youtube is the DMCA itself and not Google/YouTube. As a provider you are not allowed to judge if a DMCA request is valid or fraudulent, you have to obey the request at all times.
0 Likes
soulsource Feb 8, 2021
Still a long way ahead, at least another year for proper delivery, but people willing to get off Google in their smartphones could look into the Librem 5, or PinePhone if someone isn't a heavy phone user because the performance is still under par. Real Linux smartphones are around the corner, and we all know they're the future.
Just saying: I'm posting from a Sony XPeria XA2, running Sailfish OS. If that's not "real Linux", then I don't know what else.
1 Likes, Who?
Not trying to defend Google here (I have no love for them) but the problem on Youtube is the DMCA itself and not Google/YouTube. As a provider you are not allowed to judge if a DMCA request is valid or fraudulent, you have to obey the request at all times.Yes and no.
YouTube only has to enable such tools for the industry because they are reliant on ad revenue from the industry. Other services that function without ad revenue are much friendlier towards content creators and not so much towards others.
Of course, there are some legal concerns about copyright here, but those would not have to be ruled in favor of the plaintiff by default as is the case on Google. It is absurdly easy to file a DMCA request, but next to impossible to fight it, even if it is nonsense - every content creator can sing you a song about this.
It should be exactly the other way around.
That anyone can just file such a claim and the video gets taken down immediately is totally bonkers.
Last edited by TheSHEEEP on 8 February 2021 at 7:22 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
Arehandoro Feb 8, 2021
Still a long way ahead, at least another year for proper delivery, but people willing to get off Google in their smartphones could look into the Librem 5, or PinePhone if someone isn't a heavy phone user because the performance is still under par. Real Linux smartphones are around the corner, and we all know they're the future.
Just saying: I'm posting from a Sony XPeria XA2, running Sailfish OS. If that's not "real Linux", then I don't know what else.
It is, but you had to purchase the device with Android, or from someone that installed Sailfish OS on it, and it's not supported by the vendor ;)
1 Likes, Who?
EagleDelta Feb 8, 2021
Google is great at coming up with new tech solutions and running systems at a global scale but boy do they suck at supporting their customers. We've seen this countless on YouTube with dubious DMCA claims taking down channels and only after a big enough uproar do things get looked at by someone at Google.
At this rate Google will make the owner of https://killedbygoogle.com/ bankrupt because of constantly having to upgrade the hosting plan to accommodate all the dead Google projects lol.
Also, Liam makes a good point about relying on one provider for a lot of things. While it is convenient having one account but the risk of losing everything is too high. At the very least moving your email to a different provider might be good enough since email is used as a recovery method for most services so you could also lose access to other non-Google accounts if Google decides to terminate your account.
Not trying to defend Google here (I have no love for them) but the problem on Youtube is the DMCA itself and not Google/YouTube. As a provider you are not allowed to judge if a DMCA request is valid or fraudulent, you have to obey the request at all times.
They aren't required to obey any DMCA requests, there are no direct legal ramifications to ignoring DMCA requests. That said, if those requests ARE valid and they refuse to follow them, then Google/YouTube becomes liable in a civil suite for any damages. All DMCA does is remove liability for lawsuits/damages for copyright violations.
0 Likes
I would also like to remind that Chromium is losing sync among some other functionalities; it will work only in closed-source Chrome. Here's the recent news from Arch Linux: https://archlinux.org/news/chromium-losing-sync-support-in-early-march/I turned off Sync about a week ago in Chromium and have noticed no difference. It thankfully was not a feature I ever became reliant on, but others are not so lucky.
Considering I am currently using a Galaxy S4 I am damn sure I could get away with switching to a Linux phone when this one finally succumbs to time. My requirements are minimal.
0 Likes
At this rate Google will make the owner of https://killedbygoogle.com/ bankrupt because of constantly having to upgrade the hosting plan to accommodate all the dead Google projects lol.
And the page will destroy my mouse wheel.
3 Likes, Who?
Man, suddenly I feel ahead of the curve. As a university employee my email is through work, I have a vestigial Facebook page which I visit maybe once a year, I don't have files in the cloud. I do buy stuff on Amazon some, but not enough that I'd have any big worries if I was somehow locked out of it. I do have some kind of Google ID, but I only use it for, like, if I'm reading articles with certain fairly common comment systems and want to comment I'll use the Google ID.
All in all, the only online service that would make me even bust out a few cusswords if they dumped me would be, well, Steam. I haven't downloaded all my games, only the ones I've actually played . . .
All in all, the only online service that would make me even bust out a few cusswords if they dumped me would be, well, Steam. I haven't downloaded all my games, only the ones I've actually played . . .
3 Likes, Who?
Google is great at coming up with new tech solutions and running systems at a global scale but boy do they suck at supporting their customers. We've seen this countless on YouTube with dubious DMCA claims taking down channels and only after a big enough uproar do things get looked at by someone at Google.
At this rate Google will make the owner of https://killedbygoogle.com/ bankrupt because of constantly having to upgrade the hosting plan to accommodate all the dead Google projects lol.
Also, Liam makes a good point about relying on one provider for a lot of things. While it is convenient having one account but the risk of losing everything is too high. At the very least moving your email to a different provider might be good enough since email is used as a recovery method for most services so you could also lose access to other non-Google accounts if Google decides to terminate your account.
Not trying to defend Google here (I have no love for them) but the problem on Youtube is the DMCA itself and not Google/YouTube. As a provider you are not allowed to judge if a DMCA request is valid or fraudulent, you have to obey the request at all times.
They aren't required to obey any DMCA requests, there are no direct legal ramifications to ignoring DMCA requests. That said, if those requests ARE valid and they refuse to follow them, then Google/YouTube becomes liable in a civil suite for any damages. All DMCA does is remove liability for lawsuits/damages for copyright violations.
My interpretation is that if they don't obey all DMCA requests they loose their OSP status for all future requests and not just that single DMCA according to title II:
DMCA Title II, the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act ("OCILLA"), creates a safe harbor for online service providers (OSPs, including ISPs) against copyright infringement liability, provided they meet specific requirements. OSPs must adhere to and qualify for certain prescribed safe harbor guidelines and promptly block access to alleged infringing material (or remove such material from their systems) when they receive notification of an infringement claim from a copyright holder or the copyright holder's agent (a "notice and takedown" process). OCILLA also includes a counternotification provision that offers OSPs a safe harbor from liability to their users when users claim that the material in question is not, in fact, infringing. OCILLA also facilitates issuing of subpoenas against OSPs to provide their users' identity.
Too me that is legal ramifications that means that Google's only choice is to either obey every single DMCA takedown or close down shop completely.
1 Likes, Who?
Not trying to defend Google here (I have no love for them) but the problem on Youtube is the DMCA itself and not Google/YouTube. As a provider you are not allowed to judge if a DMCA request is valid or fraudulent, you have to obey the request at all times.Yes and no.
YouTube only has to enable such tools for the industry because they are reliant on ad revenue from the industry. Other services that function without ad revenue are much friendlier towards content creators and not so much towards others.
Of course, there are some legal concerns about copyright here, but those would not have to be ruled in favor of the plaintiff by default as is the case on Google. It is absurdly easy to file a DMCA request, but next to impossible to fight it, even if it is nonsense - every content creator can sing you a song about this.
It should be exactly the other way around.
That anyone can just file such a claim and the video gets taken down immediately is totally bonkers.
I think that you are mixing the DMCA with the "find copyrighted materials" tool that YouTube provides the music industry, they are two different things (although connected in a way).
0 Likes
I moved from Gmail back in late 2014 but my job is deeply embedded in GSUITE. I open a gmail account strictly for Stadia and Hangouts/Meet to organize events with friends and family. We are have a good time so far with Stadia but a lot of this bad press is leading a bad taste. I still go a ton of free credits with Google Rewards so I'm just gonna ride the rest of this out but man they need to get their shit together.
0 Likes
Kimyrielle Feb 8, 2021
Man, suddenly I feel ahead of the curve. As a university employee my email is through work, I have a vestigial Facebook page which I visit maybe once a year, I don't have files in the cloud. I do buy stuff on Amazon some, but not enough that I'd have any big worries if I was somehow locked out of it. I do have some kind of Google ID, but I only use it for, like, if I'm reading articles with certain fairly common comment systems and want to comment I'll use the Google ID.
I use Google phones and even a Chromebook, but I am not using their cloud at all. The apps sync to my own Nextcloud instance. I am no longer employed, but my e-mail is provided by the same hoster I rented the webspace from, so it's not Google, either. I am using a few throwaway G-Mail accounts for signing up for newsletters and forums, which I couldn't care less about loosing. No Facebook. No WhatsApp. No Instagram. No TikTok. I use DuckDuckGo as "front end" for Google, so they know considerably less about me than about most people. I never purchased any apps or other content from the Play Store and I don't use Google Pay, either. Losing my Google account wouldn't make me lose too much sleep, really. I'd just make a new one and transfer my devices to that one.
I have to admit I am a heavy user of Amazon and have been since the days they were still a bookstore. I would love to see some more competition in that business, honestly. I do order with smaller stores when there is any around having similar offers, but off-line shopping has largely left my life even before the pandemic and I have no desire to have it back.
All in all, the only online service that would make me even bust out a few cusswords if they dumped me would be, well, Steam. I haven't downloaded all my games, only the ones I've actually played . . .
Same. Steam going out of business would suck. But by big-business standards they're not THAT evil, so I would think they would give you ample time to download your purchased games before closing shop. Not sure about the DRM, of course. The matchmaking services would be gone, too. Let's just hope it doesn't happen! :)
Them blocking me I can't see happening. I don't play any Valve games, so their Anti-Cheat thingie can't trigger on me accidentally. And I don't participate in the Steam community in any shape or fashion (except my immediate family, there is nobody on my friends list), so it's hard to conceive a scenario giving them even the weakest reason to ban me.
Last edited by Kimyrielle on 8 February 2021 at 11:31 pm UTC
3 Likes, Who?
I've used Nextcloud for several years and before that, owncloud.
Ehhh, I'm not sure I would recommend them. They are great if you simply needed some online storage, but you could do that with SAMBA or NFS.
Sadly, thier mobile apps on Android are abysmal. Trying to edit a text file results in data loss. You need a DAV connector for calendar and contacts, which is also lossy. Calendar events I enter will regularly disappear. Last time I got a new phone, somehow Nextcloud lost dozens contacts. The mobile app erased 20 years of data out of a text file I was trying to read when it decided that me reading, must mean I'm updating it to be blank and overwrote it.
On top of it, it's extremely slow on mobile (less so on desktop). Files browsing takes forever. My little server isn't super fast, but it shouldn't take 30 seconds to tell me the contents of a folder containing five items. Especially when all the info is in a SQL database on an SSD.
Desktop sync, on the other hand, works really well. It's fast and responsive to changes, updated files are, well, updated within seconds. I actually really like it for that.
Ehhh, I'm not sure I would recommend them. They are great if you simply needed some online storage, but you could do that with SAMBA or NFS.
Sadly, thier mobile apps on Android are abysmal. Trying to edit a text file results in data loss. You need a DAV connector for calendar and contacts, which is also lossy. Calendar events I enter will regularly disappear. Last time I got a new phone, somehow Nextcloud lost dozens contacts. The mobile app erased 20 years of data out of a text file I was trying to read when it decided that me reading, must mean I'm updating it to be blank and overwrote it.
On top of it, it's extremely slow on mobile (less so on desktop). Files browsing takes forever. My little server isn't super fast, but it shouldn't take 30 seconds to tell me the contents of a folder containing five items. Especially when all the info is in a SQL database on an SSD.
Desktop sync, on the other hand, works really well. It's fast and responsive to changes, updated files are, well, updated within seconds. I actually really like it for that.
1 Likes, Who?
The OS is officially (and commercially) supported on these devices by Jolla, if only passively by Sony. We get regular OS updates with new features and fixes, and customer support is available.Still a long way ahead, at least another year for proper delivery, but people willing to get off Google in their smartphones could look into the Librem 5, or PinePhone if someone isn't a heavy phone user because the performance is still under par. Real Linux smartphones are around the corner, and we all know they're the future.
Just saying: I'm posting from a Sony XPeria XA2, running Sailfish OS. If that's not "real Linux", then I don't know what else.
It is, but you had to purchase the device with Android, or from someone that installed Sailfish OS on it, and it's not supported by the vendor ;)
Too bad about the Google tax though. A lot like the Windows tax, but much harder to avoid.
2 Likes, Who?
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