School computers are riddled with spyware & proprietary software, the fact that they use windows is bad enough, but then you are forced to use edge or chrome and other proprietary software and often you are blocked from installing open source alternatives like librewolf or duck duck go may be blocked.
What I am asking is, how can we get around this, do i just need to bring my own laptop using FOSS privacy respecting software. or is there another way around this. Thanks for the help.
Bring a USB with a bootable Linux distro on it.
The university I go to locked down the BIOS on my laptop so you can’t boot any other operating system that isn’t the Windows 10 that it came with. I own the laptop, very annoying.
Yeah it doesn’t sound like you own it anymore.
Did you buy it through them?
just ask them and bring your device, so i did same when i was student, yes this is a shame to introduce young people with bloated software, governments also have benefits from advertising microslop, adobe, google etc. software solutions, so you can still use vnc protocol or ssh protocols if they leave you no choice
Use books instead
A lot of already great advice here, often clarifying that a computer that is not yours… is not yours.
What I would still add though is that you are NOT, and I’m very confident in saying this, the only one there, in your very school, to ask that question. In fact I would argue MOST users have the exact same concerns but they might even be aware that alternatives exist.
So… do not push back, or even just avoid, all this alone. Find others who have similar problems and solve them together.
There might be a Linux User Group already, join them. If there isn’t one, consider making it. It might just be you for few weeks, even month, but at least you will dedicate time and space to improve YOUR situation. Chances are though that others, even if only curious at first, might check what you are up to, if they can replicate that, etc.
Don’t feel isolate, move the needle for yourself first, in your corner, but be welcoming to others who are eager to contribute.
It’s a challenge, but it’s a fun challenge while trying to tackle it with others.
MOST users have the exact same concerns
Yeah… no, most users do not concern themselves with these things. Most users are focused on the tasks and not the tools, for better or worse.
You could argue that an increasing number of users do, but most is way too far.
Yes, they do. Most users, even young kids, are freaking out when you tell them anybody at Facebook (or Microsoft, or Google, or whatever, or whomever they delegate access to, can be school superintendent, boss, sysadmin, etc) can access their data. They either don’t know about it, or knew about it once but decided it wasn’t “right” enough to keep in mind and ignored it since.
Most users DO care and are concerned but they are so convinced there are no possible alternatives they convinced themselves no matter how terrible it is, there is just nothing they can do about it.
Please ask around, take a random person, close or not, stranger or not, technical or not, and ask them (explain if you most) if they do have such concerns. I bet they do. If they don’t I’ll apologize for my naivety.
It’s not your computer; it’s their computer. Do not ever forget this.
So if there’s anything personal you want to use a computer for, don’t use their machine for it. Use your own.
you dont. but worry not, having a second “digital identity” for school and work, that has no connection to your private one is actually a pretty solid way to stay anonymous. false data is less identifying than no data at all
Yeah, as tempting as it is to personalize the work / school computer, it’s probably better to not mix the two.
I have run into this issue of needing Microslop for school. I’m allowed to use my own hardware if I install their spyware. So I have two setups:
Portable: Win10 on an old lenovo laptop that just runs their tracking software. I can access the sharepoint, outlook and teams with LibreWolf on that machine, if I must.
When at home I have a virtual machine that also runs Win10 for their spyware. I use LibreWolf on fedora for the sharepoint, outlook and teams.
unless you’re literally allergic to proprietary software, keep your accounts separate from that machine. avoid being linked from that device to your identity.
if you do have an allergy to proprietary software, we have bigger things to worry about.
unless you’re literally allergic to proprietary software
You’ll need a note from your doctor though.
That would be such a XXIst century diagnosis. 🤭
Most likely can’t and shouldn’t bother. Keep your private stuff on your private devices.
But if you really really want to, go to IT well prepared with all the changes you want to make and see if they allow it.
This is the correct answer. It may be worthwhile to advocate for more privacy conscious IT in public institutions but you’ll be up against a huge amount of corporate lobbying.
Can you use your own computer without needing to install spyware?
If using your own computer isn’t an option, best practice is to use a school/work computer for school/work and have a second computer for personal use. Same goes for a work phone, use it for work only.
the only thing you can do is just using your personal computer. what’s what i’ve been doing in school for years.
If the company or school isn’t more privacy-conscious, it’s their problem, not the employee’s or student’s. Naturally if they don’t use these devices for private matters. You can only warn of these problems and how to alleviate or solve them, if they do not pay attention, you only have to shrug your shoulders.
I’m dead scared of even thinking of using my corporate phone or laptop for personal use. I think i’ve never done a personal search or sent a personal email or even made a personal call using company devices. I kown they are logging every single thing i do because they’ve even told us in our annual cybersecurity training. Just run two seperate and parallel lives ;-)
Only possible way would be booting into a USB drive running Linux or something. But BIOS is almost certainly locked down so I doubt it. It would also run like shit (but so does windows with 7 different scanners running amirite?)
That’s the point of school and company computers. To keep all the nasty software you need for your work away from your personal laptop, which you’ll want to buy yourself.
No amount of privacy-friendly software you install on top of Windows thoroughly compromised with corporate MDM is going to save you.
If you must use your personal machine during work hours, tether it to your phone’s data connection or use VPN if it is allowed.
