Re: [libreplanet-discuss] Apple's iTunes deletes ALL your music files

[Pen-Yuan Hsing]

On 05/05/16 18:10, Aaron Wolf wrote:
> If you are ever talking to people about the importance not just of
> software freedom abstractly but of the *principle* of user control over
> software and technology, here's powerful resource to describe the abuses
> of proprietary software companies:
>
> https://blog.vellumatlanta.com/2016/05/04/apple-stole-my-music-no-seriously/
>
> In short:
>
> * sign up for Apple's streaming music service (even just for a free trial)
> * now, 100% of your music files on your computer have been completely
> deleted forever
>
> This is not a glitch, the software was designed to do this.

Wow. Thank you, Aaron, for this. Very well written and powerful story. I 
especially appreciate the implication that the likes of Apple are 
rewriting history. This really embodies the idea that instead of 
"knowledge is power", today it is more like: "power is knowledge". And 
the fundamental way to change that is for the power (i.e. freedom) to be 
in the users' hands.

Two thoughts:

1. Are there more stories like this? I think it'd be nice to build a 
list of these stories, since they can serve as a starting point to get 
people interested in digital freedom. One challenge of the Free Software 
movement is that many self-professed "ordinary" users don't care about 
software freedom because they think the freedoms are too abstract and 
don't affect them (a common saying is "I am not a programmer and have no 
desire to change this program"). But stories like the Apple Music 
debacle gives tangible pain to losing those freedoms. I think once you 
get people's attention with these stories, it becomes easier to go into 
the importance of software freedom and its broader implications. What do 
you think?

2. I have been tremendously frustrated when I talk to people about my 
desire to not be locked into proprietary services like Apple Music, 
Facebook, or Google services. The discussion usually starts with the 
other person(s) saying (1) "I don't care/You're too paranoid/I have 
nothing to hide or need to control/I just like that service" to (2) 
"Well if you really don't like it just don't use it/quit it". After I 
really quit the service or refuse to use it, the same people would then 
chastise me by saying (3) "Why are you so annoying and anti-social!?!?" 
Has anyone else had to deal with this??? What are your strategies?