There are some non tech people like me (probably few, granted) who nevertheless "get BTC" and want to run our own node and participate, but we can't judge by ourselves.
So inevitably, we rely on "influencers" or just go with the majority.
It seems that there are always three or four options for everything, which is good, but "tech people" will invariably split in camps that tell you that this tech is bad for privacy, and that tech is centralized, the other one is too complex... and the other camp will tell you the same about "theirs".
I have been trying to pull the trigger on a node solution for months. Start 9? Umbrel? Just run Bitcoin core on my bloody 2010 laptop?
Because personally I am an extreme skeptic, I mistrust "advice" proportionally to the "social clout" of the one advising. Yet, I lack the knowledge to do a detailed technical dive and make a decision.
So, how do people like me participate?