In this particular instance, it's that none of the offers are viable. Either they're expecting a minimum of $150 or so, or they're expecting you to use a specific payment method that I am not comfortable with using.
Another DEX, another disappointment.
I decided to download RoboSats and give it a try to see if it would be something I could use to buy some Bitcoin. Unfortunately, it falls victim to the exact same issues that every other DEX falls victim to.
I think it's safe to say I'm just going to give up on this for now until we get a better way of buying Bitcoin that doesn't require KYC or unfeasible methods through a DEX.
Let's hope this presidential election leads to easier ways to do that.
If I have the cash to spare in the reasonably near future, I'll take a look, thanks!
If the sim isn't KYC'd, the plan will be. That's why I stick with Tracfone, you just buy the phone, add time and go.
I'd love to go for a custom ROM like Graphene but Tracfone tends to favor Samsungs (and I have to say I vastly prefer their hardware to Pixels). I figure for now, my solution of using Canta to get rid of a lot of the spyware, while replacing as much as possible with FOSS alternatives is the best avenue for me. If I could afford to have a second phone, I'd just get a separate one for privacy purposes but I can't afford to even upgrade my phone (which is technically EoL) let alone buy a second phone.
True, but for how long? They'll set an example that the bankers aren't going to like, and they're definitely not strong enough to defend themselves against a hostile nation state.
Tracfone seems to only sell phones, not SIMs. I haven't tried transferring my existing SIM card but most new phones have eSIM only nowz do they not?
Rice is cultivated in bunded fields that remain flooded for 7 to 10 days prior to harvest. On average, it requires 1,432 liters of water to produce a single kilogram of rice. In numerous regions, rice paddies transform the landscape into a patchwork of waterlogged fields.
https://video.nostr.build/cb3b4a7c87da70e5e5faf08f94d8df8aa46d3cbede8557ba2c23da9cee3415b5.mp4
Rice is so insanely good. The paddies are also incredibly appealing to look at!
Gotta love services like this--switching to #GrapheneOS is incredibly simple, yet for some it's just easier and less stress to have someone else facilitate the process.
Glad there are folks out there like nostr:npub14slk4lshtylkrqg9z0dvng09gn58h88frvnax7uga3v0h25szj4qzjt5d6 to help those who simply are uncomfortable flashing their phone.
There's really no excuse not to run a de-Googled phone...
Agreed, it's also good for preventing accidentally bricking the phone, since they have experience doing it.
That said, I'm not trying to play devil's advocate but if you use something like Tracfone (no KYC and pay-as-you-go, two things I refuse to give up), I'm pretty sure getting a fully degoogled phone isn't viable. I could be wrong but from what I read, it doesn't seem possible. The next best option is to download Shizuku and use it to run Canta, which lets you strip out a lot more of the spyware and bloat than normal.
Google records audio of what you're saying OFF the phone
I've seen it first hand. I was watching an old movie on TV, and suddenly android started showing me ads for this random old movie. Do you realize how much power this company has to hear everything going on around you? To manipulate you with custom propaganda?
This isn't some crazy conspiracy theory, Silverpush android developer plugins openly sells and admits to working with McDonalds to record audio through your phone, of your laptop's Youtube videos, and then use that knowledge to show you more Big Mac ads all over the internet. They are happy to abuse your addiction to give you diabetes.
That's what made me realize I had to finally switch to a DeGoogled phone. But most people don't want to do the work or spend the money. And that's why our team is offering to do it for you, at LESS cost.
PIXEL 9
BRAND NEW
STILL SEALED IN THE BOX
1 YEAR WARRANTY
Official Google Store: $799
Simplified Privacy: $715
You can pick:
We'll flash GrapheneOS (to DeGoogle it) for your convenience
Or if you'd rather do it yourself, you can get it still sealed in the box.
On top of that, it comes with a Circular Economy PGP Receipt: Backed by a binding deposit with an arbitrator. And the original manufacturer's warranty.
You might keep scrolling in apathy, I might lose. But I tried my hardest to get you to improve your life.
Session ID: Support
Signal #: +855 68 504 905
SimpleX & more: https://simplifiedprivacy.com/contact.html
There are a couple reasons why I can't get a fully degoogled phone (next-best thing is to run Shizuku and use Canta to strip out as much as you safely can) but that's a great offer for people who can!
The technicality of it makes sense to me, but I'll research it a bit more if I decide to try it again. I'm not exactly in a rush, considering how every other attempt I've made at this sort of thing has been a miserable failure
Bandcamp is phenomenal! I still try to buy physical but Bandcamp is the next best thing and buying on Bandcamp Friday helps really support artists we like.
Purchase albums (preferably physical), make digital backups, then store those files on the device or host from a NAS. Way better for both the listener and the artist!
I've studied the "Bitcoin only" philosophy and while I do get the logic, I disagree. There ARE altcoins that have use cases, it's just that Bitcoin is the best/strongest overall.
Same story for Mastodon, it's part of why I use Nostr and X more than Mastodon.
Man sad again when he realizes that there's no way to obtain it without spending a significant amount of money on peer-to-peer exchanges, since everybody wants $150 or more, which isn't something that a beginner should have to risk. 😔
I've never actually tried it myself, but everything I know about it makes me not want to use it. It's why I've decided that after Windows 10 dies next October I'm just moving over to Linux for good. The main problem for me now is deciding which distro I want to use. On my main PC, I definitely do not want to be distro hopping.
Yeah, that's the problem for me. I'm new to this space, so not only would I not want to invest too much into it right away because of that, but I also just can't afford to risk that kind of money right now. Plus, even if I could afford to risk it, that's a lot of money to risk on things like cash by mail. Why would I do that just to get a little bit of Bitcoin?
As for the ATMs, I've already looked into those. The only ones near me charge a 20% surcharge, which is not acceptable. Losing $10 on an attempt to acquire $50 worth of Bitcoin is absolutely absurd.
And as for meetups, I live in a rural small town with an older population that I would be willing to bet probably doesn't even know what Bitcoin is. The likelihood of finding any sorts of meetups is pretty low without going quite a distance and if I'm just buying a small amount, it doesn't exactly make it worth it for me.
To be 100% clear, though, I do support the technology and see it as a way to take back some sovereignty. I just don't see any viable way to actually get into this space without bowing to the KYC crap or bending over backwards to use completely impractical non-KYC methods. It sucks, too, because I would really like to give it a try. It's just not something I can do at this point in time. What really annoys me are the ones that basically attack me for this, and claim that I just want to stay in the fiat system, as if I actually have options.
Not sure how you get from 'I won't use KYC exchanges' to 'I can't buy Bitcoin.'
Heard of Bisq? It's p2p kyc-free with a multisig escrow system for handling security/disputes. Https://bisq.network
Tried non-KYC methods as well, they just don't work unless you're able to exchange like $150 and able to afford the risk. I've tried just about every single method of obtaining it and they always fell apart for one reason or another.
I'm planning to try Bisq a second time to see if I have better luck, but I haven't gotten around to it and frankly, I'm in no rush. Every time I try a new method and it inevitably falls through, I get more frustrated and angry with the whole process, and I don't particularly want to deal with that again, especially right now where I have a lot of stress and things on my mind.
Afraid you have bad timing in this instance, I just stopped using SimpleX. Besides, why move to a different platform to discuss? That tends to only be encouraged in scams and whatnot.