Choices...

Verizon or AT&T? Which is preferable?

in other words red or blue? Of course Verizon is white and black with a red check. AT&T is blue and white but sometimes blue is the new black. Clear as mud?

i may add to this thread.

Android or iPhone?
Say you choose iPhone, which model should you get? Which color?

Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari?

Have been with Verizon ~20 years and they have the best coverage. I use Firefox - has lots of add-on features such as AddBlockPlus that I like. Chrome (goog) is full of spy stuff. I have a Macbbook with Safari that I haven't turned on in about 8 years. I found that I HATE Apple products, iStore, marketing, spying, policies, etc. Sorry I ever bought the damn thing 10+ years ago.

I have a simple flip phone from Verizon. Bottom of the line cheap as a dried out dog turd pile of junk that can only do phone calls. Have text messaging disabled. No smart phones for this boy. Oh, and I can remove the battery. Another plus - phone not tied to Apple or Google.

i'm with you researcher (or at least i was), flip-phone, no text, no social media ... but

What if someone(thing) somewhere was logging all of the choices we make? Like what image you chose for your computer desktop, the color of your phone carrier, etc. What if all of your choices were like contracts? Agreements you weren't even aware you were making? What if all of those random choices we make ended up effecting the course of our lives?

MasterCard, Visa, or American Express?

My answer to "what if" is that society would freeze up. If we had to read every little piece of fine print ever written, and study the secret languages they're written in, including the secret symbols and hand signs and color codes before we changed the color of our email background, life as we know it would cease to exist.

Actually, life as we knew it isn't what it used to be, is it? Remember when life was simple and we were free?

Lotta "what ifs" and not a lot one can do about it, huh? I just aim for the lowest digital profile possible in this day and age and save my fights for bigger fish should it come down to that. I advise the same for anyone. Make your informed choices - live with them.

If society freezes up your phone will be the least of your worries. Well . . . . maybe NOT to the assimilated borged zombied out kids . . . . but that ain't us and they'll all be dead in a few weeks with their phones clutched tightly in their cold stiff little hands.

Worry about bigger stuff, jem2.

Jem, I used Verizon years and years ago. When my daughter went on my plan I ended up using AT&T. I definitely liked Verizon better!

That being said, I use T-Mobile now. Their service is fine around here. I also have my first iPhone (7 +) and like it so much more than the Samsungs I used to use. You can't remove the battery, but it has lasted a pretty good bit longer than the Samsung Phones I had. And, a lot of the phones are going to batteries you can't remove, now :/

I don't use any social media, but if I serf online I use Safari on the phone. It is quick, and I like it so far.

I have a Samsung, my daughter talked me into buying, but I hate it, can I change the chip in it to a simpler phone like I had, so I can keep the same number? I can't use any cell phones here, where I live, no reception, so I can't even use the expensive Samsung. I really only need a phone in case I am on the road and need assistance...so can I do all that?

Thanks Josephus. It's helpful to actually know and consider what the service is like (i hadn't thought of that).
Yaddy, i sure don't know if you can do that but a retailer could probably answer those questions.

Researcher, you're absolutely right and i wish i could do that but it seems that if i want my name and life back i have to go through this cess pit, so i'm venting. Sorry for sharing but i think it's better we know what's actually going on around us. It's not really possible to make an "informed" decision if one is not fully informed. Think patents, lots of patents. Artistic little inventions with teeth.

Right now, i'd like to go into my email account and make some changes which are difficult enough in and of themselves but in order to get in there cleanly i have to fight off this slimey orange maggot that won't leave me alone whilst i navigate the impossible, most intricate web of deceit with only cryptic clues as my guide. If that made sense to you, you're doing great.

What are your ads telling you? We should post them and see how different they are.

Wouldn't you hate to see ads like this one constantly? China, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia. i should show you the suggestions Twitter makes for me to follow (!) which i would never.

i want my name back. i want them to stop selling it and all of my information overseas. And i want to be able to travel freely again in my car.

Currently I use Opera.
Because Mozilla FLIPPED toward the Evil Side.

Opera offers One Click VPN ( virtual private network ) handily turns on or off in the search bar.
Opera also offers Privacy mode which works with VPN.

Fire Fox has let in way to many javascripts that can be used to damage your system files, others go unnoticed or can lock up the computer while they hack through another port. You can close many ports to help avoid this and also with a good fire wall can limit connections including deny unrequested entry attempts which can be multiple (many, =denial of service) which can allow system take over to install something or take down of computer.

There is one I have not tried called Epic which is a by default secured version of Chrome, but when you go this far some web sites features may not work unless security is disabled.

I recently made more changes to my system and for the most part am completely secure.

Opera using VPN and sometimes private browsing also.
Opera using ad block.
System has full encryption from on button or in other words Before the boot loader, MBR master boot loader. You are presented with black screen and the pass key to the encryption number before it will start up.
If one letter of text is changed within any system folder without my permission a program monitoring will give alert.
Fire Wall with only two ports open.
Fire Wall with deny enabled after 1 unauthorized attempt and blacklists as hostile, prevents further attempts at any open ports.
Fire Wall drops probing attempts silently with no detection of anything at my address (can't see me)! Cannot tell if anything is there or if any ports exist.

I DO NOT use any cell phones!
Have ya seen the Pentagon has BANNED two manufacturers from military personnel due to fears China is tracking troop movements...

One thing ya don't do is buy chips from perceived enemies for mil equipment and ya don't let troops have stuff that can track them! Look at the Japanese Steel scandal... our military equipment has been compromised using below spec steel!! Whole place has been rigged to blow says Scotty!

I don't use face book, twitter or any other. I do not post a mug shot for an avatar anywhere.
Be more cautious peeps!
Store to external drive, disconnect when not needed!
Do not keep personal info anywhere on main net machine

For those of you open to experimentation:
note: OpenBSD is changing their next system so that it constantly changes for security, check their web site @ openbsd.org  it is more work than linux but you have full control... Just Remember To Do Full Encryption @ the start!
Another System is Dragonfly it is a self healing system @ dragonflybsd.org

I always have multiple up to date systems including live ones burned on cd's or dvd's and memory sticks and can be back up within 2 minutes.

Wow Spring! You are definitely our go-to expert on all things computer. i will bookmark this.

Opera, is that red-red, orange-red, or just plain orange? It’s hard to tell. You’ve heard about red-red, right? i have gotten a very bad impression of orange, and Firefox is orange (with blue). i’m not certain what the colors stand for but this is my impression of orange.

Firefox - firemen - alternative news (? some)
Set of Horus and Set (sunset). There's an orange Horus too.
He is a kleptomaniac, will steal your car keys, hack your computer, run your bicycle off the road, makes a lot of obnoxious noise.
Orange is for infants (sheeple).
He's a "helper" (orange "help" buttons), always there to help (himself).
He loves your mind (heading, name).
Mind control organizations tend to have orange logos.
Jesuits are headquartered in Orange County.
William of Orange - Dutch East India Company.

Thanks for listening to me yesterday. i was having an information overload moment. Feel free to add to the color list if you can.