If you're considering buying an Oculus, first read this.

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by CheerfullyInsane, Aug 22, 2020.

  1. CheerfullyInsane

    CheerfullyInsane Well-Known Member

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  2. Goffik

    Goffik Well-Known Member

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    What a load of crap. Is there no end to their BS? I have 100% avoided linking any other account I have for anything to Facebook, regardless of how often this option is pushed onto us. I'm certainly not about to start now, or ever. Thankfully, I'm already an Oculus user so I have two years of use left. That's fine with me since my Rift S will be way out of date by then, and I'll be upgrading to the latest tech. And this time, it won't be Oculus.

    F U Facebook.
     
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  3. Badgerous

    Badgerous Well-Known Member

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    I'm in exactly the same position. I grabbed a CV1 a year and a half ago, and the £350 I paid was perfect for an initial introduction to VR.. While now left behind by the current batch of headsets it still ticks a lot of boxes for me.

    I'm keeping a close eye on what's out there though with the aim of upgrading in the next year+, but it sure as hell won't be an Oculus product now.
     
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  4. Lixma

    Lixma Honorary QA

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    *Slips headset on* - "Welcome to the Next Generation of Virtual Reality.....but first a message from Donald Trump Jr."
     
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    Last edited: Aug 23, 2020
  5. RampageRacing

    RampageRacing Well-Known Member

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    All the more reasons for me never to try VR.
     
  6. Badgerous

    Badgerous Well-Known Member

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    You're missing out, mate.. Just don't go down the Oculus route. :)
     
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  7. FormelLMS

    FormelLMS Well-Known Member

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    Where is the problem? Making a new Jon Smith at Facebook
     
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  8. Goffik

    Goffik Well-Known Member

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    Using a fake name does not prevent Facebook from identifying you, and then leaching all kinds of info about you, your system, what you're doing on said system, and who knows what else. It would also likely affect your ability to get tech support, refunds, and various other services.

    Anyone who thinks simply using a different name makes them "safe" from privacy invasion in 2020 is being extremely naive.
     
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  9. CheerfullyInsane

    CheerfullyInsane Well-Known Member

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    And misrepresenting yourself on FB is against their ToS, which means they could terminate that account without prior warning.
    With unknown consequences for your newly acquired hardware.

    Not to mention the simple fact that forcing you to sign up for social media in order to use a piece of hardware is unbelievably stupid.
    Would you buy a car from someone who'd only sell it to you if you signed up for Twitter?
     
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  10. FormelLMS

    FormelLMS Well-Known Member

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    Ah, and they can't do this with an oculus account.
    Understood.
    I think, this is extremely naive, sorry :)

    Noone is forcing you to send in your papers so how would they see it?
     
  11. CheerfullyInsane

    CheerfullyInsane Well-Known Member

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    Now who's being naive?
    This is arguably the biggest data-mining corporation in the world. You really don't think they have the ability to cross-check registered Oculus owners with inactive accounts?

    Let me put it another way.
    From March 2017 to April 2018 FB deleted or disabled 1.3 billion accounts for violating their terms of service, including using fake names.
    And yes, that's billion with a 'B'.

    All of which is neither here nor there. The basic question is still why you would have to sign up for a social media account you have no interest in, in order to use a piece of hardware?
     
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  12. ravey1981

    ravey1981 Well-Known Member Beta tester

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    Genuine question. Why does it matter what data FB has about me? I'm guessing they already have loads since I use FB WhatsApp and Instagram but so what?
     
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  13. Goffik

    Goffik Well-Known Member

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    If you really don't care what information a giant corporation has obtained about you and your life without your knowledge, and more to the point what they do with that information, then more power to you. Unfortunately, it's the people that don't really care that are making it easy for various organisations, including criminal ones, to get info they don't need and have no right to have. And what's more they profit from this information, whereas the people they're taking it from... don't.

    But hey, buy an Oculus. In all honesty I don't care what others do. Each to their own, and all that.
     
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  14. CheerfullyInsane

    CheerfullyInsane Well-Known Member

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    Wrong question.
    The question you should be asking is why would they need to know?

    Name me one other physical product that you'd buy if they needed to know who your friends were, where you went and when, and what you spent your spare time searching for online.
     
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  15. ravey1981

    ravey1981 Well-Known Member Beta tester

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    I was meaning generally rather than the oculus. I mean, I get why they collect data and i understand the value of it to them....but on the flipside If that data is used to target me with specific ads then I'm ok with that too. Because if I have to see ads they may as well be for things I am interested in. Maybe I am naive, but it doesn't affect my life in any negative way as far as I can see.
     
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  16. CheerfullyInsane

    CheerfullyInsane Well-Known Member

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    And who's saying the information is only being used for targeted ads?
    You don't know, and you have no say in who they may or may not decide to share their data with.

    Ever done a search for e.g. explosives out of idle curiosity?
    Discussed any political leanings online that might be considered radical?
    Got any kinky fetishes that you enjoy in the so-called privacy online?
    Have you in fact ever done anything online that might at some point reflect poorly upon you to any one?
    That information is out there, and it's out there forever.
    And if you think that information isn't already being used for e.g. back-ground checks, then yes, you're being naive.
     
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  17. Balrog

    Balrog Well-Known Member

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    I'm a software engineer, so I have some insight from the "other side" and in my experience, end users either don't care about protecting their data at all, or they are extremely paranoid about it. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. Yeah, big companies profile the s**t about anything you do, but it's not like the evil programmers can personally see everything you do, it is an automated algorithm which doesn't care about who you actually are (you are a unique ID in the system). And it's not true that they can do anything with your data (I wish), especially since the introduction of GDPR, handling and securing user data is a pain in the arse.

    And there are various ways to improve the security of your online footprint:
    - Use strong, unique passwords (or even a password manager)
    - Enable two-step verification anywhere it's possible
    - Don't install software from untrusted sources, especially not to your mobile phone
    - If you have weird fetishes, or you're just simply paranoid, use a VPN and an anonymous browser like Tor, it makes your online activity much harder to track
    - Only share the neccessary minimum of sensitive data with your service providers about yourself, not to mention your connections
    - And don't be an idiot in general (Use Paypal to hide your credentials from sellers, and I mean don't share sensitive information online with anyone).

    Oh and by the way, having thousands of disturbing photos on your computer is definitely not a good thing, but visiting Hitler's wikipedia page once won't make anyone think you're a nazi.:p They can't even prove it was actually you browsing.
     
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    Last edited: Aug 25, 2020
  18. ravey1981

    ravey1981 Well-Known Member Beta tester

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    There's nothing I've ever done that I wouldn't put my hand up to. I don't care what information FB or anyone else might have to be honest. It hasn't affected me in any way at all.
     
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  19. n01sname

    n01sname Well-Known Member

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    In todays febrile atmosphere where everyone's accusing everyone of anything (via russiangates, trumpgates, pizzagates, vtgates, coronagates, climategates, obamagates, metoogates, leftvsrightgates, fckyouImrightandyourwronggates, EUexitgates, gatesgates, mydogbarkslouderthanyrsgates a.s.o.) I wouldn't be so sure :D
     
  20. Not Lifting Off

    Not Lifting Off Well-Known Member

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    Facebook, bwaahaahaahhhaaaa, i`ll give you Facebook!!!!!
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