ELI5 why people are so negative to Purism

typo : "while they in fact do have some *problems* "

In https://trisquel.info/en/forum/what-are-your-thoughts-about-fairphone-2

Mason wrote:

"This is only true while the modem is off. However, if the modem is off it is useless as a phone. I think it is likely that almost everyone who would buy such a device intends to use it as a phone. The device will track them."

strypey wrote:

"No it's not. The device does no tracking. Connecting the device to a cell carrier potentially allows *them* to do tracking, by triangulating the position of the device using the three nearest cell towers. But this is not the device tracking its user, it's the cell carrier tracking the user. Big difference."

strypey also wrote:

"a touchscreen mobile running a full GNU-Linux, that the owner of the device has root on. Not even Replicant provides that."

soo...

If this is to say that the Librem 5 phone is the "most free" mobile computer (considering that it is more free than a phone running replicant).

Say I want a really mobile computer (like a smart phone) which I can take photos with etc all of the things strypey are talking about, then the Librem 5 phone is good choice, no?

Seems like it. I seriously consider buying this thing now.

It seems like it is "the most mobile device" on the market as of now, no?

They even state on their website that it "Separates CPU from Cellular Baseband", which I interpret as "If you use it withot a sim card, and just use it as a computer, the modem is isolated, so no problem hombre".

Am I naive?

Apart from maybe some firmware, and the fact that the hardware itself is not libre, it looks like 100% to me, at least the best thing out there

I have decided to change the way I talk about Purism, but I will briefly explain my attitude in a way that I hope won't lead to another escalation.

For mobile phones, both the Librem 5 and neo900 will to my knowledge both be as free as currently possible. For someone who requires a cell phone, their best option will be to get one of these phones and turn the modem on to send and check for calls/texts as infrequently and in as few locations as possible. I want people to understand that the modem will still track them so that if they do not like being tracked they will know not to leave the modem on more than they have to, but I have no problem with the device itself. The first promotional materials I saw for the Librem 5 seemed to indicate that users would not need to worry about being tracked, but I can no longer find any such claim on their website. I still want people to be educated regarding the technology they use, and I still think it is important to explore replacements for the cell network, but I no longer have a problem with Purism's handling of the Librem 5. If you require a cell phone, I recommend getting a neo900 or Librem 5 (whichever is released first and/or is within your budget) and leaving the modem off when you don't need it.

The laptops are different, in that they are not as free as currently possible. Purism compromises on freedom in order to have newer hardware. I am satisfied with my X60 and value my freedom over having shiny new things, so I am not interested, but if someone actually requires better specs than a T400 or X200 with upgraded RAM and makes a conscious choice to compromise on freedom to meet those needs, Purism would be a better company to buy from than others (although if you know how to flash Coreboot yourself you can achieve the same thing less expensively). However, in order to make a conscious choice to compromise on freedom, the user must be aware that they are doing so. When someone is unaware that Purism laptops are not as free as possible, the right thing do is inform them so that they don't unknowingly spread misinformation or buy a laptop that they would not have bought otherwise. That doesn't mean that no one should buy their laptops, just that they should know what they are buying.

In the future I'm going to speak of Purism's products more neutrally, acknowledging both their flaws and strengths and leaving others to make their own decisions based on that information. Negativity is unnecessary and counterproductive to education, and taking a negative tone has been a mistake on my part.