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healthy-minds30 · 3 months

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Answer of Question 1:

In 2022, the modern telecommunication revolution started because of the advanced mobile technology (Srivastava, 2005). This handy portable device goes beyond the means of communication (call, text message) in daily life. People use mobile for banking, reading news/books, playing games, education, entertainment, e-tickets (traveling, cinema, sports stadium, hotel), voting, online shopping, healthcare services, taking pictures/videos, or writing documents. Despite the above beneficial usage of cell phones, people connect with millions of other people around the world just by one click on social media sites or apps like Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Tumblr, etc.

Smartphone technology and internet connection provide freedom of speech to everybody, which also successfully leads to social injustice activism movements. People start listening and reacting to what they like to hear or what they don’t like to hear that is instantaneously available through any social media platform. (Khan, 2024). News feeds, group communications (networking sites/WhatsApp), thousands of profiles (percentage of account creating growing annually), and circulations of messages or videos in a few seconds are some of the advanced characteristics of cell phones that old-fashioned means of communication like television, radio, and newspaper failed to introduce for audience attraction (Maryville University,2019).

Additionally, smartphones dramatically contribute to raising voices for social injustice (human rights) because they offer different languages for typing, recording options are best for uneducated audiences, and the sign-up procedure of social media sites or apps is so simple. E.g: largest political #ThisWasNotOnTV.movement in Pakistan operate magnificently because of the above-mentioned features of social media (Jahangir, 2023).

Globally, numerous examples have been documenting that cell phones played an important role in social activism activities e.g. in 2001, Philippines president Joseph Estrada resigned as a result of an SMS campaign run by the citizens because he utilizing their tax-payer income into gambling (Srivastava, 2005) and (Global Nonviolent Action Database, 2001), Indian Trade Association in 2003 used SMS service to protest against VAT imposed rule (Srivastava, 2005), Shanghai Police used mobile service as a tool to warn citizen not to be a part of Anti-Japan protest in 2005 (The Digital and Development Network, 2007). The violence recorded in the case of Eric Garner through cell phones caused issues for New York Police Department Officers in 2014 (Sanburn,2014).

It concluded that human voice power is overruled at social media sites or apps for leading social injustice movements effectively. The culprit person’s capital, society, and job power cannot save him from losing renown status.

References

Srivastava, L. (2005). Mobile phones and the evolution of social behavior. Behavior & Information Technology. Vol. 24, No. 2, pg111-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290512331321910

Sanburn, J. (2014). Behind the video of Eric Garner’s Deadly Confrontation with New York Police. Time. https://time.com/3016326/eric-garner-video-police-chokehold-death/

Global Nonviolent Action Database (2001). Philippine citizens overthrow President Joseph Estrada (People Power II). Global Nonviolent Action Database. https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/philippine-citizens-overthrow-president-joseph-estrada-people-power-ii-2001

Maryville University (November 25, 2019). A Guide to Activism in the Digital Age. Maryville University. https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/

Khan, M. (March 24, 2024). How the internet changed modern activism. Medium. https://medium.com/@khan0689/how-the-internet-changed-modern-activism-a878fe5fcc9c

The Digital and Development Network (June 22, 2007). Mobile Phone and Social Activism. The Digital and Development Network. https://www.comminit.com/ict-4-development/content/mobile-phones-and-social-activism#:~:text=Other%20activist%20uses%20of%20mobiles,demonstrations%20and%20other%20news%20events.

Jahangir, R. (May 25, 2023). Imran Khan is fighting Pakistan’s army with Twitter. .coda. https://www.codastory.com/authoritarian-tech/pakistan-imran-khan-social-media/

#social media #social injustice #social activism #hashtag #smartphone #freedom of voice

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gothhabiba · 5 months

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🍉🇵🇸 eSims for Gaza masterpost 🇵🇸🍉

Which eSims are currently being called for?

Connecting Humanity is calling for:

Nomad (“regional Middle East” plan): code NOMADCNG (can now be used multiple times from the same email)

Simly (“Palestine” and "Middle East" plans)

Mogo (“Israel” plan)

Gaza Online is calling for:

Holafly (“Israel” and “Egypt” plans): code HOLACNG

Nomad (“regional Middle East” plan): code NOMADCNG (can now be used multiple times from the same email)

Airalo (“Middle East and North Africa” plan)

Sparks (“Israel” plan)

Numero (“Egypt” plan)

For Connecting Humanity: if you sent an eSim more than two weeks ago and it is still valid and not yet activated, reply to the email in which you originally sent the eSim. To determine whether the eSim is still valid, scan the QR code with a smartphone; tap the yellow button that reads “Cellular plan”; when a screen comes up reading “Activate eSIM,” click the button that says “Continue.” If a message comes up reading “eSIM Cannot Be Added: This code is no longer valid. Contact your carrier for more information,” the eSim is activated, expired, or had an error in installation, and should not be sent. It is very important not to re-send invalid eSims, since people may walk several kilometers to access wifi to connect their eSims only to find out that they cannot be activated.

If a screen appears reading “Activate eSIM: An eSIM is ready to be activated” with a button asking you to “Continue,” do not click “Continue” to activate the eSim on your phone; exit out of the screen and reply to the email containing that QR code.

Be sure you're looking at the original post, as this will be continually updated. Any new instructions about replying to emails for specific types of unactivated plans will also appear here.

Check the notes of blackpearlblasts's eSim post, as well as fairuzfan's 'esim' tag, for referral and discount codes.

How do I purchase an eSim?

If you cannot download an app or manage an eSim yourself, send funds to Crips for eSims for Gaza (Visa; Mastercard; Paypal; AmEx; Canadian e-transfer), or to me (venmo @gothhabiba; paypal.me/Najia; cash app $NajiaK, with note “esims” or similar; check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased.)

You can purchase an eSim yourself using a mobile phone app, or on a desktop computer (with the exception of Simly, which does not have a desktop site). See this screenreader-accessible guide to purchasing an eSim through each of the five services that the Connecting Humanity team is calling for (Simly, Nomad, Mogo, Holafly, and Airalo).

Send a screenshot of the plan's QR code to [email protected]. Be sure to include the app used, the word "esim," the type of plan (when an app has more than one, aka "regional Middle East" versus "Palestine"), and the amount of data or time on the plan, in the subject line or body of your email.

Message me if you have any questions or if you need help purchasing an eSim through one of these apps.

If you’re going to be purchasing many eSims at once, see Jane Shi’s list of tips.

Which app should I use?

Try to buy an eSim from one of the apps that the team is currently calling for (see above).

If the team is calling for multiple apps:

Nomad is best in terms of data price, app navigability, and ability to top up when they are near expiry; but eSims must be stayed on top of, as you cannot top them up once the data has completely run out. Go into the app settings and make sure your "data usage" notifcations are turned on.

Simly Middle East plans cannot be topped up; Simly Palestine ones can. Unlike with Nomad, data can be topped up once it has completely run out.

Holafly has the most expensive data, and top-ups don't seem to work.

Mogo has the worst user interface in my opinion. It is difficult or impossible to see plan activation and usage.

How much data should I purchase?

Mirna el-Helbawi has been told that large families may all rely on the same plan for data (by setting up a hotspot). Some recipients of eSim plans may also be using them to upload video.

For those reasons I would recommend getting the largest plan you can afford for plans which cannot be topped up: namely, Simly "Middle East" plans, and Holafly plans (they say you can top them up, but I haven't heard of anyone who has gotten it to work yet).

For all other plans, get a relatively small amount of data (1-3 GB, a 3-day plan, etc.), and top up the plan with more data once it is activated. Go into the app’s settings and make sure low-data notifications are on, because a 1-GB eSIM can expire very quickly.

Is there anything else I need to do?

Check back regularly to see if the plan has been activated. Once it's been activated, check once a day to see if data is still being used, and how close the eSim is to running out of data or to expiring; make sure your notifications are on.

If the eSim hasn't been activated after three weeks or so, reply to the original email that you sent to Gaza eSims containing the QR code for that plan.

If you purchased the eSim through an app which has a policy of starting the countdown to auto-expiry a certain amount of time after the purchase of the eSim, rather than only upon activation (Nomad does this), then also reply to your original e-mail once you're within a few days of this date. If you're within 12 hours of that date, contact customer service and ask for a credit (not a refund) and use it to purchase and send another eSim.

How can I tell if my plan has been activated? How do I top up a plan?

The Connecting Humanity team recommends keeping your eSims topped up once they have been activated.

See this guide on how to tell if your plan has been activated, how to top up plans, and (for Nomad) how to tell when the auto-expiry will start. Keep topping up the eSim for as long as the data usage keeps ticking up. This keeps a person or family connected for longer, without the Connecting Humanity team having to go through another process of installing a new eSim.

If the data usage hasn't changed in a week or so, allow the plan to expire and purchase another one.

What if I can't afford a larger plan, or don't have time or money to keep topping up an eSim?

I have set up a pool of funds out of which to buy and top up eSims, which you can contribute to by sending funds to my venmo (@gothhabiba), PayPal (paypal.me/Najia), or cash app ($NajiaK) (with note “esims” or similar). Check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased, which plans are active, and how much data they've used.

Crips for eSims for Gaza also has a donation pool to purchase eSims and top them up.

Gaza Online (run by alumni of Gaza Sky Geeks) accepts monetary donations to purchase eSims as needed.

What if my eSim has not been activated, even after I replied to my email?

Make sure that the QR code you sent was a clear screenshot, and not a photo of a screen; and that you didn’t install the eSim on your own phone by scanning the QR code or clicking “install automatically."

Possible reasons for an eSim not having been activated include: it was given to a journalist as a back-up in case the plan they had activated expired or ran out of data; there was an error during installation or activation and the eSim could no longer be used; the eSim was installed, but not activated, and then Israeli bombings destroyed the phone, or forced someone to leave it behind.

An eSim that was sent but couldn’t be used is still part of an important effort and learning curve. Errors in installation, for example, are happening less often than they were in the beginning of the project.

Why should I purchase an eSim? Is there any proof that they work?

Israel is imposing near-constant communications blackouts on Gaza. The majority of the news that you are seeing come from Gaza is coming from people who are connected via eSim.

eSims also connect people to news. People are able to videochat with their family for the first time in months, to learn that their family members are still alive, to see their newborn children for the first time, and more, thanks to eSims.

Some of this sharing of news saves lives, as people have been able to flee or avoid areas under bombardment, or learn that they are on evacuation lists.

Why are different plans called for at different times?

Different eSims work in different areas of the Gaza Strip (and Egypt, where many refugees currently are). The team tries to keep a stockpile of each type of sim on hand.

Is there anything else I can do to help?

There is an urgent need for more eSims. Print out these posters and place them on bulletin boards, in local businesses, on telephone poles, or wherever people are likely to see them. Print out these foldable brochures to inform people about the initiative and distribute them at protests, cafes and restaurants, &c. Also feel free to make your own brochures using the wording from this post.

The Connecting Humanity team is very busy connecting people to eSims and don't often have time to answer questions. Check a few of Mirna El Helbawi's most recent tweets and see if anyone has commented with any questions that you can answer with the information in this post.

#esims #esims for gaza #palestine #gaza #action

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grecianfilipina · 5 months

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Mmm. That sure turned into a thought process.

#grecian's boring life #I'll hand it to the boomers. they may have been a little right about smartphones making people agoraphobic.#i know blah blah blah I'm a different person than I was ten years ago but at least 19 year old me was...#actively roleplaying? willing to make new online friends?? worried for a legitimate reason if people left/stopped talking to her???#she knew how to make and mantain friendships even on an online basis because the Internet wasn't so available so there were Friend Times™#now as a near 30 year old I dread pushing myself to go to events because what if people try talking to me #me: i want to make friends and stop being a shut-in. someone: approaches me. me: no not like that.#or worse. i have to approach THEM and make myself the interesting thing.

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akulride · 7 months

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sandandjello · 11 months

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Beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC Wireless Headphones Offer up to 14 Hours of Battery Life and All-Day Comfort

My first high-end headphones were from Beyerdynamic and Ioved them. I was amazed by the nuances in my favorite tunes that I missed when using headphones of lesser quality. That’s why I was excited to learn about their new Beyerdynamic Blue BYRD ANC wireless headphones. They’re the company’s second-generation in-ear head ones, and they look impressive. Continue reading Untitled

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#Active Noise-Cancellation #Headphones #Smartphones & Gear #Wireless Gear

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crazydiscostu · 1 year

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Chubby Buttons

Are you tired of fumbling with your phone or touch-sensitive earbuds while engaging in your favourite activities? Introducing Chubby Buttons: The Ultimate Smartphone Remote for Active Lifestyles. Chubby Buttons is an innovative Bluetooth remote designed with big buttons to effortlessly control your smartphone. Whether you’re wearing gloves or mittens, Chubby Buttons ensures that you can stay…

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gowns · 1 year

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Why Kids Aren't Falling in Love With Reading - It's Not Just Screens

A shrinking number of kids are reading widely and voraciously for fun.

The ubiquity and allure of screens surely play a large part in this—most American children have smartphones by the age of 11—as does learning loss during the pandemic. But this isn’t the whole story. A survey just before the pandemic by the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that the percentages of 9- and 13-year-olds who said they read daily for fun had dropped by double digits since 1984. I recently spoke with educators and librarians about this trend, and they gave many explanations, but one of the most compelling—and depressing—is rooted in how our education system teaches kids to relate to books.

What I remember most about reading in childhood was falling in love with characters and stories; I adored Judy Blume’s Margaret and Beverly Cleary’s Ralph S. Mouse. In New York, where I was in public elementary school in the early ’80s, we did have state assessments that tested reading level and comprehension, but the focus was on reading as many books as possible and engaging emotionally with them as a way to develop the requisite skills. Now the focus on reading analytically seems to be squashing that organic enjoyment. Critical reading is an important skill, especially for a generation bombarded with information, much of it unreliable or deceptive. But this hyperfocus on analysis comes at a steep price: The love of books and storytelling is being lost.

This disregard for story starts as early as elementary school. Take this requirement from the third-grade English-language-arts Common Core standard, used widely across the U.S.: “Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.” There is a fun, easy way to introduce this concept: reading Peggy Parish’s classic, Amelia Bedelia, in which the eponymous maid follows commands such as “Draw the drapes when the sun comes in” by drawing a picture of the curtains. But here’s how one educator experienced in writing Common Core–aligned curricula proposes this be taught: First, teachers introduce the concepts of nonliteral and figurative language. Then, kids read a single paragraph from Amelia Bedelia and answer written questions.

For anyone who knows children, this is the opposite of engaging: The best way to present an abstract idea to kids is by hooking them on a story. “Nonliteral language” becomes a whole lot more interesting and comprehensible, especially to an 8-year-old, when they’ve gotten to laugh at Amelia’s antics first. The process of meeting a character and following them through a series of conflicts is the fun part of reading. Jumping into a paragraph in the middle of a book is about as appealing for most kids as cleaning their room.

But as several educators explained to me, the advent of accountability laws and policies, starting with No Child Left Behind in 2001, and accompanying high-stakes assessments based on standards, be they Common Core or similar state alternatives, has put enormous pressure on instructors to teach to these tests at the expense of best practices. Jennifer LaGarde, who has more than 20 years of experience as a public-school teacher and librarian, described how one such practice—the class read-aloud—invariably resulted in kids asking her for comparable titles. But read-alouds are now imperiled by the need to make sure that kids have mastered all the standards that await them in evaluation, an even more daunting task since the start of the pandemic. “There’s a whole generation of kids who associate reading with assessment now,” LaGarde said.

By middle school, not only is there even less time for activities such as class read-alouds, but instruction also continues to center heavily on passage analysis, said LaGarde, who taught that age group. A friend recently told me that her child’s middle-school teacher had introduced To Kill a Mockingbird to the class, explaining that they would read it over a number of months—and might not have time to finish it. “How can they not get to the end of To Kill a Mockingbird?” she wondered. I’m right there with her. You can’t teach kids to love reading if you don’t even prioritize making it to a book’s end. The reward comes from the emotional payoff of the story’s climax; kids miss out on this essential feeling if they don’t reach Atticus Finch’s powerful defense of Tom Robinson in the courtroom or never get to solve the mystery of Boo Radley.

... Young people should experience the intrinsic pleasure of taking a narrative journey, making an emotional connection with a character (including ones different from themselves), and wondering what will happen next—then finding out. This is the spell that reading casts. And, like with any magician’s trick, picking a story apart and learning how it’s done before you have experienced its wonder risks destroying the magic.

-- article by katherine marsh, the atlantic (12 foot link, no paywall)

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electronalytics · 1 year

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Silicon Microphone Integrated Circuits (ICs) Market Overview and Regional Outlook Study 2017 – 2032

The Silicon Microphone Integrated Circuits (ICs) Market refers to the market for integrated circuits that are specifically designed for use in silicon-based microphones. Silicon microphones are a type of microphone that utilizes silicon-based materials and technology to convert sound waves into electrical signals.

Silicon microphone ICs are designed to provide amplification, filtering, and signal processing functionalities for silicon microphones. These ICs play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and capabilities of silicon microphones, making them suitable for various applications such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart speakers, automotive systems, and other consumer electronics devices.

The market for silicon microphone ICs has been witnessing significant growth in recent years, driven by the increasing demand for high-quality audio solutions in various electronic devices. The advancements in semiconductor technology and the miniaturization of components have led to the development of smaller, more efficient, and cost-effective silicon microphone ICs.

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Rising demand for voice-controlled devices: The increasing popularity of voice assistants and voice-controlled devices like smart speakers, virtual assistants, and voice-activated home automation systems has created a strong demand for silicon microphones and their associated ICs.

Growing adoption of smartphones and wearable devices: The proliferation of smartphones and wearable devices has resulted in a higher demand for compact and high-performance silicon microphones integrated with ICs, as they are essential components for voice recording and voice communication applications.

Advancements in MEMS technology: Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology has played a crucial role in the development of silicon microphones and their associated ICs. MEMS-based silicon microphones offer advantages such as small size, low power consumption, high sensitivity, and improved noise cancellation, driving their adoption in various consumer electronics applications.

Increasing demand for high-fidelity audio: With the growing emphasis on high-quality audio experiences, there is a rising demand for silicon microphones and ICs that can provide better audio capture, noise cancellation, and signal processing capabilities. This trend is particularly evident in applications such as professional recording, broadcasting, and conferencing systems.

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#Silicon Microphone Integrated Circuits (ICs) Market Overview and Regional Outlook Study 2017 – 2032 #The Silicon Microphone Integrated Circuits (ICs) Market refers to the market for integrated circuits that are specifically designed for use #Silicon microphone ICs are designed to provide amplification #filtering #and signal processing functionalities for silicon microphones. These ICs play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and capabilities #making them suitable for various applications such as smartphones #tablets #laptops #smart speakers #automotive systems #and other consumer electronics devices.#The market for silicon microphone ICs has been witnessing significant growth in recent years #driven by the increasing demand for high-quality audio solutions in various electronic devices. The advancements in semiconductor technolog #more efficient #and cost-effective silicon microphone ICs.#Some key factors driving the growth of the silicon microphone ICs market include:#1.#Rising demand for voice-controlled devices: The increasing popularity of voice assistants and voice-controlled devices like smart speakers #virtual assistants #and voice-activated home automation systems has created a strong demand for silicon microphones and their associated ICs.#2.#Growing adoption of smartphones and wearable devices: The proliferation of smartphones and wearable devices has resulted in a higher demand #as they are essential components for voice recording and voice communication applications.#3.#Advancements in MEMS technology: Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology has played a crucial role in the development of silicon m #low power consumption #high sensitivity #and improved noise cancellation #driving their adoption in various consumer electronics applications.#4.

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bit-b · 7 months

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About a trending Discord warning:

TL;DR: Discord is NOT making "Find your friends" enabled by default. You're probably not giving Discord your contact information without your knowledge. Their UI choices just suck.

There's a warning post going around by a person I'm not going to name, as I don't want people to dogpile on them. That is NOT the goal of this post, and if you DO harass anyone because of what I write, then you're a garbage person with garbage habits that needs to throw those habits in the garbage.

Rather, my goal with this post is to educate about a Discord feature that's not being represented properly.

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Supposedly in the new mobile update, Discord added this ""NEW"" feature called "Find your friends", and then they enabled it by default. This feature allows users to use their smartphone contacts to search for their friends on Discord. It also enables others to be able to find you in the exact same way.

Obviously, this would be MASSIVELY dangerous from a privacy perspective.

Imagine if someone had relatives that use Discord. In a scenario like that, those relatives would have an easy way of finding the accounts of family members. And in some home situations, online anonymity from relatives could mean the difference between having an outlet and not having an outlet.

I'm also pretty sure I know some folks with alt accounts (you know who you are). And if Discord was somehow able to cross-reference all your contacts with the Discord accounts you're logged into, that would be DISASTROUSLY EMBARRASSING, to say the least.

So I totally understand how concerning this would be if it turned out to be true.

The thing is, it's not.

The person who made that warning misinterpreted THIS page:

This is the new "Add Friends" page for the Discord mobile app. Obviously, a page to help you add friends. There's a big 'ol window at the bottom showcasing Discord's "Find your friends" feature.

Now, this feature is actually NOT new. It's been around for a long time. But there's a very subtle change that happened with the new update. Take a look at how "Find your friends" used to look:

It starts by giving you a banner at the top of your friends list, telling you that this feature is available. Then when you click on it, it takes you to a page with UI elements that look awfully familiar.

It's pretty clear what happened. In an effort to condense down their friend-finding functions into one menu, Discord took the "Find your friends" setup menu and tossed it in with all the other ways to contact friends.

But by doing this, Discord has made this setup window confusing. It's not immediately obvious if the "Find your friends" feature is ON and running, or OFF and waiting to be activated.

Maybe it would have helped to make the blurple button read something like "Sync contacts" instead of "Find friends". At least then, you could tell at a glance that nothing has been sync'd yet. (Or y'know, maybe just stick to "Grant Permission". That was working just fine before.)

So it seems the OP:

Looked at the "Find your friends" setup menu that Discord hastily slapped into the "Add friends" page

Noticed the checkbox that read "Allow contacts to add me"

Saw that it was already marked

Then assumed that it must be some kind of tucked-away setting that was left ON by default.

To make this abundantly clear, "Find your friends" only works if you opt-in.

That checkmark allows you to tell Discord you are okay with people finding you in this manner. Unchecking it makes it possible to use "Find your friends" without others being able to find you the same way.

It doesn't get set up on your device until you press the big blurple "Find friends" button. Even then, you still have to add your phone number to your account and verify it via a 6-digit code sent via SMS.

After that, you have to give Discord permission to access your contacts via whatever phone OS you use.

You have to be pretty deliberate for any of these functions to start.

I won't say it's impossible to set it up on accident. It's a strange world, and stranger things have happened. If you want to, go check your app permissions to make sure you don't have contact permissions enabled for Discord. It's always good to be sure. But rest easy knowing that you probably don't have to worry about it.

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In my opinion, I think that anyone who reblogged that warning should consider reversing those reblogs.

Honestly, I also think the OP should just delete their post instead of repeatedly adding amended reblogs to it. At the end of the day, the core of that post was misinformation and misguided assumptions. There's no real reason to keep it up.

Besides, I'd rather pin Discord on things they're ACTUALLY guilty of. Like designing a new UI that's widely mocked. And making things 10x more confusing for the end-user.

Here's Discord's official "Find your friends" FAQ page:

https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360061878534-Find-Your-Friends-FAQ

I hate to beg, but I'd appreciate if people would reblog this post. I fear that the warning post is gonna steer a LOT of people to believe a lot of things about Discord that are logically and functionally not true.

#discord #misinformation

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