Comparatively to the rest of the internet, it seems like there are a lot more Germans here. I’ve always assumed it was just because I was on a German instance and was in a sort of echo chamber (join feddit.org btw 🥳), but I just checked Fediverse Observer and it’s the 2nd largest country by users. Additionally, the German instances seem to be the biggest non-English ones.

Why is this?

  • Prime@lemmy.sdf.org
    99·
    3 days ago

    One factor is German history with Stasi und ww2 fascism. We like increased independence and privacy, so lemmy rather than Facebook

    • boonhet@lemm.ee
      13·
      3 days ago

      Now tell your car manufacturers that people would like privacy, not always-online cars.

      Not that the others are any better, of course.

      • bob_lemon@feddit.org
        3·
        2 days ago

        Always online cars are mandated by EU regulations, and for a very good reason: automated emergency calls including GPS coordinates in case of crashes.

        Other nice benefits include regular map updates.

        That said, there is a lot of garbage being attached to the online functionality nowadays. And the way data is collected and handled in the background it at least partially atrocious, so let’s attack that instead of the proverbial baby in the bathwater.

        • boonhet@lemm.ee
          2·
          2 days ago

          I don’t mind the availability of online features. I loved being able to lock and unlock my car from the app, and getting a reminder that it’s unlocked - I HATE auto-locking cars, but since my Benz sent reminders, it never needed auto-locking. I wish it had remote start for winter, but that’s technically illegal in the EU I believe, will just need Webasto next time. I’m pretty sure the same model (W205 facelift) had remote start in the US.

          I also loved that if I didn’t remember how much fuel I had left in the tank, I could just check it in the app so I’d know if I needed to plan for a fuel stop before driving somewhere (usually not, it was a diesel so 1200+ km range on the highway and probably 800 in the city).

          I wouldn’t EVEN mind the automatic emergency call sending GPS coordinates. But the active sending of my location and other data at all times, without the ability to opt out of any types of data, is what I hate about new cars. It’d be possible to just store location on the car and send it with the emergency call, or send when the owner sends an API request via the app, etc.