IcePee

I am using GraphineOS right now. Here's my answers:

1. Accounts are local. They don't necessarily have an online component. Aurora store works fine. The only major issue is some apps from the play store will break if you don't have Google services installed. The level of breakage really depends how the app handles this lack. Sometime you may not have a feature and other times it will just not run. You can install and run Google services but I'm unconvinced that your privacy will be protected just by the sandbox. A possible solution is to run all that stuff in it's own profile. You can't run both simultaneously, though.
2. For synchronization, I use Syncthing. It's not to the cloud but it'll get files and photos off your device. As for notes Turtl and I believe Obsidian sync to their own servers. Mega.nz runs on GraphineOS also. I don't know if it syncs, though
3. Notes - no. I use Turtl. But I've heard good things about Obsidian. Drive - don't know wouldn't think so. Photos - yes. Messages - yes. For the last two, you'd have to find a solution if you want to back them up.

For backup, GraphineOS will also backup to USB drive.

Like all things, it a trade off. You trade security for convenience.

But one very nice surprise is I now have so much better battery life. I'm getting nearly 3 days off a charge!

This is assuming the bots are allowed (or, at least not prevented in coming) in by the server admin and the bot is not obfuscated some how. If the bots are taking advantage of an expolit, or not being up front, then we have trouble.

I think the real solution is he wants money. If it was solely to reduce spam/bot activities, then there are other ways to do that. Maybe a Bitcoin-style proof of work scheme where evey post needs to show a hash of the message with a nonce. The difficulty needn't be that hard to make mass posting computaionally unfeasible.

In fact, Bitcoin appropriated this proposal to reduce email spam. It never took off with email as it was an open system and network effects and a catch 22 meant that it floundered. But X, née twitter is a closed off dictatorship. They could force it through edict.

I'm reminded what GabeN said: Piracy is an issue of service, not price.

I agree with him up to a point. As price gouging is a feature of modern day streaming.

One reason Steam became the defacto standard is because the insane Steam sales that Valve put on in the early days.

They kept their monopoly in the face of other stores giving away games mostly due to service, though.

While I'm no fan of the crippleware, I don't think this product from them would effect your average gamer. It looks to be focused on beta testers and reviewers.

But, knowing the human's facility for laziness, odds on it will filter into general release.

Was it an LTS release? 2016 is a long way to go without a major update for Ubuntu.

Maybe I'm just spoilt as I have a rolling distro.

Hades. Was grinding on that sucker for weeks. Finally got to the start of the final battle the last of my life. Got scared haven't picked it up for fear of going down, way down. I'm not very good at this game. I keep hearing people completing a full run within 30 tries. For me, it's like 30,000. I know this run was just a lucky fluke as the runs before it I kept dying on the threshold to the exit if Tartarus.