Not everything Free means you’re the product, do research on the email provider, do research on the company. Relying on “You’re the product” is going to be complicated, also paying for anything doesn’t make you less of a product, just look at games.
Set up your own emails or procure an Open-Source provider
DE is the shell, the difference between them is this:
Development rules, Development philosophies, Language made in, Purpose of creation, and the differing features.
KDE can be highly customizable, to the point you could make it look like Gnome, but it’ll never run nor be Gnome. Gnome is more closed off, any customization is reliant on extensions. LXQT allows you a more windows XP look without customization to the level of KDE, but you have more modularity with certain parts of it. XFCE can have plugins to Thunar, and the desktop of xfdesktop, all panels are custimzable to look more like what you want too, but there’s not that giant variety of Themes, unlike KDE.
On the terms of philosophy: You can’t just yank a project to a direction you want, you will either Fork that (making another DE) or you will make your own DE to make it so you’ll command the direction and philosophy. This is the most complete answer you’re ever going to get without having a multiple page essay
Agree with all points, but sorry not leaving discord for something half-baked as Matrix (That bot genuinely seems good), or Telegram for something featureless as Signal. Privacy is important so long as it also is convenient. Granny isn’t abandoning facebook til everyone she knows has, that’s how things work, unfortunately.
Right, so having to comply with swiss laws to log IP after the request by swiss authorities (otherwise the company is gonna be persecuted for it) and saying “We support activism” is all you need to step away from proton as a company. Ok, you do you, but i know for a fact i’m not using Signal which is a glorified SMS messenger and has literally same encryption to Proton, Matrix which is badly designed, and Briar (never heard of it). So how do i send job applications? How do i register to forums? Sorry having an email is good and convenient, if your intent is to break the law, please stop using widely known services. (Breaking the law doesn’t not inherently make you a villain, governments can be evil, however consequences happen people).
Well, that’s why you go to Wikis, Wikis aren’t an enemy, they’re a friend