A bit of a side tangent...yesterday, I was going to take a few days off and hike in Glacier.
I've got a new camping rig - I'm trying Van Life, now; sold my pickup (used for hauling mortarsickles, but no moar) and bought this old-but-solid Toyota van, cheap. It's 20 years old with 150k miles, so I'm still getting to know it. Local trips don't tell the whole story.
The plan was, get to Glacier, set up camp, do the thing, have a good time...see if there's room enough, if the bed I've fabricated, works, if my electrical-power scheme pans out, if an old electric blanket takes the place of a heater inside. You know.
The trip was fine - I'm only 150 miles outside the park - but, the campsite was impossible. Here's why: First, they don't allow walk-ups. Only reservations.
Only PAID reservations. Yeah, okay...that's an ugly trend we've seen.
SECOND...you can only MAKE those pre-paid reservations...WITH AN APP.
NOT on your computer. Only the phone app will allow it.
It doesn't say that on their web page. You can access the web page with your computer; you just can't move to reserving an open site. Only the app.
Only PAY through that app.
Here's the problem: What is an "app"?
An "app" is instructions to DOWNLOAD A PROGRAM from the repository the stupefone has on record. An app is not the program - it's instructions to RETRIEVE the program, for the session.
You don't know who wrote the program. The program written last week, when the App Store accepted it in their repository, may have been replaced yesterday with an "updated" program. Which may or may not have backdoors, malware, or security glitches, intentional or not.
To put it short: a Stupefone or tablet has LESS security than your library's public-access computer. Would you do your banking at the library, on their computer? Most people I know wouldn't access the bank or even email off the library's Wi-Fi, even. Which itself poses risks.
You can control your computer. You can remove programs; deactivate others, cut off internet access. Add or remove files. Monitor activity, actual traffic, online. Used to be, when your hard drive started humming, and you were doing nothing, you'd look to see what inputs you have on your internet connection. You'd been hacked; cut off the connection and then do a scan for a root kit.
Can't do that with a phone.
So...I don't do email, or banking, or money, or any of the "pay" apps, on my Stupefone.
So...I can't have a campsite in a National Park, now. I get the free access as a 65-plus disabled veteran; but it's meaningless because any time money is involved...the United States Park Service, will not take United States currency from a United States citizen and veteran of their military.
It's a small thing, but I'm still torqued.
Side note: What did I do? I was directed to some Forest Service primitive campsites about 20 miles outside the park, but the "ranger" (DEI hire fee-mail) didn't tell me, didn't know, that the Hungry Horse area campsites were on OHV-trails. Jeep trails. A minivan won't make them there.
That left the usual commercial campsites, all of them brimming with people who couldn't get into Agpar Campsite...so I just said, fuggitt. I had a nice hike - already in the park; but the road through was closed (God knows why) and the park was packed...this wasn't working out.
Government efficiency.
Government nudging...us, into their wonderful Cashless Utopia. Where all our records are there for their inspection. AND where it's easy for this scum to hack/scam their way into our FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS.
They replaced a small problem - the logistics of money-handling - with a massive new problem for customer-users.
