So, apparently you can easily get a Google account without telling Google your phone number if you have either an iPhone or a phone running Android 11:
https://www.alphr.com/use-gmail-without-phone-number/
... but the web interface definitely does not let me, and on my LineageOS phone (with microG), the option definitely does not exist. Seems like they only allow that if they can already get your stuff in other ways....
In related news: I'm still trying to figure out a privacy-friendly way to have a shared calendar online which can be edited by multiple people.
(in my case: for a shared practice space. So everyone can enter when they want to use it, and see when someone else is planning to do so.) -- any ideas?
Most CalDAV providers don't seem to offer that without either making it public or everyone requiring a (often paid...) account, including the provider I already pay for :(
@Mr_Teatime You can use OwnCloud/NextCloud Calendar for this - assuming you'd create a separate account for the calendar and share the credentials in the group.
@FailForward
Actually ... yes, that sounds pretty straightforward. Separate accounts for people might be better but it's a pretty small group, and we trust each other with more than a calendar, so it should be fine.
The follow-up question, being one of those weird people who operate no nextcloud server -- where to host this? I could buy a mailbox.org or posteo account for 1€/month, and not use any of the features except for the calendar, I guess...
@Mr_Teatime For one, you can just search for such. It's pretty common.
If you have the chops, then a small Hetzner VPS for €5/mo would do.
Just from the top of my head, another idea could be to make an account our instance Qoto.org, it comes with access to managed nextcloud, c.f., here: https://qoto.org/about/more
@Mr_Teatime in ownc/nextloud you can do separate accounts too and share the calendar with edit rights to fellow users no problem. That would work as well. I think the key is stay in CalDAV and not mix it other stuff (like GCalendar), that's where problems start.
@Mr_Teatime Hm, looking at it, actually Hetzner gives you a managed nextcloud instance for €5/mo including fileshare. Start exploring from the press release here: https://www.hetzner.com/news/11-18-nextcloud/ Though I am not sure it provides calendar out of the box. You'll figure.
@FailForward
Thanks for the link!
5€/month is more than I would pay for just a shared calendar, but I've started to get ideas what else I could use 1TB online storage for...
@Mr_Teatime
I have to find out what the system requirements are for current versions of own-/nextcloud, but I have been running one for years on a RPi2 (at home).
If you don't want to do it yourself, https://nextcloud.com/providers/ could be a starting point.
@FreePietje
hmm, I do actually have a RasPi 1 in a box here somewhere...
It would be the first device in this place to be accessible from outside, though. So I'd have to invest a day or so to set it up, make sure it causes no security issues and is working for everyone...
... I need to think about this. My list of unfinished projects is uncomfortably long right now.
@FailForward
@FreePietje
Looked through the provider list and found that it's not quite up to date, wrt the free offers. Did find one though (thegoodcloud.nl).
Sadly, they don't allow multiple users on the free instances, but I think it would still work.
@FailForward ,
do you know if Qoto allows multiple Nextcloud users per instance? Don't want to make an account just to try.
@Mr_Teatime I really don't know. You need to ask "at freemo at qoto.org" about this.
@Mr_Teatime People then can use the calendar either from CalDAV clients, or import it into their own GCalendar of course, or use read-only as ICS view.