I wonder if all the work to do Linux and self hosting is actually shorter than having to deal with these unasked for annoyances.

Open: 0 to comfort that always grows. When it works you usually don't touch it for years.

Closed: Comfort to never-quite-what-you-want-but-compromise. Works, but you never know what's going on. Features might just get added whenever to your detriment.

So in one case i have a known state i can reach and hold. The time i put in is known and the point in time is up to me. In the other case i can never be sure about state, time and point in time. That's a clear loser to me.

"Last week I succumbed to Apple’s harassment" - usually what all end-users do eventually when caught in the walled garden ...