11–20 of 60 posts
FIY if you're in the US they're also buying access to your CC purchase info.
Nope, Google Maps is sticky. I've tried alternatives and just haven't had any luck. OsmAnd (Open Street Maps on Android) is good for plenty, but not driving.
But the Google services are just good, I often fall back to them if the alternative doesn't keep up:
- For some searches the result quality on DuckDuckGo isn't want I expect, but Google has exactly what I want on the first page (still I try DuckDuckGo first, it's good for most queries).
- Google Maps is difficult: I've tried using OSMAnd+, but more than once I ended up at the wrong place and had to use the mobile Google Maps website to find my destination. When plotting routes on desktop I still use it as default (after richjdsmith's comment I might try Here Maps).
On mobile I have the Google Play store installed to get e.g. WhatsApp, Spotify and a few other apps. I know there are other options, but those didn't work well for me.
And of course what blub said: Sometimes there is no other option, e.g. when forced to do a captcha.
Also have stopped using: Maps, Docs, GMail, and other small services. Google domains and subdomains are blocked in my /etc/hosts file.
The one exception is YouTube. It's hard to replace that one, although I sometimes consume it through HookTube or even DuckDuckGo.
The other half-exception is Android, although I have rooted it, removed Google Play Services and Google apps, and also blocked Google domains in /etc/hosts. I don't know if that counts as "quitting Google", but I feel like it does.
And occasionally, it's impossible to avoid Recaptcha, so I have to sometimes unblock Recaptcha domains in /etc/hosts, pass their obnoxious test, then reblock it.
Honestly, it's much easier to quit Google services than it is to quit Facebook services. The latter has network effects and social pressure, while the former is just a well built free service monetized through surveillance capitalism. Note: I have also quit using any Facebook services.
google.com
I tried DDG and co very hard but Google search really is that much better
( well I also use Google Drive for Business but I can switch and all my data is encrypted )
Google -> DuckDuckGo
Gmail -> Protonmail
Chrome -> Firefox
Google Maps -> Paper Maps
The hardest part I could see, would be for someone younger who didn't use search engines before they parsed plain phrases getting used to thinking in terms of keyword blocks, or learning to orient themselves in place by reading a map.
That said, it's fully possible. I found it to actually be more of a process of changing behavior, like say, quitting smoking, than simply substituting services.
Yes. As far as I can tell. Google lost me the day they shut down Reader. There are plenty of alternatives as long as you're not forced by your job or a particular client into using their services. One thing I'd still like to achieve is to find a permanent solution for avoiding communication with people who use Gmail. Strong-arming them into a new e-mail service is a non-starter.
I'm surprised nobody has built a better email client by now. Gmail, as an enterprise solution, is quite expensive. I'd rather use any other service. An email service bundled with a calendar or to do list functionality could potentially be a billion dollae company.
No, because one is still forced to use some of their products by others: captcha, mailing gmail addresses, ads and tracking even in iOS apps, tracking on most websites (which can usually be blocked). Youtube is unfortunate, because many obscure things are only available on it, but it's not an essential service. FIY if you're in the US they're also buying access to your CC purchase info.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm surprised nobody has built a better email client by now. Gmail, as an enterprise solution, is quite expensive. I'd rather use any other service. An email service bundled with a calendar or to do list functionality could potentially be a billion dollae company.
There's a lot of very good email providers out there, many of which would please the HN crowd requirements. Are you talking about a pure email _client_, ie where emails are stored elsewhere? Where's the business in that ?
Yes, I've been without using Google Search for more than 2 years. I'm using DuckDuckGo, and honestly very satisfied with it (I particularly enjoy using `!` shortcuts, like !w or !d). Also have stopped using: Maps, Docs, GMail, and other small services. Google domains and subdomains are blocked in my /etc/hosts file. The one exception is YouTube. It's hard to replace that one, although I sometimes consume it through H…