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Why I Quit Using Google

kylepiira.com

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Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#111

Post by newscracker »

Mistri wrote: post #39

Has anyone else had experience with getting their Google account suspended? I literally use it for everything in my life, and without it I would probably lose access to a lot. I would change away from Google in a heartbeat but it just seems like too much effort if I can avoid getting my account suspended in the first place. If anyone has gotten their account suspended, what was it for and how can I avoid it?

I've never had any of my Google accounts (none of which I use much any longer) suspended, but I'm guessing that if you add a phone number to your account and verify it, then the automatic algorithms that look for suspicious activity (or inactivity) may be a little more forgiving. If Google is truly critical for you, I'd suggest buying GSuite and becoming a paid customer.

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#112

Post by newscracker »

aladine wrote: post #52

I also switched to Fastmail too. Its interface is rudimentary similar to Google few years ago. It has full suite of services like calendar, notes, storage... What I like is its simplicity which Gmail may bloat with too many features. One notable feature of Fastmail is alias: you can create other emails alias to your main account and use that to create different rules. Super handy and convenient. If you worry about en…

If you're going to plug referral links for credit, may I suggest that you switch to significantly cheaper services that are also privacy focused? You can choose from mailbox.org, mailfence.com, runbox.com, migadu.com, mxroute.com, posteo.de (no own domain support), Tutanota, ProtonMail and many more.

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#113

Post by 6ak74rfy »

I was considering setting up a Nextcloud instance as a replacement for Google Drive. I did some math and realized that I’ll be paying a lot more on that route - 1TB on Lightsail+S3 vs Lightsail+SSD vs Google Drive. The last was by far the cheapest.

Are there ways to bring down this cost? I know some people argue that I could use that host for other self-hosted services to amortize cost but i don’t pay monthly recurring fees for a lot of other things (but I do for Google Drive).

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#114

Post by Scarbutt »

vlttnv wrote: post #103
boring_twenties wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buy an external hard drive or SSD, download the photos to it, put it in a safe place away from your other computer stuff.

Do not rely on a single drive or you'll end up in a situation like me where one day your external drive decides to stop working and 20gb of photos are gone.

What happened to your local copy? ;)

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#115

Post by heavyset_go »

6ak74rfy wrote: post #113

I was considering setting up a Nextcloud instance as a replacement for Google Drive. I did some math and realized that I’ll be paying a lot more on that route - 1TB on Lightsail+S3 vs Lightsail+SSD vs Google Drive. The last was by far the cheapest. Are there ways to bring down this cost? I know some people argue that I could use that host for other self-hosted services to amortize cost but i don’t pay monthly recurri…

Either actually self-host or look outside of Amazon's offerings, because they aren't known for being inexpensive compared to competition.

I run Nextcloud on my own hardware and VPN in because Nextcloud isn't something I want exposed to the wider internet. Not very long ago there was a CVE that effected some Nextcloud (and other) setups.

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#116

Post by achillesheels »

Mistri wrote: post #39

Has anyone else had experience with getting their Google account suspended? I literally use it for everything in my life, and without it I would probably lose access to a lot. I would change away from Google in a heartbeat but it just seems like too much effort if I can avoid getting my account suspended in the first place. If anyone has gotten their account suspended, what was it for and how can I avoid it?

I had an account suspended that was linked to a YouTube account videoing marijuana cannabis dispensaries. April 2018 the site shut down non-Vice media cannabis content and suspended the Gmail account. It made it apparent how central my most sensitive email archive was housed on such a flimsy foundation.

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#117

Post by heavyset_go »

xwowsersx wrote: post #96
K0SM0S wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope you have backups, at the very least. Yes, most subscriptions generally say in the ToS that the account and all assets may be closed/deleted at the sole discretion of the provider. It's anecdotally rare, but depending on the company (quality of customer service), it may be irreversible, or take a long time to fix. My personal rule is to never trust a third-party to "protect" my data; there is no such thing in t…

Thanks. What's the cheapest or most cost-effective way to backup all my photos? S3?

S3 is never the cheapest/most cost-effective way to backup anything.

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#118

Post by lallysingh »

xwowsersx wrote: post #96
K0SM0S wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope you have backups, at the very least. Yes, most subscriptions generally say in the ToS that the account and all assets may be closed/deleted at the sole discretion of the provider. It's anecdotally rare, but depending on the company (quality of customer service), it may be irreversible, or take a long time to fix. My personal rule is to never trust a third-party to "protect" my data; there is no such thing in t…

Thanks. What's the cheapest or most cost-effective way to backup all my photos? S3?

A NAS that backs up to amazon glacier. Or glacier directly if you have something that'll stay on / awake long enough with your data to do it.

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#119

Post by gordon_freeman »

Mistri wrote: post #39

Has anyone else had experience with getting their Google account suspended? I literally use it for everything in my life, and without it I would probably lose access to a lot. I would change away from Google in a heartbeat but it just seems like too much effort if I can avoid getting my account suspended in the first place. If anyone has gotten their account suspended, what was it for and how can I avoid it?

Along with the risk of account suspension, there is always a risk (although of a lesser degree) of Google killing a product that we rely on a daily basis. As much crazy as it sounds but what's the guarantee that one day Google won't kill Gmail, especially when considering the history Google has killing much-loved products like Google Reader?

Re: Why I Quit Using Google

#120

Post by sgarman »

undershirt wrote: post #33

Google Fi lets me text and call people from my computer if i lose my phone (through Hangouts). Not sure there's a replacement for that.

There are some options like pushbullet that come close; but I think that relies on our phone being on and having a connection.
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