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What I use instead of Google services

gabrielweinberg.com

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Re: What I use instead of Google services

#261

Post by CalRobert »

cik wrote: post #32
ape4 wrote: post #5

I was hoping this was suggestions for services you can host yourself. Switching from Google to Apple doesn't really change much.

Maybe I can oblige here then :) owncloud, owncloud, owncloud! It has CalDAV, CardDAV, and files support. There's even a rudimentary (though scary) online editor with support for openoffice. I use two-factor with owncloud, and happily share files, too. And... it supports an encrypted backend!. Now, if you're happy to host your own mail, you can also look at adding RoundCube. This can solve the Calendar/Contacts/Email/…

Another happy owncloud user here, though the funny thing is what I want it for is specifically NOT syncing - in fact, I don't like that it even tries to sync folders. I mostly want a media player/NAS/photo gallery/mail server (though I might just install a mail server separate from owncloud; I'd still want a webmail interface though).

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#262

Post by icantthinkofone »

pyre wrote: post #239
icantthinkofone wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like many here, you are pretending that happens, and it doesn't. Too many are living that lie.

Just because something isn't currently happening doesn't mean that it won't. You're ignoring the fact that the data isn't transient. It persists into the future, at which point these things can (and probably will ) happen. It's like arguing in favor of a monarchy just because the current ruler is just, competent and benevolent; while ignoring the possibility that the next ruler will be violent and vicious.

Just because something isn't currently happening doesn't mean it will either. You're ignoring the fact that, if Google started abusing your information, people would stream away from them in droves and Google is more than aware of that.

Your monarchy analogy doesn't work either because, in a monarchy, you don't have the choice of leaving it other than leaving the country. With Google, and every other internet company (they all track you), you can leave on a whim.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#263

Post by Aoyagi »

khc wrote: post #248
andersonvom wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if knowing you prefer Ethiopian coffee would make your insurance company charge you more because statistically these people are more prone to medical issues? Would you tell them in a heart beat? The pendulum swings both ways, and this is the reason why all of this should be opt-in.

Should insurance companies charge smokers more because statistically those people are more prone to medical issues?

Uh... yes? Obese people as well. And alcoholics. It works with cars, why wouldn't it work with humans?

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#264

Post by victorhooi »

DanBC wrote: post #259
victorhooi wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See, I don't get the whole furor over this. Most people just seem to be using it to join the Oh Noes, Google is Evil crowd without actually explaining how it negatively affects them personally. I've always just used my real name online - so instead of having an email address like sexy_asian_chick88@hotmail.com, I just used my name. It's a little less embarrassing when you have to give it to people, and I sort of got…

Great - it works for you. But you go further and claim that it must then work for everybody. > I've always just used my real name online - so instead of having an email address like sexy_asian_chick88@hotmail.com, I just used my name. It's a little less embarrassing when you have to give it to people, and I sort of got over those sorts of email addresses in grade 5. You can't see the value of bob@corp.example.com and…

You've just listed several groups of people who are discriminated against. I certainly feel for these people.

However, this appears orthogonal to the issue of whether YouTube (a public forum) requires posters to use their actual name, and not a fake name.

I mean, think about it - is a public forum the sort of place that you would want to be posting private content you don't want linked to you?

If I was an oppressed person, and wanted to talk to somebody - friends, family, counsellor - there are other mediums available. I mean, gosh, I could meet up in person? Or I could pick up a telephone? (Assuming my enemies weren't the NSA.) I could write them a letter? I could send them an encrypted email. The list goes on.

What benefit do I possibly gain from publicly outing myself on a public forum, fake name or not? Why not use a private forum?

If I was an oppressed person, and I wanted to vent in my own community - there are private gated ways I could do this. There are real life meetups. We could meet in a coffee shop. There are private discussion forums, where you control the servers. There are Usenet groups etc.

I really don't get people's obsession with posting everything publicly by default. It's like people posting every time they do a poo on their Twitter feed - why?

Or let's look at one of your examples - people with embarrassing diseases. Is this where people with symptoms refuse to see a doctor, but would rather post on a online forum, so that anybody can chime in with their opinion? Have you seen some of the idiocy that's spouted in these forums? shakes head. Dude, go see your doctor, seriously. Firstly, it's guaranteed to be confidential, and secondly, this is somebody you're paying for their professional opinion, as opposed to some guy in their mum's basement having watched too many episodes of House M.D., and posting under the alias Dr_John_Hopkin_MD.

Or say you were filing a victim's report. The police aren't exactly going to say to you - oh, you need to file a police report? Gosh, you should do it in a...YouTube comment! You will go into a police station, and fill in a paper report.

The world would be a better place if people learnt to live a little less online, and didn't default to public-view on everything.

....

I don't see how this is related

If it's public, it's public. Eventually, it will probably be linked back to you.

If they want to talk among their communiti

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#265

Post by jusben1369 »

throwaway7808 wrote: post #203
jusben1369 wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One can't live ones live today driven by an assumption that they'll be ruled by a totalitarian government in the future. Your mind is already trapped; you're effectively living in fear today that one day in the future you'll be living in fear.

Most likely you and your kids are gonna be wiped out by intellegent machines just in a few decades.

Better have fun now then!

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#266

Post by deepGem »

nickonline wrote: post #189
dirtyaura wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are you talking about? Of 12-14 services he listed, 4 were from Apple (iOS, Mobile Safari, Apple Maps for directions, and iCloud for Calendar sync). And quite likely, he is not paranoidily avoiding Google, but partly experimenting as he is running one of the very few companies that are directly trying to compete with Google in search.

Just going from your examples above: - Safari/iOS will let Apple know you're in a market for a house - Safari will let Apple know you like Ethiopain coffee - Also it will probably allow them to track your searches - Along with Calendar sync and maps Apple knows both where you are currently and where you'll be next While not all of his eggs are in one basket, there's an awful lot of them providing an awful lot of "tra…

You gotta be kidding me here. You don't explicitly have to login to any Apple service when you are using Safari. However, when you are using Chrome - somehow if you login to Gmail you are logged in to the browser. You login to gmail on Safari, you are logged in only to gmail. There's a difference. Sorry I don't mean to be offensive but this aspect shouldn't be overlooked.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#267

Post by sroerick »

astrocat wrote: post #75

> "Like most people, I don't like to be tracked. I also am the founder of the search engine that doesn't track you, DuckDuckGo." It pains me to hear intelligent people talk about being "tracked" as something "bad" a priori. While there are certainly plenty of examples of abuse of knowledge, I tend to think of most "tracking" not as "stalking" but as "relationship building." Let me explain... Google is a service provi…

> While there are certainly plenty of examples of abuse of knowledge, I tend to think of most "tracking" not as "stalking" but as "relationship building."

Not to accuse you of anything, but I would imagine that this is what most stalkers think, as well.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#268

Post by sesqu »

wyclif wrote: post #255
lubujackson wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And Google has already misused their trust with Google+ and the YouTube "real name" integration. As the integration becomes more complete, the ramifications of subtle changes become more problematic and hard to predict.

Google+ dropped the real name policy a long time ago.

The policy was dropped 7 weeks ago.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#269

Post by sesqu »

ndomin wrote: post #252
dskhatri wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

His point is more about not putting all your eggs in one basket; you certainly don't tell your barista about an upcoming physician's appointment, or that you are in the market for a house. Your barista is also disconnected from parties who may leverage the information you provide him/her. Similarly, you don't tell your broker that you prefer Ethiopian coffee. Google offers so many services that it has a much broader…

Except maybe your barista happens to know a real estate agent and will get you an amazing deal on a new house. Something you might not have gotten if you didn't tell them...

Sure sucks for the real estate agents who don't network with baristas, though.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#270

Post by stonogo »

astrocat wrote: post #75

> "Like most people, I don't like to be tracked. I also am the founder of the search engine that doesn't track you, DuckDuckGo." It pains me to hear intelligent people talk about being "tracked" as something "bad" a priori. While there are certainly plenty of examples of abuse of knowledge, I tend to think of most "tracking" not as "stalking" but as "relationship building." Let me explain... Google is a service provi…

Pervasive surveillence is too high a price to pay for the convenience of being able to type "hash salt" instead of "hash salt computers".

"Relationships" are built by two people, not by one person being followed around the entire interney by a multibillion dollar international conglomerate.

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