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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

#291

Post by quoiquoi »

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.

This is what I use:

* Search engine: http://www.seeks-project.info/, https://github.com/asciimoo/searx

* Maps: https://github.com/MapBBCode/share.mapbbcode.org/, https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/ (routing, hard to setup)

* Mail: https://roundcube.net, http://rainloop.net, https://www.mailpile.is/ (the hard part is getting the mail server right)

* Media: https://github.com/sebsauvage/minigalnano (FTP/SSH upload only), http://mediagoblin.org/

See something missing?

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#292

Post by imgabe »

seanflyon wrote: post #289
imgabe wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Potential threat" is an unbounded set. If you're going to guard against every potential threat you will not be able to spend your time doing anything else. I asked because I was curious about what sorts of unique threats are presented by, for example, a database of location data. So far I haven't seen any that aren't already present via far simpler means.

It does not take an unbounded amount of time to simply not give information to an unbounded set. In fact that takes no time at all. The point is not that the world will end if we give away our location data, only that doing so has a non-zero cost.

If you have a cell phone, it is constantly pinging nearby cell towers. If it has wifi, it is pinging nearby wireless networks. That information is out there, waiting to be collected. If you want to go without the benefits of a cell phone to avoid whatever threat is posed by somebody knowing where you were at some point in time, go for it. I think it's a waste of time.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#293

Post by victorhooi »

twobits wrote: post #285
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…

"so instead of having an email address like sexy_asian_chick88@hotmail.com, I just used my name. It's a little less embarrassing" Nice, loaded example. Strange you didn't use "I'm a naive idiot" as an email example, to "explain" why using your real name would be better. ..And, btw: Sexy asian chick? Pics or it didn't happen. "And really, what am I writing online that is so private and secretive that I need to firewal…

I'm not sure if that's an ad-hominem, but I'll bite.

Yes, I am boring - I'm not afraid to admit it.

I am just another of the 6 billion or so souls floating in this rock in space. I don't think of myself as a special snowflake, or as some secret government operative, or somebody who's smarter than all the plebs around me. And I sleep perfectly fine knowing that =). You use the word herd follower as if it's some kind of grave insult?

I'm not an anarchist, nor am I V from V for Vendetta. Ergo, my argument, I don't really have any issues with people seeing what I post online, since most of it's just banal rubbish. You're not going to get any national secrets from reading all of my online postings.

I have friends who are paranoid with security/privacy - and I respect them for that, I just don't understand it. I'm more likely to be the target of an online spammer or phishing attack, than a government agent trying to see if I am against the Party.

However, _if_ I were an anarchist, do you really think I'd be posting my secret plans to overthrow the US government on a YouTube comment?

This is precisely my point, everybody seems to be making a mountain out of a molehill. Who cares if Google makes you actually identify yourself when you comment on the 50 billionth cat video.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#294

Post by x0x0 »

nmjenkins wrote: post #251
x0x0 wrote: post #243

Is there a good, paid, gmail alternative with the same conversations, labels, keyboard controls, and decent search? Ideally with both webmail, calendar, and an app? Also, ideally not associated with microsoft, yahoo, or even the valley? I keep seeing fastmail but it looks like just another email provider. I keep pondering creating a service like this for say $40/year, but I'd rather to it than build it. I'm currently…

FastMail has conversations, keyboard controls and decent search, with both webmail and calendar and is $40/year for a 15GB account… (Disclaimer: I work for FastMail. But seriously, it sounds like we might be just what you're looking for).

thank you; when I looked at your site it didn't seem like mail had gmail conversations

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#295

Post by seanflyon »

imgabe wrote: post #292
seanflyon wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does not take an unbounded amount of time to simply not give information to an unbounded set. In fact that takes no time at all. The point is not that the world will end if we give away our location data, only that doing so has a non-zero cost.

If you have a cell phone, it is constantly pinging nearby cell towers. If it has wifi, it is pinging nearby wireless networks. That information is out there, waiting to be collected. If you want to go without the benefits of a cell phone to avoid whatever threat is posed by somebody knowing where you were at some point in time, go for it. I think it's a waste of time.

I think there has been some confusion here. When I said that "The point is not that the world will end if we give away our location data, only that doing so has a non-zero cost" what I meant was that the point is not that the world will end if we give away our location data, only that doing so has a non-zero cost.

Cell phones are like cars, they are very useful but also have their downsides (cell phones reduce privacy, cars kill people). I have a cell phone and a car because I made a decision that the cost was worth the benefit. I did not need to delude myself into thinking there was no cost nor did I need to pretend that the cost was inevitable.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#297

Post by robn_fastmail »

b3n wrote: post #254
nmjenkins wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FastMail has conversations, keyboard controls and decent search, with both webmail and calendar and is $40/year for a 15GB account… (Disclaimer: I work for FastMail. But seriously, it sounds like we might be just what you're looking for).

Only issue I have with FastMail is they don't accept Bitcoin.

We're actually testing bitcoin payments at the moment. If you want to take the time to contact support, we can tell you how to use it.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#298

Post by twobits »

victorhooi wrote: post #293
twobits wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"so instead of having an email address like sexy_asian_chick88@hotmail.com, I just used my name. It's a little less embarrassing" Nice, loaded example. Strange you didn't use "I'm a naive idiot" as an email example, to "explain" why using your real name would be better. ..And, btw: Sexy asian chick? Pics or it didn't happen. "And really, what am I writing online that is so private and secretive that I need to firewal…

I'm not sure if that's an ad-hominem, but I'll bite. Yes, I am boring - I'm not afraid to admit it. I am just another of the 6 billion or so souls floating in this rock in space. I don't think of myself as a special snowflake, or as some secret government operative, or somebody who's smarter than all the plebs around me. And I sleep perfectly fine knowing that =). You use the word herd follower as if it's some kind o…

There are other things besides youtube, and there are other things besides cat videos.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#299

Post by imgabe »

seanflyon wrote: post #295
imgabe wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have a cell phone, it is constantly pinging nearby cell towers. If it has wifi, it is pinging nearby wireless networks. That information is out there, waiting to be collected. If you want to go without the benefits of a cell phone to avoid whatever threat is posed by somebody knowing where you were at some point in time, go for it. I think it's a waste of time.

I think there has been some confusion here. When I said that "The point is not that the world will end if we give away our location data, only that doing so has a non-zero cost" what I meant was that the point is not that the world will end if we give away our location data, only that doing so has a non-zero cost. Cell phones are like cars, they are very useful but also have their downsides (cell phones reduce privac…

The threat of a comprehensive database of everywhere I've been is extremely minimal. There's not much someone can do with that that they couldn't do without it. If some whackjob want to wait for me to turn the corner so he can hit me with a sock full of nickels or something, he's not going to get a database of everywhere I've been over the past two years and hang around the coffee shop that I have an 84% chance of visiting on the third Thursday of odd numbered months. He's just going to look up my address and wait in the bushes outside.

Re: What I use instead of Google services

#300

Post by [deleted] »

twobits wrote: post #288
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.

"One can't live ones live today driven by an assumption that they'll be ruled by a totalitarian government in the future." You may have heard it, but humans have this shit called "intelligence". It's some times used to predict future outcomes. (Yeah, I didn't believe this shit neither, the first time I heard about it. But please, do look it up online.)

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