6 ms·

I find it curious, because only of of them produces something I use everyday - Microsoft. It's more like the "Ubiquitous One and the Take Or Leave 'Em Four."

I find it curious, because only of of them produces something I use everyday - Microsoft. It's more like the "Ubiquitous One and the Take Or Leave 'Em Four." And even Microsoft doesn't "dominate" my digital life. I think it's about the choices you make. You're choosing to be dominated. Maybe you get some benefits using those companies (Prime looks good sometimes), but you don't have to be involved with any of them. That's not domination.

pinkunicorn 11y ago
I'm surprised, you don't Google everyday? Not even once?
- cognivore 11y ago
  I was actually discussing this the other day with friends. I use duckduckgo.com for searching, Firefox for a browser 95% of the time, I don't use my Gmail or G+ hardly at all anymore, and the one thing I really like from Google, the Picassa desktop app, I don't use every day, more like every couple of weeks (or longer) when I update my website. It's not a conscious decision (well, except for the searching part - I like the no tracking on DDG) - Google just doesn't offer things I need.
  - pinkunicorn 11y ago
    Pretty interesting I must say. Maps? Oh my I'm just entrenched into Google products.
Noughmad 11y ago
On the other hand, I use many Google's services (starting with search and mail), but not much from the other four. However, we are not really representative of most people. One has to actively search for OS-es other than Windows or OSX, one has to actively for email providers other than Google or MS, and it's downright impossible to get a smartphone without any of them. The large majority of computer and internet users just (correctly) choose the most popular option. The second thing is that you can often choose one of those five, but it's much harder to go without any of them. When you use Bing instead of Google, or AWS insteaf od Azure, or Android instead of iPhone, you're not really escaping their stranglehold. You're just shifting the balance of power between those five.
chrisseaton 11y ago
I'd be very surprised if you weren't using an AWS server many times a day every day.
- cafard 11y ago
  Indeed. When I was troubleshooting a DNS problem last year, I was astonished at how much of the web seems to run on AWS.
- cognivore 11y ago
  That's a good point I hadn't thought of - and you're right. I probably do unintentionally, inadvertently, or, I'm not sure how to say it, but I don't mind, I'm just not conscious of it. So still, it just doesn't seem like "domination" to me. Yeah, so some of the services I use use AWS. They probably could choose one of a bucket load of web service services out there. Sure seems like there is a lot of choice in that market.
  - metaphorm 11y ago
    AWS has competitors to be sure, but they are definitely dominant in that space.
woah 11y ago
I'm the other way around- I have Apple devices (used to have something running Android), use Facebook, and doubtless send many requests to services on AWS every day. I can't say I really have any interaction with Microsoft other than Stackoverflow's .NET servers.
- epimetheus 11y ago
  To be honest though, it's like saying "The train companies don't have any influence on my life because I never take the train anywhere." It's still there, in the background, affecting your life in some ways. If you are in the US, it's likely your state and local governments are using MS technologies for their IT infrastructure. MS is still huge, and possibly on the decline for the average consumer, but government, and many business are very reliant and spend a lot of money as well as time on products and training.

pinkunicorn 11y ago

I'm surprised, you don't Google everyday? Not even once?

cognivore 11y ago
I was actually discussing this the other day with friends. I use duckduckgo.com for searching, Firefox for a browser 95% of the time, I don't use my Gmail or G+ hardly at all anymore, and the one thing I really like from Google, the Picassa desktop app, I don't use every day, more like every couple of weeks (or longer) when I update my website. It's not a conscious decision (well, except for the searching part - I like the no tracking on DDG) - Google just doesn't offer things I need.
- pinkunicorn 11y ago
  Pretty interesting I must say. Maps? Oh my I'm just entrenched into Google products.

Noughmad 11y ago

On the other hand, I use many Google's services (starting with search and mail), but not much from the other four. However, we are not really representative of most people. One has to actively search for OS-es other than Windows or OSX, one has to actively for email providers other than Google or MS, and it's downright impossible to get a smartphone without any of them. The large majority of computer and internet users just (correctly) choose the most popular option. The second thing is that you can often choose one of those five, but it's much harder to go without any of them. When you use Bing instead of Google, or AWS insteaf od Azure, or Android instead of iPhone, you're not really escaping their stranglehold. You're just shifting the balance of power between those five.

chrisseaton 11y ago

I'd be very surprised if you weren't using an AWS server many times a day every day.

cafard 11y ago
Indeed. When I was troubleshooting a DNS problem last year, I was astonished at how much of the web seems to run on AWS.
cognivore 11y ago
That's a good point I hadn't thought of - and you're right. I probably do unintentionally, inadvertently, or, I'm not sure how to say it, but I don't mind, I'm just not conscious of it. So still, it just doesn't seem like "domination" to me. Yeah, so some of the services I use use AWS. They probably could choose one of a bucket load of web service services out there. Sure seems like there is a lot of choice in that market.
- metaphorm 11y ago
  AWS has competitors to be sure, but they are definitely dominant in that space.

woah 11y ago

I'm the other way around- I have Apple devices (used to have something running Android), use Facebook, and doubtless send many requests to services on AWS every day. I can't say I really have any interaction with Microsoft other than Stackoverflow's .NET servers.

epimetheus 11y ago
To be honest though, it's like saying "The train companies don't have any influence on my life because I never take the train anywhere." It's still there, in the background, affecting your life in some ways. If you are in the US, it's likely your state and local governments are using MS technologies for their IT infrastructure. MS is still huge, and possibly on the decline for the average consumer, but government, and many business are very reliant and spend a lot of money as well as time on products and training.