> Could you ditch them? Yes, of course. All of them. I was alive before those companies existed, and life was more pleasant then in many ways. I already use Li

> Could you ditch them? Yes, of course. All of them. I was alive before those companies existed, and life was more pleasant then in many ways. I already use Linux. Google Search is a difficult one to replace in this line of work. Google Maps is especially useful for people who tend to get lost, but I think it's also bad for people's brains, because it takes cognitive load off of the brain's navigation system, which is required for many cognitive tasks, including memory.* In any case, there would be other mapping companies to fill the space. * It still needs more research, but this is interesting: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/677048.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/677048.stm