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You can go a long way to blocking a lot of these by using some alternatives: * Using DuckDuckGo (https://duckduckgo.com/ https://duckduckgo.com/). It is reall

You can go a long way to blocking a lot of these by using some alternatives: * Using DuckDuckGo (https://duckduckgo.com/ https://duckduckgo.com/). It is really decent and has good desktop and mobile integration. * Using a browser like Brave (https://www.brave.com/ https://www.brave.com/) that blocks trackers etc. Android app is superb. * Using a Maps replacement like OSM (https://www.openstreetmap.org https://www.openstreetmap.org) on desktop and OsmAnd on mobile (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand) * Pay in cash, or pay using pre-paid credit cards that you change every couple of months. * For real paranoia, get a VPN app and pick a new country & server every day. Email is harder if you are emailing people who use gmail. For what it is worth, as of June 2017 gmail no longer scans email content for ads (in both commercial and consumer/free gmail - https://www.blog.google/products/gmail/g-suite-gains-traction-in-the-enterprise-g-suites-gmail-and-consumer-gmail-to-more-closely-align/ https://www.blog.google/products/gmail/g-suite-gains-tractio...) Personally I use my inbox as my calendar - dont think you're missing much by just not using calendar at all unless you have a very, very hectic schedule. I deleted my facebook account many years ago. I've not missed it.

benevol 9y ago
And don't forget to protect yourself against browser and device fingerprint tracking.
- mattlondon 9y ago
  I think that brave is working on anti-fingerprinting stuff too: https://brave.com/bebraveday/ https://brave.com/bebraveday/
glandium 9y ago
> For what it is worth, as of June 2017 gmail no longer scans email content for ads The important part of that sentence is "for ads". Obviously, they don't do antispam out of thin air, they still have to scan email for it.
- shubb 9y ago
  Lately, they are offering quite good context sensitive caned responses. For instance I got an email earlier confirming a cancellation due to illness. It suggested I respond 'Thank you for your understanding'. That's some quite good natural language stuff running on every email, presumably building a model.
  - Neliquat 9y ago
    No they arent. Out of 7 groups of 3 responses, less than 4 were even semantically valid, and those at no time were relevant.
  - statguy 9y ago
    Yes, some details are here: https://research.googleblog.com/2015/11/computer-respond-to-this-email.html https://research.googleblog.com/2015/11/computer-respond-to-... https://research.googleblog.com/2017/05/efficient-smart-reply-now-for-gmail.html https://research.googleblog.com/2017/05/efficient-smart-repl...
pxeboot 9y ago
Thanks. I have been using Firefox + uBlock on Android, but Brave seems to run much better on my non-flagship smartphone.
mattmanser 9y ago
I've been trying to use DDG for the last 6 months. Ultimately I'd say 40% of my queries I now just force google with '!g' instead. I was quite bullish on it 6 months ago, but must admit that after 6 months, anything complex I !g straightaway.
- kerkeslager 9y ago
  This is taking "but it's so convenient to give up my privacy!" to a new level. Now it's "but if I don't give up my privacy can't micro-optimize my life!"? For framework configuration questions just search Stack(Overflow|Exchange) directly. For local results append the name of your city.
  - mattmanser 9y ago
    Generally speaking SO's search (and reddit, and HN, etc.) are far worse than Google's.
- StavrosK 9y ago
  I've had the opposite experience. I've been using it for many months and I only !g code searches or searches where DDG's results were disappointing, most of which end up disappointing on Google as well.
  - mattmanser 9y ago
    I find that hard to believe if you're a programmer, as any complex programming question !g is almost always better. As well as anything local. If you search for a fairly common venue name, google will always get you a much better result.
    - et1337 9y ago
      I've also used DuckDuckGo for years now, often for programming questions, and the handful of times I've resorted to !g it was 50/50 as to whether Google had better results.
    - 9y ago
j_s 9y ago
Not sure how far along this project is, but MicroG intends to replace Google Play Services as their core invasion of privacy on Android devices. https://microg.org/ https://microg.org/ | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12864429 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12864429
wfunction 9y ago
I just installed Brave. Then I realized it doesn't allow Chrome extensions? I have so many ranging from email notifiers to cookie opt-outs to my own custom extensions for security and usability (like one that colors usernames on HN, for example)... how should I give all those up just to use a different browser?
- jaflo 9y ago
  I think this is more about mobile browser choice (Chrome on Android has no extension support). On desktop, Firefox and Chromium are nice alternatives.
a_imho 9y ago
Pay in cash Lately I've been wondering whether I should withdraw most of my money from the bank. Any serious drawback to that approach? For one, I don't like my transactions being tracked and two, find it outrageous I have to pay various fees to use/access my money while it is used to enrich others.
- danielbln 9y ago
  Think long and hard about secure storage then. Fireproof safe, bolted to the wall, at the least. Also, carrying wads of cash with you when you travel is a security risk, either via theft, or just by losing it.
- ibejoeb 9y ago
  You can address your two problems without dropping the bank. You should be quite able to find a bank or credit union that will hold your money without charging a fee. Where are you? You can still use cash to avoid tracking, and you can even thwart forensics by making regular uniform withdrawals. The neat thing is that patterning like this makes you less susceptible to analysis but far more susceptible to getting mugged because now we know that you pull $400 every Tuesday at 3pm. Pick your poison.
- jff 9y ago
  > find it outrageous I have to pay various fees to use/access my money while it is used to enrich others. Where are you banking? My bank pays me interest, even on my checking account, and I don't need to worry about a burglar taking all my savings. There's no reason you can't keep your money at the bank, stop using credit cards, and pay everything in cash; all the bank will know is that you withdraw $200 every week.

benevol 9y ago

And don't forget to protect yourself against browser and device fingerprint tracking.

mattlondon 9y ago
I think that brave is working on anti-fingerprinting stuff too: https://brave.com/bebraveday/ https://brave.com/bebraveday/

glandium 9y ago

> For what it is worth, as of June 2017 gmail no longer scans email content for ads The important part of that sentence is "for ads". Obviously, they don't do antispam out of thin air, they still have to scan email for it.

shubb 9y ago
Lately, they are offering quite good context sensitive caned responses. For instance I got an email earlier confirming a cancellation due to illness. It suggested I respond 'Thank you for your understanding'. That's some quite good natural language stuff running on every email, presumably building a model.
- Neliquat 9y ago
  No they arent. Out of 7 groups of 3 responses, less than 4 were even semantically valid, and those at no time were relevant.
- statguy 9y ago
  Yes, some details are here: https://research.googleblog.com/2015/11/computer-respond-to-this-email.html https://research.googleblog.com/2015/11/computer-respond-to-... https://research.googleblog.com/2017/05/efficient-smart-reply-now-for-gmail.html https://research.googleblog.com/2017/05/efficient-smart-repl...

pxeboot 9y ago

Thanks. I have been using Firefox + uBlock on Android, but Brave seems to run much better on my non-flagship smartphone.

mattmanser 9y ago

I've been trying to use DDG for the last 6 months. Ultimately I'd say 40% of my queries I now just force google with '!g' instead. I was quite bullish on it 6 months ago, but must admit that after 6 months, anything complex I !g straightaway.

kerkeslager 9y ago
This is taking "but it's so convenient to give up my privacy!" to a new level. Now it's "but if I don't give up my privacy can't micro-optimize my life!"? For framework configuration questions just search Stack(Overflow|Exchange) directly. For local results append the name of your city.
- mattmanser 9y ago
  Generally speaking SO's search (and reddit, and HN, etc.) are far worse than Google's.
StavrosK 9y ago
I've had the opposite experience. I've been using it for many months and I only !g code searches or searches where DDG's results were disappointing, most of which end up disappointing on Google as well.
- mattmanser 9y ago
  I find that hard to believe if you're a programmer, as any complex programming question !g is almost always better. As well as anything local. If you search for a fairly common venue name, google will always get you a much better result.
  - et1337 9y ago
    I've also used DuckDuckGo for years now, often for programming questions, and the handful of times I've resorted to !g it was 50/50 as to whether Google had better results.
  - 9y ago

j_s 9y ago

Not sure how far along this project is, but MicroG intends to replace Google Play Services as their core invasion of privacy on Android devices. https://microg.org/ https://microg.org/ | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12864429 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12864429

wfunction 9y ago

I just installed Brave. Then I realized it doesn't allow Chrome extensions? I have so many ranging from email notifiers to cookie opt-outs to my own custom extensions for security and usability (like one that colors usernames on HN, for example)... how should I give all those up just to use a different browser?

jaflo 9y ago
I think this is more about mobile browser choice (Chrome on Android has no extension support). On desktop, Firefox and Chromium are nice alternatives.

a_imho 9y ago

Pay in cash Lately I've been wondering whether I should withdraw most of my money from the bank. Any serious drawback to that approach? For one, I don't like my transactions being tracked and two, find it outrageous I have to pay various fees to use/access my money while it is used to enrich others.

danielbln 9y ago
Think long and hard about secure storage then. Fireproof safe, bolted to the wall, at the least. Also, carrying wads of cash with you when you travel is a security risk, either via theft, or just by losing it.
ibejoeb 9y ago
You can address your two problems without dropping the bank. You should be quite able to find a bank or credit union that will hold your money without charging a fee. Where are you? You can still use cash to avoid tracking, and you can even thwart forensics by making regular uniform withdrawals. The neat thing is that patterning like this makes you less susceptible to analysis but far more susceptible to getting mugged because now we know that you pull $400 every Tuesday at 3pm. Pick your poison.
jff 9y ago
> find it outrageous I have to pay various fees to use/access my money while it is used to enrich others. Where are you banking? My bank pays me interest, even on my checking account, and I don't need to worry about a burglar taking all my savings. There's no reason you can't keep your money at the bank, stop using credit cards, and pay everything in cash; all the bank will know is that you withdraw $200 every week.