>I like to think I'm a proponent of open source as I try to contribute but to be honest I don't actually think it really matters for Android to be independent o

>I like to think I'm a proponent of open source as I try to contribute but to be honest I don't actually think it really matters for Android to be independent of Google services because as far as I can tell, most people like Android with Google services? People like Google services, but they're less enthusiastic about Google's data collection practices. My father, who is now retired from a career in semiconductor manufacturing and programming, was unaware of Google's practice of monitor users' credit cards [0] and was visibly uncomfortable when he was made aware of it. Google's terms of service were effectively changed in a manner that harmed him, but he has no recourse. Google services are frequently useful, but let's not pretend that there are other good choices. Google offers their apps for free, and has immediate access to approximately one billion Android devices by mandating an app's inclusion. That's an impossibly high barrier for all but the largest companies. [0]: http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-google-ads-tracking-20170523-story.html http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-google-a...