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I'd like to hear about other Hacker News readers experiences trying to quit the "Big 5"! What do you do if your spouse/friends/work aren't on board?

smileypete 8y ago
On my phone I just use a throwaway google account, mainly to access the play store for apps. I do have a VNC client (bVNC), very handy if I need something on the PC. For the PC I try to avoid using anything by MS except the OS itself and the usual simple apps like Notepad, Paint. I do have a Google account but mainly for email; after the Gmail redesign I'm giving Eudora a try(!) love the quaint but effective UI. Don't have Facebook, very rarely shop on Amazon, don't have any Apple stuff. I haven't starved yet... :¬) BTW on HN I try and avoid the usual FAANG articles, and pay more attention to the stuff that falls into the cracks, for me that's where the gems lie. (However HN can be too much of a good thing, so I try and only skim it for articles very first thing in the morning, then read a few of them throughout the day.)
ezoe 8y ago
Apple: It's easy not to directly use the Apple products. But my friend, colleagues, service providers use it. So although I'm not directly using the Apple products, my private information still captured by Apple. Do I have to boycott them too? Microsoft: I can live without directly using Microsoft product. But do I have to refuse the websites and service hosted on Azure? Avoid people who use Microsoft products? Also, Microsoft made a lot of code contribution to Linux kernel. Do I have to boycott the Linux kernel too? Google: Like how? Most of the network traffic goes through Google even if you don't use Google products and service directly. I have to boycott the Internet itself in order to quit the Google. Facebook: The only company in the Big 5 I can practically avoid whether directly or indirectly. Amazon: Again, I have to boycott all the service which relies on AWS. That's pretty impossible. First of all, If you are using LVFS(Linux Vendor Firmware Service), which most GNU/Linux distributions use, you're relies on AWS.
michelledepeil 8y ago
I've decided to quit as much as possible the big 5, given I can find common sense, functional alternatives. Then I've also made the exception for work, which relies heavily on Google services (Gmail, cal, drive), and GitHub. As far as I'm concerned, that's their data (the company) not mine, so it's their choice and responsibility. For personal life, family and friends, I've simply quit everything. I use Protonmail, wire chat and sms, nextcloud, bitbucket, duckduckgo and Linux mint. I've let everyone know that they can always reach me (email, sms) but if they want more convenient than they should move to a more secure than app (that also isn't run by the big 5). In most cases, everyone has followed, so I've even done a little good for the community. I've supported the librem 5 as soon as it was Kickstarter and plan to move to it entirely when I receive it. I ran lineage OS with microg for a while, but that phone broke and my new one (Moto c plus, incredible hardware for the price btw) can't even have a custom ROM easily. So I'm running normal android, which is bad but temporary.

smileypete 8y ago

On my phone I just use a throwaway google account, mainly to access the play store for apps. I do have a VNC client (bVNC), very handy if I need something on the PC. For the PC I try to avoid using anything by MS except the OS itself and the usual simple apps like Notepad, Paint. I do have a Google account but mainly for email; after the Gmail redesign I'm giving Eudora a try(!) love the quaint but effective UI. Don't have Facebook, very rarely shop on Amazon, don't have any Apple stuff. I haven't starved yet... :¬) BTW on HN I try and avoid the usual FAANG articles, and pay more attention to the stuff that falls into the cracks, for me that's where the gems lie. (However HN can be too much of a good thing, so I try and only skim it for articles very first thing in the morning, then read a few of them throughout the day.)

ezoe 8y ago

Apple: It's easy not to directly use the Apple products. But my friend, colleagues, service providers use it. So although I'm not directly using the Apple products, my private information still captured by Apple. Do I have to boycott them too? Microsoft: I can live without directly using Microsoft product. But do I have to refuse the websites and service hosted on Azure? Avoid people who use Microsoft products? Also, Microsoft made a lot of code contribution to Linux kernel. Do I have to boycott the Linux kernel too? Google: Like how? Most of the network traffic goes through Google even if you don't use Google products and service directly. I have to boycott the Internet itself in order to quit the Google. Facebook: The only company in the Big 5 I can practically avoid whether directly or indirectly. Amazon: Again, I have to boycott all the service which relies on AWS. That's pretty impossible. First of all, If you are using LVFS(Linux Vendor Firmware Service), which most GNU/Linux distributions use, you're relies on AWS.

michelledepeil 8y ago

I've decided to quit as much as possible the big 5, given I can find common sense, functional alternatives. Then I've also made the exception for work, which relies heavily on Google services (Gmail, cal, drive), and GitHub. As far as I'm concerned, that's their data (the company) not mine, so it's their choice and responsibility. For personal life, family and friends, I've simply quit everything. I use Protonmail, wire chat and sms, nextcloud, bitbucket, duckduckgo and Linux mint. I've let everyone know that they can always reach me (email, sms) but if they want more convenient than they should move to a more secure than app (that also isn't run by the big 5). In most cases, everyone has followed, so I've even done a little good for the community. I've supported the librem 5 as soon as it was Kickstarter and plan to move to it entirely when I receive it. I ran lineage OS with microg for a while, but that phone broke and my new one (Moto c plus, incredible hardware for the price btw) can't even have a custom ROM easily. So I'm running normal android, which is bad but temporary.