4 ms·

Every time I read one of these articles about cutting Google out, it becomes quickly apparent that the author uses the internet primarily as an entertainment or

Every time I read one of these articles about cutting Google out, it becomes quickly apparent that the author uses the internet primarily as an entertainment or social platform which isn't my use case. I'm old school, I use the internet as an information resource. As such good search results are paramount. Try as they might, but other search engines are nowhere as comprehensive as Googles. As long as I flex advanced search queries and ignore/adblock all the sponsored rubbish, Googles results always get me what I need, unlike any of the others. I can't see me switching away from Google search anytime soon. I have never trusted cloud storage, so I'm not as deep into the Google infrastructure as most. I don't even use my Google account for email. Primarily, people have enjoyed Googles services free for years, but now are suddenly saying 'omg, they are using my information for their own purposes!'. There's a very old saying 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth', which basically means if something is free, there WILL be a catch. If having a large corporate spying on you and your data is really an issue, then pay for the same services from a smaller independent outfit. You'll be supporting smaller business, and as a paying customer have some recourse if they sell your data. IF like me, ditching Google completely is not an option, then you can always mitigate the problem by installing an adBlocker (white-list those smaller sites!) and an automatic cookie eraser.

fwn 6y ago
I realized that most of my searches are completely trivial. (Calculations, common sites, etc.) I switched from Google to DDG and told myself to just Google whenever a result isn't optimal. For me it's best of both worlds; Google searches are probably around 10%. > There's a very old saying 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth', which basically means if something is free, there WILL be a catch. Just a small nit-pick: I think the phrase is more about a lack of appreciation than the idea that every gift is necessarily flawed. > Do not unappreciatively question a gift or handout too closely. [...] Related terms beggars can't be choosers Src.: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_look_a_gift_horse_in_the_mouth https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_look_a_gift_horse_in_...
chansiky 6y ago
Its not so much about the removal of google for the sake of privacy for me. I think part of it is the way that google caters answers to you, and in a very weak way setting off your mind into a feedback loop of your own proclivities. We get developer version search results from google and that can be a good thing, but so do the flat-earthers and anti-vaxxers. We are polarized in part because google has become omniscient, but when we go there seeking answers, we are told different things.

fwn 6y ago

I realized that most of my searches are completely trivial. (Calculations, common sites, etc.) I switched from Google to DDG and told myself to just Google whenever a result isn't optimal. For me it's best of both worlds; Google searches are probably around 10%. > There's a very old saying 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth', which basically means if something is free, there WILL be a catch. Just a small nit-pick: I think the phrase is more about a lack of appreciation than the idea that every gift is necessarily flawed. > Do not unappreciatively question a gift or handout too closely. [...] Related terms beggars can't be choosers Src.: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_look_a_gift_horse_in_the_mouth https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_look_a_gift_horse_in_...

chansiky 6y ago

Its not so much about the removal of google for the sake of privacy for me. I think part of it is the way that google caters answers to you, and in a very weak way setting off your mind into a feedback loop of your own proclivities. We get developer version search results from google and that can be a good thing, but so do the flat-earthers and anti-vaxxers. We are polarized in part because google has become omniscient, but when we go there seeking answers, we are told different things.