5 ms·

Honestly, for me, the hardest one to replace is YouTube. I think the best I can do is to create an account specifically for it + use firefox containers.

thehermit 6y ago
Same, I'm rid of Google except for Youtube. There are just too many creators I follow there that I really enjoy to give it up. A few upload their videos to Patreon (usually for early access) and I think if I ever manage to ditch Youtube that is how it's going to happen.
kgwxd 6y ago
Do you post content there or just subscribe and/or comment? If just sub/comment, you can use an RSS reader to "subscribe" to channels and give up commenting.
redvenom 6y ago
I think there is also a difference between lock in and just using a service. If your primary email is Gmail, it's hard to switch and it's worse than YouTube. With YouTube, if Google decides to lock you out, you can more easily move to PeerTube or another service. I also recommend that if you create content for YouTube, you also upload it elsewhere.
- jimmaswell 6y ago
  Switching from gmail and forwarding to your new address sounds easy unless you insist on deleting it and changing every account referencing the old email.
  - arsenico 6y ago
    Forwarding to a new address doesn’t solve the whole Google problem, as GMail still stores and processes all your emails.
- beached_whale 6y ago
  Your final point is the pertinent one. Without content elsewhere that is interesting and easy to find, there will be no alternatives.
baxtr 6y ago
YouTube UX has gotten really bad. I don’t know where to start. Auto continue eg or the fact that you can’t continue watching in the background on your smartphone unless you pay. But I agree it can’t be replaced currently
- jimmaswell 6y ago
  Background watching has suddenly started working for me on Firefox on Android recently.
- 8note 6y ago
  The broken back button has to be the worst thing on the YouTube UXthough jumping video ads out of the comments section is also a huge pain though I can see how it's more profitable
ttt0 6y ago
mpv + youtube-dl and RSS as replacement for subscriptions.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

thehermit 6y ago

Same, I'm rid of Google except for Youtube. There are just too many creators I follow there that I really enjoy to give it up. A few upload their videos to Patreon (usually for early access) and I think if I ever manage to ditch Youtube that is how it's going to happen.

kgwxd 6y ago

Do you post content there or just subscribe and/or comment? If just sub/comment, you can use an RSS reader to "subscribe" to channels and give up commenting.

redvenom 6y ago

I think there is also a difference between lock in and just using a service. If your primary email is Gmail, it's hard to switch and it's worse than YouTube. With YouTube, if Google decides to lock you out, you can more easily move to PeerTube or another service. I also recommend that if you create content for YouTube, you also upload it elsewhere.

jimmaswell 6y ago
Switching from gmail and forwarding to your new address sounds easy unless you insist on deleting it and changing every account referencing the old email.
- arsenico 6y ago
  Forwarding to a new address doesn’t solve the whole Google problem, as GMail still stores and processes all your emails.
beached_whale 6y ago
Your final point is the pertinent one. Without content elsewhere that is interesting and easy to find, there will be no alternatives.

baxtr 6y ago

YouTube UX has gotten really bad. I don’t know where to start. Auto continue eg or the fact that you can’t continue watching in the background on your smartphone unless you pay. But I agree it can’t be replaced currently

jimmaswell 6y ago
Background watching has suddenly started working for me on Firefox on Android recently.
8note 6y ago
The broken back button has to be the worst thing on the YouTube UXthough jumping video ads out of the comments section is also a huge pain though I can see how it's more profitable

ttt0 6y ago

mpv + youtube-dl and RSS as replacement for subscriptions.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]