11 ms·

This makes me anxious about my long time Gmail address. Back then I got it just because it and Google was cool, and their services had a good reputation. It was

by jug 6y ago

This makes me anxious about my long time Gmail address. Back then I got it just because it and Google was cool, and their services had a good reputation. It was a different Google back then. If they had launched it this year I would never have got one because chances are it would have been cancelled by 2025. Gmail is really the only valuable thing that actually ties my life to Google. And it's not that hard to replace, but just a bother to inform some people and update account details.

2malaq 6y ago
Yes, the good old Don't Be Evil days. I've asked so many people if they can remember Google's old slogan. Nobody does.
- romwell 6y ago
  Their new slogan is hilarious. It's not even one slogan, it's three: * Respect the user * Respect the opportunity * Respect each other The first one is obviously a joke, because nothing says "respect the user" like canceling a beloved service with millions of users, or "updating" the product while losing half the features. The last one makes you wonder why they had to put it into a slogan. Isn't it the baseline expectation? It's somewhere on the level of "Don't steal your colleague's belongings" as far as slogans go. But it's the second one that is absolutely the best, and by that, I mean the worst. Orwell would've had a lot to say about it. The thing is, it has absolutely no meaning in the English language. What's next? Say hi to agility? Don't offend capital gains? Console excellence? Of course, it doesn't really matter. The whole thing has a mafia vibe, as Google's slogans and culture are drifting towards loyalty rather than standing up for what's right. -------- If you want to have more fun, look at Google's Community Guidelines[1] Compare to The Mafia Code: * Be loyal to members of the organization. Do not interfere with each other's interest. Do not be an informer. --[Google: Treat our data with care. Don't disseminate NTK information.] * Be rational. Be a member of the team. Don't engage in battle if you can't win. --[Google: follow Three Values, in particular: Respect the opportunity.] * Be a man of honor. Respect womanhood and your elders. Don't rock the boat. --[Google: Do your part to keep Google a safe, productive, and inclusive environment for everyone.] * Be a stand-up guy. Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut. --[Google: Discussions that make other Googlers feel like they don't belong have no place here.] * Have class. Be independent. Know your way around the world. --[Google: You are responsible for your words and your reach.] [1]https://about.google/community-guidelines/ https://about.google/community-guidelines/
  - X6S1x6Okd1st 6y ago
    I can't seem to find many of your examples in the community guidelines
    - romwell 6y ago
      Well, the Mafia code isn't in the community guidelines yet. The rest is literally copy-pasted, Ctrl+F is your friend.
  - TeMPOraL 6y ago
    > Respect the opportunity Honestly, this reads like a Rule of Acquisition. I think Google may be run by Ferengi at this point.
    - Person5478 6y ago
      I would legit watch a Star Trek franchise that had the Ferengi running Big Tech.
    - throwaway3699 6y ago
      It's supposedly about respecting the opportunity Googlers have to work at a big company with resources to change the industry. Like, I get it, but tone deaf...
      - romwell 6y ago
        Not quite. It's about respecting the opportunity of Google to make money. Nobody cares about "changing the industry" if it doesn't "move the needle". And in the end, the needle is neither the number of users, nor the positive impact of the project.
        throwaway3699 6y ago
        That's just an incorrect framing, what I described is at least the corporate overlords wanted to portray. FWIW I have friends who work for Google.
- amelius 6y ago
  Don't Be Evil is so stupid. It's like Disneyworld having the slogan "we won't kill your kids".
  - daemin 6y ago
    Except when a theme park ride malfunctions, maims and kills most of a family in a gruesome fashion. Of course then you cannot sue because you've agreed/signed an arbitration clause in the terms of service.
  - Ashanmaril 6y ago
    It was a funny cute thing when they came up with it cause they were a landmark company built on the web, breaking new grounds in terms of how businesses will be run in the future, sticking it to the establishment, etc etc etc Now they are the establishment. Their power and influence is on par with the US government, so it's an expectation that they should actually not be evil. But they fail at that in the most basic ways and they're not held accountable for it because "they're a private company, they can do what they want!"
  - romwell 6y ago
    I disagree. "Evil" is a subtle point. For example, Google got a lot of flack for literally tracking its users' every move whether or not they consent to do so[1]. Is it "respectful"? Is that "the right thing"? You can justify everything by the value that Google provides. But it's, you know... kind of evil. Sadly, this not something one could refer to anymore in a meeting discussing this issue. [1]https://apnews.com/article/828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb https://apnews.com/article/828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb
warent 6y ago
I've been considering getting a new email address on a personal domain so it can be more portable and I can change providers. Does anyone recommend any alternate providers with custom domains, or some OSS? Is it possible to host your own email server on a NAS or RPi something?
- misframer 6y ago
  I use Fastmail with a personal domain name.
- scrollaway 6y ago
  Do not host your own email unless you really, really want to do that for learning purposes or something similar. You can use fastmail, or if you don't want to lose Gmail's UI you can use GSuite which lets you use a personal domain name.
- ahepp 6y ago
  I switched from gsuite to protonmail, but I kinda wish I had checked out fastmail
- jonbon2 6y ago
  Take a look at migadu.com
  - demurgos 6y ago
    I second this. Migadu has great support and affordable prices. I also like the fact that you can link any number of domains to your account without extra costs.
- insensible 6y ago
  I have done exactly this with Fastmail and my own domain, and the experience was wonderful, as in "why didn't I do this years ago".
  - crocodiletears 6y ago
mtrycz2 6y ago
> It was a different Google back then. No it has always been the same company, and we tried to tell you.
dankboys 6y ago
This is why I use one of the new, privacy-focused email providers instead. It feels like the sweet spot between starting my own server (headache, dropped messages) and being one of a billion Gmail/Outlook users (no-one cares if I don't get email)
- novok 6y ago
  The best thing is using your own domain, then you can change your providers whenever you need to.
ashtonkem 6y ago
I started switching to ProtonMail for this exact reason. It’s not that I’m doing anything that would draw a purposeful or legitimate ban, but they’re so damn capricious that I fear getting my account locked because of a bug and not being able to undo it.
- killtimeatwork 6y ago
  I switched to a combination of ProtonMail AND using a private domain in my email address AND regularly syncing entire mailbox with my desktop client (Thunderbird). This way, if ProtonMail gives me grief, I just set up a new email account with a different provider, point domain entries to it, import my mailbox in there, and can continue as if nothing happened.
- laurent92 6y ago
  Next don’t-be-evil step: Having a Protonmail account proves that you have something to hide! Ban!
theshrike79 6y ago
Start the process of getting out right now. Get an email address that you own, on a domain you control. Switch to a provider that takes your money for whom you are the customer - not the product. I did this with Fastmail and Iki.fi, a Finnish non-profit[1], who have been selling people "permanent" email addresses since 1995. [1] http://www.iki.fi/ http://www.iki.fi/
- krageon 6y ago
  If you get your own domain, get one on a well-known TLD (e.g. .com, .org or your own country code). If you get a gTLD that's not well-known, there are some endpoints that will block you because your email is "not valid".
  - blntechie 6y ago
    Is .dev or .io considered a well-known gTLD by now? I’m in process of setting up email for my .dev domain.
    - JimDabell 6y ago
      Avoid .io; it’s not reliable and raises ethical questions: [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20171113150544/https://getstream.io/blog/stop-using-io-domain-names-for-production-traffic/ https://web.archive.org/web/20171113150544/https://getstream... [1] https://plan.io/blog/moving-from-planio-to-planiocom/ https://plan.io/blog/moving-from-planio-to-planiocom/ [2] http://www.thedarksideof.io http://www.thedarksideof.io
      - darkwater 6y ago
        > [2] http://www.thedarksideof.io http://www.thedarksideof.io Wow, didn't know this story. Imperialism at its finest from the Anglo-saxon world (well, actually started by the French with slavery but that was >200 years ago, I found way worse the decisions took 50 years ago).
    - martinsuchan 6y ago
tinus_hn 6y ago
Make sure you don’t use any of the other services: don’t post to YouTube from that account, don’t share Google Docs, files etc.
echelon 6y ago
What's the best way to back up your data? Google Takeout? Is that easily ingestible into other email programs?
- utucuro 6y ago
  If you intend to keep using Google products, then more or less yeah, periodically. A better way is to start using Fastmail (for example) and have them import everything. Then stop using gmail.
- ratww 6y ago
  I've used this project, but it's been a while: https://github.com/joeyates/imap-backup https://github.com/joeyates/imap-backup . It's a CLI app, though, so it's maybe not the best solution for non-technical end-users. Some email providers have IMAP import, where you just give them the password and they'll do it for you. Not the best solution in terms of security but might be ok if you're getting rid of your account anyway.
- bussierem 6y ago
  As someone who recently did this, you can link a Fastmail account to your existing Gmail account, and it will load in any email data you have into Fastmail. I think from there you can delete your google account provided you have Fastmail all setup properly. It took maybe 2 minutes and was part of the guided setup Fastmail did for me.
- sneak 6y ago
  It's better to use Takeout than IMAP export if you're one of the people who, for whatever reason, have Google rewriting URLs in your IMAP messages (having Advanced Protection enabled is one such trigger, I learned). It gives you all of your mail in mbox format, which is a common format.
Schnockumz 6y ago
Google was never nice. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3460094 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3460094
sargun 6y ago
Pay $25/mo for GSuite enterprise if your email matters to you.
- ceejayoz 6y ago
  Those can get shut down in exactly the same manner.
  - sargun 6y ago
    Not exactly. Their user agreement gives you a number of outs, and ways to get a live human.
    - izacus 6y ago
      Not if your account gets suspended in this way - there are some testimonies from people that said it locks you out of support and you get stonewalled too.
wraptile 6y ago
> Gmail is really the only valuable thing that actually ties my life to Google For me it's google photos. While there are lot of great gmail alternatives these days there's still nothing like google photos unfortunately, is there?
- dannyw 6y ago
  iCloud.
- mastazi 6y ago
  I have my own Nextcloud instance, and the iOS Nextcloud app automatically saves new pics from my phone to the server. But that means that you have to manage your own server, so it's not everyone's cup of tea.[1] If you are looking for a managed solution, I suggest one of those that you pay for (iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive) since usually, paid services have at least some form of customer service and something like OP's story is less likely to happen. [1] Also, the cloud provider where I rent the server might decide to block my account for whatever reason. To minimise the risk, I'm planning to store daily server backups on a different cloud provider.
  - msh 6y ago
    Unfortunatly icloud does not work well unless you are all in on their ecosystem. I dont have a mac at the moment but have a iphone. Their windows application is very bad, unreliable sync and their web interface is missing a lot of functionality. No linux integration at all, but that is expected. Onedrive works well for file sync but almost have no photo library + editing functionality.
martinko 6y ago
I've been making the switch (slowly) over the past year. Had a gmail from the early days, when it was invite only. Now moving to a combo of protonmail + custom domain, and I couldn't be happier.
dkersten 6y ago
I moved away from google a few years ago after putting it off for years because it sounded like effort. It turned out to be rather straightforward. I still have my google accounts, I just don’t use them (except YouTube unfortunately). My gmail still forwards to my new address, but I mostly just get emails where people got their own addresses wrong nowadays. What I did was: I registered a domain name from a company that i don’t use for anything else besides domain names (incidentally a local registrar who I trust and can call on the phone). I then set up a new email address (I use fastmail) using that domain name. Then I forwarded all my old emails to this new address. If someone emailed my old address, I would always reply from my new one, which slowly updated peoples address books. If I got newsletters, I would either unsubscribe and resubscribe from my new one or just unsubscribe. I did that very slowly and it took a year or so before I stopped getting any forwarded, but there’s no rush. Don’t think “oh I have to update everything at once”. Similarly, I updated services that I still use that used the old email to log in on a case by case basis as I used them. You can ditch google and it’s not as hard as it sounds!
- disqard 6y ago
  Thanks for sharing your "phased transition" strategy. Things aren't all-or-nothing, and taking this sort of approach can definitely help with making such a non-trivial change.
prepend 6y ago
What I’ve been slowly doing over the years is proxying all accounts behind addresses at my domain (that then forward to my gmail, natch). So at least I could redirect my accounts to a new address if worst happens. I’ve been trying to switch off gmail for a while but spam filtering is really hard for me.
sneak 6y ago
Using email at a domain that you own (and thus makes you provider independent) is table stakes for adulting online.
sbarre 6y ago
As someone in a similar spot with a GMail account I've been using since they were invite-only, I've started using Google Takeout to back up an archive of all my data from Google's services a few times a year. It's not perfect, and I'm thinking more and more about moving to a paid service, but this at least gives me some peace of mind that if one day I run afoul of Google's AI bouncers, I won't lose a decade of info overnight.
perl4ever 6y ago
After thinking about it a bit, I don't see things that way. Gmail is not the problem as far as I'm concerned. Nor Chrome, etc. The problem from my pov is that the only alternative to Apple phones are Androids, and Android is biased towards the whole Google ecosystem. That's where the monopolistic feeling comes from for me, and if I was in charge of antitrust efforts, Android is what I would want to force them to spin off. Not sure with or without Google Maps, because that's the other thing that I really need and don't feel like there is a substitute.

by jug 6y ago

2malaq 6y ago

Yes, the good old Don't Be Evil days. I've asked so many people if they can remember Google's old slogan. Nobody does.

romwell 6y ago
Their new slogan is hilarious. It's not even one slogan, it's three: * Respect the user * Respect the opportunity * Respect each other The first one is obviously a joke, because nothing says "respect the user" like canceling a beloved service with millions of users, or "updating" the product while losing half the features. The last one makes you wonder why they had to put it into a slogan. Isn't it the baseline expectation? It's somewhere on the level of "Don't steal your colleague's belongings" as far as slogans go. But it's the second one that is absolutely the best, and by that, I mean the worst. Orwell would've had a lot to say about it. The thing is, it has absolutely no meaning in the English language. What's next? Say hi to agility? Don't offend capital gains? Console excellence? Of course, it doesn't really matter. The whole thing has a mafia vibe, as Google's slogans and culture are drifting towards loyalty rather than standing up for what's right. -------- If you want to have more fun, look at Google's Community Guidelines[1] Compare to The Mafia Code: * Be loyal to members of the organization. Do not interfere with each other's interest. Do not be an informer. --[Google: Treat our data with care. Don't disseminate NTK information.] * Be rational. Be a member of the team. Don't engage in battle if you can't win. --[Google: follow Three Values, in particular: Respect the opportunity.] * Be a man of honor. Respect womanhood and your elders. Don't rock the boat. --[Google: Do your part to keep Google a safe, productive, and inclusive environment for everyone.] * Be a stand-up guy. Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut. --[Google: Discussions that make other Googlers feel like they don't belong have no place here.] * Have class. Be independent. Know your way around the world. --[Google: You are responsible for your words and your reach.] [1]https://about.google/community-guidelines/ https://about.google/community-guidelines/
- X6S1x6Okd1st 6y ago
  I can't seem to find many of your examples in the community guidelines
  - romwell 6y ago
    Well, the Mafia code isn't in the community guidelines yet. The rest is literally copy-pasted, Ctrl+F is your friend.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  > Respect the opportunity Honestly, this reads like a Rule of Acquisition. I think Google may be run by Ferengi at this point.
  - Person5478 6y ago
    I would legit watch a Star Trek franchise that had the Ferengi running Big Tech.
  - throwaway3699 6y ago
    It's supposedly about respecting the opportunity Googlers have to work at a big company with resources to change the industry. Like, I get it, but tone deaf...
    - romwell 6y ago
      Not quite. It's about respecting the opportunity of Google to make money. Nobody cares about "changing the industry" if it doesn't "move the needle". And in the end, the needle is neither the number of users, nor the positive impact of the project.
      - throwaway3699 6y ago
        That's just an incorrect framing, what I described is at least the corporate overlords wanted to portray. FWIW I have friends who work for Google.
amelius 6y ago
Don't Be Evil is so stupid. It's like Disneyworld having the slogan "we won't kill your kids".
- daemin 6y ago
  Except when a theme park ride malfunctions, maims and kills most of a family in a gruesome fashion. Of course then you cannot sue because you've agreed/signed an arbitration clause in the terms of service.
- Ashanmaril 6y ago
  It was a funny cute thing when they came up with it cause they were a landmark company built on the web, breaking new grounds in terms of how businesses will be run in the future, sticking it to the establishment, etc etc etc Now they are the establishment. Their power and influence is on par with the US government, so it's an expectation that they should actually not be evil. But they fail at that in the most basic ways and they're not held accountable for it because "they're a private company, they can do what they want!"
- romwell 6y ago
  I disagree. "Evil" is a subtle point. For example, Google got a lot of flack for literally tracking its users' every move whether or not they consent to do so[1]. Is it "respectful"? Is that "the right thing"? You can justify everything by the value that Google provides. But it's, you know... kind of evil. Sadly, this not something one could refer to anymore in a meeting discussing this issue. [1]https://apnews.com/article/828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb https://apnews.com/article/828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb

warent 6y ago

I've been considering getting a new email address on a personal domain so it can be more portable and I can change providers. Does anyone recommend any alternate providers with custom domains, or some OSS? Is it possible to host your own email server on a NAS or RPi something?

misframer 6y ago
I use Fastmail with a personal domain name.
scrollaway 6y ago
Do not host your own email unless you really, really want to do that for learning purposes or something similar. You can use fastmail, or if you don't want to lose Gmail's UI you can use GSuite which lets you use a personal domain name.
ahepp 6y ago
I switched from gsuite to protonmail, but I kinda wish I had checked out fastmail
jonbon2 6y ago
Take a look at migadu.com
- demurgos 6y ago
  I second this. Migadu has great support and affordable prices. I also like the fact that you can link any number of domains to your account without extra costs.
insensible 6y ago
I have done exactly this with Fastmail and my own domain, and the experience was wonderful, as in "why didn't I do this years ago".
- crocodiletears 6y ago

mtrycz2 6y ago

> It was a different Google back then. No it has always been the same company, and we tried to tell you.

dankboys 6y ago

This is why I use one of the new, privacy-focused email providers instead. It feels like the sweet spot between starting my own server (headache, dropped messages) and being one of a billion Gmail/Outlook users (no-one cares if I don't get email)

novok 6y ago
The best thing is using your own domain, then you can change your providers whenever you need to.

ashtonkem 6y ago

I started switching to ProtonMail for this exact reason. It’s not that I’m doing anything that would draw a purposeful or legitimate ban, but they’re so damn capricious that I fear getting my account locked because of a bug and not being able to undo it.

killtimeatwork 6y ago
I switched to a combination of ProtonMail AND using a private domain in my email address AND regularly syncing entire mailbox with my desktop client (Thunderbird). This way, if ProtonMail gives me grief, I just set up a new email account with a different provider, point domain entries to it, import my mailbox in there, and can continue as if nothing happened.
laurent92 6y ago
Next don’t-be-evil step: Having a Protonmail account proves that you have something to hide! Ban!

theshrike79 6y ago

Start the process of getting out right now. Get an email address that you own, on a domain you control. Switch to a provider that takes your money for whom you are the customer - not the product. I did this with Fastmail and Iki.fi, a Finnish non-profit[1], who have been selling people "permanent" email addresses since 1995. [1] http://www.iki.fi/ http://www.iki.fi/

krageon 6y ago
If you get your own domain, get one on a well-known TLD (e.g. .com, .org or your own country code). If you get a gTLD that's not well-known, there are some endpoints that will block you because your email is "not valid".
- blntechie 6y ago
  Is .dev or .io considered a well-known gTLD by now? I’m in process of setting up email for my .dev domain.
  - JimDabell 6y ago
    Avoid .io; it’s not reliable and raises ethical questions: [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20171113150544/https://getstream.io/blog/stop-using-io-domain-names-for-production-traffic/ https://web.archive.org/web/20171113150544/https://getstream... [1] https://plan.io/blog/moving-from-planio-to-planiocom/ https://plan.io/blog/moving-from-planio-to-planiocom/ [2] http://www.thedarksideof.io http://www.thedarksideof.io
    - darkwater 6y ago
      > [2] http://www.thedarksideof.io http://www.thedarksideof.io Wow, didn't know this story. Imperialism at its finest from the Anglo-saxon world (well, actually started by the French with slavery but that was >200 years ago, I found way worse the decisions took 50 years ago).
  - martinsuchan 6y ago

tinus_hn 6y ago

Make sure you don’t use any of the other services: don’t post to YouTube from that account, don’t share Google Docs, files etc.

echelon 6y ago

What's the best way to back up your data? Google Takeout? Is that easily ingestible into other email programs?

utucuro 6y ago
If you intend to keep using Google products, then more or less yeah, periodically. A better way is to start using Fastmail (for example) and have them import everything. Then stop using gmail.
ratww 6y ago
I've used this project, but it's been a while: https://github.com/joeyates/imap-backup https://github.com/joeyates/imap-backup . It's a CLI app, though, so it's maybe not the best solution for non-technical end-users. Some email providers have IMAP import, where you just give them the password and they'll do it for you. Not the best solution in terms of security but might be ok if you're getting rid of your account anyway.
bussierem 6y ago
As someone who recently did this, you can link a Fastmail account to your existing Gmail account, and it will load in any email data you have into Fastmail. I think from there you can delete your google account provided you have Fastmail all setup properly. It took maybe 2 minutes and was part of the guided setup Fastmail did for me.
sneak 6y ago
It's better to use Takeout than IMAP export if you're one of the people who, for whatever reason, have Google rewriting URLs in your IMAP messages (having Advanced Protection enabled is one such trigger, I learned). It gives you all of your mail in mbox format, which is a common format.

Schnockumz 6y ago

Google was never nice. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3460094 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3460094

sargun 6y ago

Pay $25/mo for GSuite enterprise if your email matters to you.

ceejayoz 6y ago
Those can get shut down in exactly the same manner.
- sargun 6y ago
  Not exactly. Their user agreement gives you a number of outs, and ways to get a live human.
  - izacus 6y ago
    Not if your account gets suspended in this way - there are some testimonies from people that said it locks you out of support and you get stonewalled too.

wraptile 6y ago

> Gmail is really the only valuable thing that actually ties my life to Google For me it's google photos. While there are lot of great gmail alternatives these days there's still nothing like google photos unfortunately, is there?

dannyw 6y ago
iCloud.
mastazi 6y ago
I have my own Nextcloud instance, and the iOS Nextcloud app automatically saves new pics from my phone to the server. But that means that you have to manage your own server, so it's not everyone's cup of tea.[1] If you are looking for a managed solution, I suggest one of those that you pay for (iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive) since usually, paid services have at least some form of customer service and something like OP's story is less likely to happen. [1] Also, the cloud provider where I rent the server might decide to block my account for whatever reason. To minimise the risk, I'm planning to store daily server backups on a different cloud provider.
- msh 6y ago
  Unfortunatly icloud does not work well unless you are all in on their ecosystem. I dont have a mac at the moment but have a iphone. Their windows application is very bad, unreliable sync and their web interface is missing a lot of functionality. No linux integration at all, but that is expected. Onedrive works well for file sync but almost have no photo library + editing functionality.

martinko 6y ago

I've been making the switch (slowly) over the past year. Had a gmail from the early days, when it was invite only. Now moving to a combo of protonmail + custom domain, and I couldn't be happier.

dkersten 6y ago

I moved away from google a few years ago after putting it off for years because it sounded like effort. It turned out to be rather straightforward. I still have my google accounts, I just don’t use them (except YouTube unfortunately). My gmail still forwards to my new address, but I mostly just get emails where people got their own addresses wrong nowadays. What I did was: I registered a domain name from a company that i don’t use for anything else besides domain names (incidentally a local registrar who I trust and can call on the phone). I then set up a new email address (I use fastmail) using that domain name. Then I forwarded all my old emails to this new address. If someone emailed my old address, I would always reply from my new one, which slowly updated peoples address books. If I got newsletters, I would either unsubscribe and resubscribe from my new one or just unsubscribe. I did that very slowly and it took a year or so before I stopped getting any forwarded, but there’s no rush. Don’t think “oh I have to update everything at once”. Similarly, I updated services that I still use that used the old email to log in on a case by case basis as I used them. You can ditch google and it’s not as hard as it sounds!

disqard 6y ago
Thanks for sharing your "phased transition" strategy. Things aren't all-or-nothing, and taking this sort of approach can definitely help with making such a non-trivial change.

prepend 6y ago

What I’ve been slowly doing over the years is proxying all accounts behind addresses at my domain (that then forward to my gmail, natch). So at least I could redirect my accounts to a new address if worst happens. I’ve been trying to switch off gmail for a while but spam filtering is really hard for me.

sneak 6y ago

Using email at a domain that you own (and thus makes you provider independent) is table stakes for adulting online.

sbarre 6y ago

As someone in a similar spot with a GMail account I've been using since they were invite-only, I've started using Google Takeout to back up an archive of all my data from Google's services a few times a year. It's not perfect, and I'm thinking more and more about moving to a paid service, but this at least gives me some peace of mind that if one day I run afoul of Google's AI bouncers, I won't lose a decade of info overnight.

perl4ever 6y ago

After thinking about it a bit, I don't see things that way. Gmail is not the problem as far as I'm concerned. Nor Chrome, etc. The problem from my pov is that the only alternative to Apple phones are Androids, and Android is biased towards the whole Google ecosystem. That's where the monopolistic feeling comes from for me, and if I was in charge of antitrust efforts, Android is what I would want to force them to spin off. Not sure with or without Google Maps, because that's the other thing that I really need and don't feel like there is a substitute.