4 ms·

15 years ago the first word that came to mind when thinking of Google was “magic”. 10 years ago “useful”. These days it’s just “dread”.

notyourwork 5y ago
I think dread is a bit over dramatic. I still find utility in Google Maps and GMail. Some products in the Google domain are heading that way but I don't dread Google I treat them as a business with respect to my coupling to them on a case by case basis. I used to be a Google first, now I am one to look at all options and decide if its worth coupling something else in my life to Google. In many cases its not worth it or even required.
- matheweis 5y ago
  > I still find utility in Google Maps and GMail. Give it time... There are a lot of people feeling that dread about “gmail” now. Have you seen the recent threads about GSuite Legacy? Small businesses and families suddenly need to cough up hundreds of dollars per year or figure out how to migrate away from a product that originally marketed itself as free forever.
  - notyourwork 5y ago
    Sure, maybe they will and maybe they won't. Personally, I'll be happy to pay for it and have considered over the last few months a migration plan away to a paid subscription. It's just not on top of my todo list. If Google started asking me to pay, I'd pay because they have provided this service and its pretty darn good if you ask me. How much I'd pay is an open question.
- fsflover 5y ago
  > I still find utility in Google Maps and GMail. Concerning the maps, try https://openstreetmap.org https://openstreetmap.org Concerning the GMail, see this:https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30051054 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30051054
  - accelbred 5y ago
    The Gmail app on Android also replaces all the links in your emails with Google tracking links which is not okay.
  - notyourwork 5y ago
    Thanks for sharing but I wasn't really trying to debate whether I do or do not find utility in these. I do and I'm fine using them. I'm also aware of the alternatives, I use Apple maps from time to time, I use DDG on occasion. Neither is of consequence to the premise in my original post.
- aendruk 5y ago
  Google Maps may not have progressed to “dread” yet, but it’s solidly at frustration/wariness as a result of its incessant attempts to manipulate me. It used to be just a tool, but it’s become an adversary.
bxparks 5y ago
Maybe not "dread", but distrust with a tinge of sadness. It is surprising to see how much their executives are willing to destroy Google's reputation, in search of.. I don't know.. their next bonus and promotion? Seven to eight years ago, I was using probably 30-40 Google products and services. I used to recommend Google products to my friends and family without reservation. But over time, I have whittled down my dependency to Google to maybe 7-9 products/services. With the killing of Legacy GSuite, I'll be migrating to FastMail or something similar, and I'll be down to only a handful of Google products in a few months. I never thought that I would stop using Google Search and Chrome, but DDG and Firefox have been perfectly fine for me for several years now.
Gigachad 5y ago
That's what happens when a product gets big and you have to start worrying about how terrorists, pedophiles, and mass copyright crime is being committed on the platform. Hosts like Google have been held legally responsible for the content they host and have acted accordingly.

notyourwork 5y ago

I think dread is a bit over dramatic. I still find utility in Google Maps and GMail. Some products in the Google domain are heading that way but I don't dread Google I treat them as a business with respect to my coupling to them on a case by case basis. I used to be a Google first, now I am one to look at all options and decide if its worth coupling something else in my life to Google. In many cases its not worth it or even required.

matheweis 5y ago
> I still find utility in Google Maps and GMail. Give it time... There are a lot of people feeling that dread about “gmail” now. Have you seen the recent threads about GSuite Legacy? Small businesses and families suddenly need to cough up hundreds of dollars per year or figure out how to migrate away from a product that originally marketed itself as free forever.
- notyourwork 5y ago
  Sure, maybe they will and maybe they won't. Personally, I'll be happy to pay for it and have considered over the last few months a migration plan away to a paid subscription. It's just not on top of my todo list. If Google started asking me to pay, I'd pay because they have provided this service and its pretty darn good if you ask me. How much I'd pay is an open question.
fsflover 5y ago
> I still find utility in Google Maps and GMail. Concerning the maps, try https://openstreetmap.org https://openstreetmap.org Concerning the GMail, see this:https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30051054 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30051054
- accelbred 5y ago
  The Gmail app on Android also replaces all the links in your emails with Google tracking links which is not okay.
- notyourwork 5y ago
  Thanks for sharing but I wasn't really trying to debate whether I do or do not find utility in these. I do and I'm fine using them. I'm also aware of the alternatives, I use Apple maps from time to time, I use DDG on occasion. Neither is of consequence to the premise in my original post.
aendruk 5y ago
Google Maps may not have progressed to “dread” yet, but it’s solidly at frustration/wariness as a result of its incessant attempts to manipulate me. It used to be just a tool, but it’s become an adversary.

bxparks 5y ago

Maybe not "dread", but distrust with a tinge of sadness. It is surprising to see how much their executives are willing to destroy Google's reputation, in search of.. I don't know.. their next bonus and promotion? Seven to eight years ago, I was using probably 30-40 Google products and services. I used to recommend Google products to my friends and family without reservation. But over time, I have whittled down my dependency to Google to maybe 7-9 products/services. With the killing of Legacy GSuite, I'll be migrating to FastMail or something similar, and I'll be down to only a handful of Google products in a few months. I never thought that I would stop using Google Search and Chrome, but DDG and Firefox have been perfectly fine for me for several years now.

Gigachad 5y ago

That's what happens when a product gets big and you have to start worrying about how terrorists, pedophiles, and mass copyright crime is being committed on the platform. Hosts like Google have been held legally responsible for the content they host and have acted accordingly.