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DeGoogling 2024: Replacing Photos, Gmail, and Search

68 points by namanyayg 2y ago

pwinnski 2y ago
I appreciate these kinds of posts, and I've been semi-Degoogled for years now. What hasn't been easy for me to move away from so far is Docs/Sheets. Apple's Numbers and Pages seem very far from ideal. Zoho didn't quite work for me. Maybe I should try Clickup.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
bootlooped 2y ago
One of the things that's stopped me from doing something like this so far is that the benefits are intangible, difficult or impossible to measure, but the costs are obvious and often measured in dollars.
- noman-land 2y ago
  Peace of mind is invaluable.
- powerapple 2y ago
  Google has the worst customer service. If you have to use big vendors, find something else. I will use any services where I don't need to have an account with them. I have lost 15 years old gmail account, all digital services associated with it.
  - FinnKuhn 2y ago
    Most open-source programs recommended as alternatives don't offer any customer support either. For non tech people the chance that they mess something up is pretty high, which a lot of people seem to forget. For them something like iCloud would be a way better alternative than "Immich".
    - powerapple 2y ago
      iCloud is great. I ended up switching to iCloud. I could contact a person when there is an issue, and there are some common senses in Apple to solve problems, solutions are more well thought from customer's point of view. Google reminds me the time when all softwares display error code on screen, and menus were designed by programmers.
  - radicality 2y ago
    Was that a normal free account or paid? If it’s a free one, then I imagine all-bets-are-off and google can do whatever it wants? I’m definitely not a huge fan from the privacy point of view and should degoogle at some point, but I’ve been using the google version with my own domain for ~13 years now (when it was free) and since a year ago have to pay for the Workplace edition, something like $10-15 a month. What I understand is that at least if I’m paying for it, there’s a contractual agreement to not yolo-delete my account like in your example, and presumably there would be a way to reach some human in case of problems (unlike with free account).
    - powerapple 2y ago
      No, I didn't pay for my email. It is Google, so I was using it as main email account for 15+ years, and have used GDrive for some documents. I have learned my lesson. I guess for free iCloud account, I am paying by using Apple products.
- WorldMaker 2y ago
  The reduction of the number of personally targeted ads that you see can be a tangible benefit, and it is something you can measure. Sure it is subjective if that matters to you in seeing fewer personally (over-)targeted ads and if it is a quality of life improvement that you wish to have. But if you already feel that every ad targeted too specifically to yourself is a bit of a papercut, a reduction in papercuts is certainly measurable and obvious.
mu53 2y ago
I have tried to de-couple from big tech, and each time I changed something, it has been better. Kagi is much better than google search. I use proton for mail/calendar/(vpn sometimes), and no ads with the same features. I have my own domain that I can take where ever I want to take it to without fear for future account access. Android -> Graphene is also a very nice change. The minimal UI and minimal features are nice. The reality is that smart phones have not had a significant innovation since 2012. Most newer features are net-negative for users except better cpu/memory/camera/security. I have been on linux for a while, but have backup laptops with windows/osx. The linux experience is just better. Most major distros get out of your way and let you work. I find that if I want to make a complex configuration, I can get it working as opposed to it either works or doesn't on windows/osx. Less telemetry. Less new features trying to creep in. My desktop environment is essentially unchanged for a decade unless I changed it. I have an immense level of control, and I don't wrestle with anyone or anything. Ads are blocked at the OS level. Linux is stable on servers, and its stable for desktop users too. The only app that I missed is photoshop, but learning gimp felt like it was worth it and even more so with recent news. In some ways, linux has the most innovative/cutting edge desktop experience because developers are entirely unrestricted. I have an i3 configuration and watched those features get backported to gnome then windows. As a developer, I often get the easiest access to newest technologies like docker or rust. Comparing install instructions between linux/osx/windows is often comparing one line of bash to 3-5 steps on the others. Scripting out setting up a new install is easy. I set up a small wireguard server for a vpn. I clone my files to another server over ssh. I use github to share code and config between different computers. Learning to own your infrastructure has its benefits. Like learning how your car works or plumbing, electricity, home maintenance. It has a cost, but the results are intangible like knowledge and power.
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 2y ago
  What do you use for gmail? I'm still waiting for a decent email client
  - meowster 2y ago
    In my de-Googling process, I switched to Fastmail. I think they have a pretty good email, calendar, contacts, and notes interface. It has a quick and easy Gmail importer. I also gave it access to my Gmail account to pull emails whenever someone emails my old email so I can let them know I switched emails. All I get now from my old gmail account is spam, but I'm holding on for at least another year to make sure I don't miss anything or anyone who hasn't updated my address. (I use a personal domain so I won't have such problems in the future if I change providers.)
jslakro 2y ago
Good luck replacing youtube
- reify 2y ago
  plenty of open source apps to view youtube newpipe for android. no ads, no waiting, no data collection or use an: invidious front end instance. I use the LibDirect addon for firefox. you can set it to redirect away from most annoying big tech sites. once set, you can choose many links, you choose, if you click any link it autoimatically rediects to the site you want: I have set it like this: reddit goes to https://reddit.simo.sh https://reddit.simo.sh youtube goes to https://invidious.private.coffee https://invidious.private.coffee
reify 2y ago
I've been fully de-googled for years some friends dont or cant avoid google so I install: Gapps Browser by Toby Kurien if they want a de-googled phone Its a sandboxed web apps for google stuff. So you can use google maps, gmail ext without having any google on your phone. Its on F-Droid. Replace youtube with: plenty of open source apps to view youtube newpipe for android. no ads, no waiting, no data collection or use an: invidious front end instance. I use the LibDirect addon for firefox. you can set it to redirect away from most annoying big tech sites. once set, you can choose many links, you choose, if you click any link it autoimatically rediects to the site you want: I have set it like this: reddit goes to https://reddit.simo.sh https://reddit.simo.sh youtube goes to https://invidious.private.coffee https://invidious.private.coffee goodreads goes to https://biblioreads.ml https://biblioreads.ml IMDB to goes https://libremdb.iket.me https://libremdb.iket.me Stack overflow goes to https://libremdb.iket.me https://libremdb.iket.me a much cleaner experience
jeena 2y ago
The only thing I can't get rid of is YouTube. I have my own PeerTube instance and subscribe to some chanels there, but I basically almost never watch videos on PeerTube. I only watch private family videos if someone from the family uploads one, but all the normal watching happens on (with SmartTube) on the TV or (with NewPipe) on the smartphone from YouTube.
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  Do you import the YouTube channels you follow into Peertube?

68 points by namanyayg 2y ago

I appreciate these kinds of posts, and I've been semi-Degoogled for years now. What hasn't been easy for me to move away from so far is Docs/Sheets. Apple's Numbers and Pages seem very far from ideal. Zoho didn't quite work for me. Maybe I should try Clickup.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

bootlooped 2y ago

One of the things that's stopped me from doing something like this so far is that the benefits are intangible, difficult or impossible to measure, but the costs are obvious and often measured in dollars.

noman-land 2y ago
Peace of mind is invaluable.
powerapple 2y ago
Google has the worst customer service. If you have to use big vendors, find something else. I will use any services where I don't need to have an account with them. I have lost 15 years old gmail account, all digital services associated with it.
- FinnKuhn 2y ago
  Most open-source programs recommended as alternatives don't offer any customer support either. For non tech people the chance that they mess something up is pretty high, which a lot of people seem to forget. For them something like iCloud would be a way better alternative than "Immich".
  - powerapple 2y ago
    iCloud is great. I ended up switching to iCloud. I could contact a person when there is an issue, and there are some common senses in Apple to solve problems, solutions are more well thought from customer's point of view. Google reminds me the time when all softwares display error code on screen, and menus were designed by programmers.
- radicality 2y ago
  Was that a normal free account or paid? If it’s a free one, then I imagine all-bets-are-off and google can do whatever it wants? I’m definitely not a huge fan from the privacy point of view and should degoogle at some point, but I’ve been using the google version with my own domain for ~13 years now (when it was free) and since a year ago have to pay for the Workplace edition, something like $10-15 a month. What I understand is that at least if I’m paying for it, there’s a contractual agreement to not yolo-delete my account like in your example, and presumably there would be a way to reach some human in case of problems (unlike with free account).
  - powerapple 2y ago
    No, I didn't pay for my email. It is Google, so I was using it as main email account for 15+ years, and have used GDrive for some documents. I have learned my lesson. I guess for free iCloud account, I am paying by using Apple products.
WorldMaker 2y ago
The reduction of the number of personally targeted ads that you see can be a tangible benefit, and it is something you can measure. Sure it is subjective if that matters to you in seeing fewer personally (over-)targeted ads and if it is a quality of life improvement that you wish to have. But if you already feel that every ad targeted too specifically to yourself is a bit of a papercut, a reduction in papercuts is certainly measurable and obvious.

mu53 2y ago

I have tried to de-couple from big tech, and each time I changed something, it has been better. Kagi is much better than google search. I use proton for mail/calendar/(vpn sometimes), and no ads with the same features. I have my own domain that I can take where ever I want to take it to without fear for future account access. Android -> Graphene is also a very nice change. The minimal UI and minimal features are nice. The reality is that smart phones have not had a significant innovation since 2012. Most newer features are net-negative for users except better cpu/memory/camera/security. I have been on linux for a while, but have backup laptops with windows/osx. The linux experience is just better. Most major distros get out of your way and let you work. I find that if I want to make a complex configuration, I can get it working as opposed to it either works or doesn't on windows/osx. Less telemetry. Less new features trying to creep in. My desktop environment is essentially unchanged for a decade unless I changed it. I have an immense level of control, and I don't wrestle with anyone or anything. Ads are blocked at the OS level. Linux is stable on servers, and its stable for desktop users too. The only app that I missed is photoshop, but learning gimp felt like it was worth it and even more so with recent news. In some ways, linux has the most innovative/cutting edge desktop experience because developers are entirely unrestricted. I have an i3 configuration and watched those features get backported to gnome then windows. As a developer, I often get the easiest access to newest technologies like docker or rust. Comparing install instructions between linux/osx/windows is often comparing one line of bash to 3-5 steps on the others. Scripting out setting up a new install is easy. I set up a small wireguard server for a vpn. I clone my files to another server over ssh. I use github to share code and config between different computers. Learning to own your infrastructure has its benefits. Like learning how your car works or plumbing, electricity, home maintenance. It has a cost, but the results are intangible like knowledge and power.

Fire-Dragon-DoL 2y ago
What do you use for gmail? I'm still waiting for a decent email client
- meowster 2y ago
  In my de-Googling process, I switched to Fastmail. I think they have a pretty good email, calendar, contacts, and notes interface. It has a quick and easy Gmail importer. I also gave it access to my Gmail account to pull emails whenever someone emails my old email so I can let them know I switched emails. All I get now from my old gmail account is spam, but I'm holding on for at least another year to make sure I don't miss anything or anyone who hasn't updated my address. (I use a personal domain so I won't have such problems in the future if I change providers.)

jslakro 2y ago

Good luck replacing youtube

reify 2y ago
plenty of open source apps to view youtube newpipe for android. no ads, no waiting, no data collection or use an: invidious front end instance. I use the LibDirect addon for firefox. you can set it to redirect away from most annoying big tech sites. once set, you can choose many links, you choose, if you click any link it autoimatically rediects to the site you want: I have set it like this: reddit goes to https://reddit.simo.sh https://reddit.simo.sh youtube goes to https://invidious.private.coffee https://invidious.private.coffee

reify 2y ago

I've been fully de-googled for years some friends dont or cant avoid google so I install: Gapps Browser by Toby Kurien if they want a de-googled phone Its a sandboxed web apps for google stuff. So you can use google maps, gmail ext without having any google on your phone. Its on F-Droid. Replace youtube with: plenty of open source apps to view youtube newpipe for android. no ads, no waiting, no data collection or use an: invidious front end instance. I use the LibDirect addon for firefox. you can set it to redirect away from most annoying big tech sites. once set, you can choose many links, you choose, if you click any link it autoimatically rediects to the site you want: I have set it like this: reddit goes to https://reddit.simo.sh https://reddit.simo.sh youtube goes to https://invidious.private.coffee https://invidious.private.coffee goodreads goes to https://biblioreads.ml https://biblioreads.ml IMDB to goes https://libremdb.iket.me https://libremdb.iket.me Stack overflow goes to https://libremdb.iket.me https://libremdb.iket.me a much cleaner experience

jeena 2y ago

The only thing I can't get rid of is YouTube. I have my own PeerTube instance and subscribe to some chanels there, but I basically almost never watch videos on PeerTube. I only watch private family videos if someone from the family uploads one, but all the normal watching happens on (with SmartTube) on the TV or (with NewPipe) on the smartphone from YouTube.

toomuchtodo 2y ago
Do you import the YouTube channels you follow into Peertube?