6 ms·

I remember I started moving out of Google's claws when they started pushing Google+ everywhere. Today my primary browser is Firefox, Search engine is DDG (with

by geekam 12y ago

I remember I started moving out of Google's claws when they started pushing Google+ everywhere. Today my primary browser is Firefox, Search engine is DDG (with occassional Google search), Email is FastMail. The dependency on Google had started to annoy me.

conradk 12y ago
Same here. I used to have Google Mail, Google Contacts, YouTube, Google Search, Google News, etc. I was feeling more and more dependent on one company's goodwill. A few months ago, I renewed my Fastmail [1] account for 3 more years, being very happy with the service. I use DuckDuckGo [2] as my main search engine and love it. I use Opera as my main browser. The only Google services I use regularly now are Android and YouTube. YouTube being totally optional and Android only being an interface to data located elsewhere, I feel free. Sure, Google has access to my data, but they can't lock me in. [1] https://www.fastmail.com https://www.fastmail.com [2] https://duckduckgo.com https://duckduckgo.com
- k-mcgrady 12y ago
  How is Android without using Google services? Is there a significant impact on the experience?
  - toni 12y ago
    A while back I flashed my Nexus 5 with a CyanogenMod 11 build. I didn't install the GApps package afterward. One thing you will notice immediately is that the battery life lasts much much longer. With casual surfing, watching video clips, playing casual games and Wifi always on, the battery lasts for almost 24 hours. It looks as if this is what the original Nexus 5 should be. All those background Google services and "frameworks" constantly calling back home will drain the battery to the death pretty fast. That's also valid for some other apps. Not having Facebook app installed will increase the battery life too. Sure you have no Google Play store installed but you can always use one of those (safe) apk downloaders like Raccoon[1] or such to login to Play store and download your previous apps. As for other Google services (Maps, YouTube, Translate, GMail, etc.), I can always visit their sites in incognito mode. You will actually realize you really don't need all those individual apps to use these services. They all work good enough in a browser window. [1]http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2772436 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2772436
    - ultramancool 12y ago
      And you can still use 3rd party markets like F-Droid and Aptoide.
      - toni 12y ago
        Excellent point, completely forgot the invaluable F-Droid.
    - rmxt 12y ago
      Also, another option is BlankStore [1]. it appears as if development has stopped and Raccoon may be a better option at this point, but it still works for me on 4.4.4 and gives me pretty consistent access straight from my phone, save for paid apps. [1] http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1715375 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1715375
  - pmontra 12y ago
    The only Google services I use on my Android phone are Maps and the Play store. Occasionally Drive and Docs because of a customer that uses them. I search in the browser. No sync. It works perfectly fine. But that's how I use Google on my desktop too. If you are used to more integration you won't survive that :-)
  - conradk 12y ago
    The experience for me is the same because all products I use regularly have good mobile apps and/or mobile webapps.
twic 12y ago
The biggest thing i'm looking for now is a replacement for Google's apps suite - mainly Calendar and Docs/Drive. Something that i can use on the web and sync to my (Android) phone. If the Docs replacement just did text documents, that would probably be enough; if it did spreadsheets and text, it would definitely be enough. It would be great if it was free, and fine if it was cheap. Not Apple (no better than Google), not Evernote (poor and declining quality). What's out there?
- thecoffman 12y ago
  Fastmail has a good Calendar app in addition to Email, Contacts and File Storage. It doesn't really have a Docs replacement, but it does have a Notes app. I use all of them and enjoy it quite a bit. It also is probably worth noting that, while Apple is plenty evil in its own ways, if you're looking to avoid the rampant data collection of Google, Apple is significantly better in that regard.
- steanne 12y ago
  i sync fastmail's calendar with the built-in android calendar app by using caldav. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dmfs.caldav.lib https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dmfs.calda...
- geekam 12y ago
  This is a tough one. I have seen Etherpad [http://etherpad.org/ http://etherpad.org/] being used a lot. The there is Zoho suite of apps [https://www.zoho.com/ https://www.zoho.com/] but I am not sure if they really match your requirements completely. For writing and other docs, I personally use Dropbox but I know that is not the same as working in the browser itself.
  - frabcus 12y ago
    There's also Ethercalc [https://ethercalc.org/ https://ethercalc.org/], a spreadsheet version of Etherpad. Etherpad, Ethercalc and Mailpile (and more!) are all available on top of Sandstorm [https://sandstorm.io/apps/ https://sandstorm.io/apps/] - which basically makes it easier to manage them all.
bjz_ 12y ago
Thanks for the Fastmail recommendation! I have been using Yahoo for 8 years now, but I've never really felt comfortable using a free service for something as critical as email. And certainly not comfortable leaving it in the hands of one of the biggest companies in the world.
- geekam 12y ago
  FastMail seems very transparent. They provide aost of the stuff that I needed from an Email hosting company, even independent audits.
vph 12y ago
> The dependency on Google had started to annoy me. Either Chrome or Firefox or something else. Choose your poison. One's life has to be depended on something.
patcon 12y ago
Check out yacy, a distributed search engine :)
amirkdv 12y ago
Same here. FF + DDG + FastMail is a quite low action path away from Google for individual users. Migration took me only a day (FastMail's mass migration is truly a breeze) and after almost a year: no complaints (maybe minor wishes, but hey!). EDIT: and K-9 (for Android) as mail-client.

by geekam 12y ago

conradk 12y ago

Same here. I used to have Google Mail, Google Contacts, YouTube, Google Search, Google News, etc. I was feeling more and more dependent on one company's goodwill. A few months ago, I renewed my Fastmail [1] account for 3 more years, being very happy with the service. I use DuckDuckGo [2] as my main search engine and love it. I use Opera as my main browser. The only Google services I use regularly now are Android and YouTube. YouTube being totally optional and Android only being an interface to data located elsewhere, I feel free. Sure, Google has access to my data, but they can't lock me in. [1] https://www.fastmail.com https://www.fastmail.com [2] https://duckduckgo.com https://duckduckgo.com

k-mcgrady 12y ago
How is Android without using Google services? Is there a significant impact on the experience?
- toni 12y ago
  A while back I flashed my Nexus 5 with a CyanogenMod 11 build. I didn't install the GApps package afterward. One thing you will notice immediately is that the battery life lasts much much longer. With casual surfing, watching video clips, playing casual games and Wifi always on, the battery lasts for almost 24 hours. It looks as if this is what the original Nexus 5 should be. All those background Google services and "frameworks" constantly calling back home will drain the battery to the death pretty fast. That's also valid for some other apps. Not having Facebook app installed will increase the battery life too. Sure you have no Google Play store installed but you can always use one of those (safe) apk downloaders like Raccoon[1] or such to login to Play store and download your previous apps. As for other Google services (Maps, YouTube, Translate, GMail, etc.), I can always visit their sites in incognito mode. You will actually realize you really don't need all those individual apps to use these services. They all work good enough in a browser window. [1]http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2772436 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2772436
  - ultramancool 12y ago
    And you can still use 3rd party markets like F-Droid and Aptoide.
    - toni 12y ago
      Excellent point, completely forgot the invaluable F-Droid.
  - rmxt 12y ago
    Also, another option is BlankStore [1]. it appears as if development has stopped and Raccoon may be a better option at this point, but it still works for me on 4.4.4 and gives me pretty consistent access straight from my phone, save for paid apps. [1] http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1715375 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1715375
- pmontra 12y ago
  The only Google services I use on my Android phone are Maps and the Play store. Occasionally Drive and Docs because of a customer that uses them. I search in the browser. No sync. It works perfectly fine. But that's how I use Google on my desktop too. If you are used to more integration you won't survive that :-)
- conradk 12y ago
  The experience for me is the same because all products I use regularly have good mobile apps and/or mobile webapps.

twic 12y ago

The biggest thing i'm looking for now is a replacement for Google's apps suite - mainly Calendar and Docs/Drive. Something that i can use on the web and sync to my (Android) phone. If the Docs replacement just did text documents, that would probably be enough; if it did spreadsheets and text, it would definitely be enough. It would be great if it was free, and fine if it was cheap. Not Apple (no better than Google), not Evernote (poor and declining quality). What's out there?

thecoffman 12y ago
Fastmail has a good Calendar app in addition to Email, Contacts and File Storage. It doesn't really have a Docs replacement, but it does have a Notes app. I use all of them and enjoy it quite a bit. It also is probably worth noting that, while Apple is plenty evil in its own ways, if you're looking to avoid the rampant data collection of Google, Apple is significantly better in that regard.
steanne 12y ago
i sync fastmail's calendar with the built-in android calendar app by using caldav. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dmfs.caldav.lib https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dmfs.calda...
geekam 12y ago
This is a tough one. I have seen Etherpad [http://etherpad.org/ http://etherpad.org/] being used a lot. The there is Zoho suite of apps [https://www.zoho.com/ https://www.zoho.com/] but I am not sure if they really match your requirements completely. For writing and other docs, I personally use Dropbox but I know that is not the same as working in the browser itself.
- frabcus 12y ago
  There's also Ethercalc [https://ethercalc.org/ https://ethercalc.org/], a spreadsheet version of Etherpad. Etherpad, Ethercalc and Mailpile (and more!) are all available on top of Sandstorm [https://sandstorm.io/apps/ https://sandstorm.io/apps/] - which basically makes it easier to manage them all.

bjz_ 12y ago

Thanks for the Fastmail recommendation! I have been using Yahoo for 8 years now, but I've never really felt comfortable using a free service for something as critical as email. And certainly not comfortable leaving it in the hands of one of the biggest companies in the world.

geekam 12y ago
FastMail seems very transparent. They provide aost of the stuff that I needed from an Email hosting company, even independent audits.

vph 12y ago

> The dependency on Google had started to annoy me. Either Chrome or Firefox or something else. Choose your poison. One's life has to be depended on something.

patcon 12y ago

Check out yacy, a distributed search engine :)

amirkdv 12y ago

Same here. FF + DDG + FastMail is a quite low action path away from Google for individual users. Migration took me only a day (FastMail's mass migration is truly a breeze) and after almost a year: no complaints (maybe minor wishes, but hey!). EDIT: and K-9 (for Android) as mail-client.