Rec | DEGOOGLE EVERYTHING

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Stop using Google products!!!! We have come to rely on Google for far too much and many of us are tired of giving every piece of information about ourselves to a company that shows blatant disregard to user privacy. The past few years have marked a massive downward shift in the usability of Google’s products for me, especially with AI integration into everything. Now is the perfect time to get out of their ecosystem for whatever reason — be it for privacy, personal ethics, or just to get a little bit more control over your life. The amount of work you have to do varies depending on the kinds of devices you use. I think the bare minimum you should do is switch to off of Chrome and Google search to Firefox and DuckDuckGo. I’m currently daily driving an iPhone and a Macbook so I can use some of Apple’s software (really just Apple Maps and iCloud) to replace Google apps, although I try to use open source software when I can. For Android users, look into the custom ROMs you can put on your phone and how to degoogle. I just relied on Reddit (r/degoogle) for guidance on that. Free yourself from big techs shackles. It’s become a newfound addiction for me to find software alternatives that give me the most control over my digital life. It does take time though since I have unfortunately integrated myself so deep into some of these ecosystems. Part of making the internet fun again is to stop using the stuff from the companies that are actively ruining it. Make the internet a place for humans and not a place for advertisers.

@flashgame

Jul 14, 2025

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@moonbeams

I went really down this rabbit hole earlier this year and I have to say proton has a good ecosystem to replace a lot of Google, idk how much less invasive it really is but I've been using the password manager for a long time. I did get exhausted trying to fully switch out but you've rejuvenated my drive, might even switch my calendar today

Jul 14, 2025

@flashgame

@MOONBEAMS yeah i’m protonpilled for mail and i use proton drive when im working with people. i think anything is a step up from google and proton is good enough for the majority of people.

Jul 14, 2025

@joe_m_miller

Firefox gang rise up

Jul 14, 2025

Related Recs

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JUST DON’T USE IT AT ALL

make yourself navigate life the way you did before chatgpt. i’m sure this likely covers it: turn off ai on any apps/sites, manually use a dictionary and thesaurus, learn research skills, use databases or relevant websites to find other info, manually look up general writing tips or even take a writing course, look at professional development sites for tips on writing better emails/resumes/etc, ask a friend or mentor questions or help proofreading, read more books, do crossword puzzles, go to a library and ask a librarian for guidebooks/research assistance/etc. remind yourself that AI over time makes you less intelligent because you no longer have to use critical thinking skills and stop learning new things. it is easy to avoid and i imagine you’ll actually get better at whatever you’re using it for once you practice, making it even easier. i don’t use AI to write essays/ emails or edit or look things up for me, and many others don’t as well, so i promise it’s more than doable!! plus it’s so bad for the environment and human rights so if the above isn’t compelling enough, you can guilt yourself into not using it?

@marxinista

Jul 14, 2025

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tech literacy

there is lowkey an unbelievable crisis in tech literacy atm, and working on the projects that i have over the last year has driven that home for me like nothing else. once upon a time, understanding how a computer worked was a precondition for using one. it isn’t anymore, and that is so unimaginably dangerous.
the total helplessness i’ve seen (some) people express in response to tech’s recent rightward turn has been deeply unmooring. i see people all the time who genuinely do not understand how the platforms and devices that *govern their entire lives* operate on a basic level. “the kids” didn’t become computer wizards - instead, the devices got good enough that they could abstract all of their actual functionality away from you.
the amount of power and control knowing even a little bit about digital technology can give you is immense. learn about http. learn about rss. learn about how servers operate. learn the absolute basics of programming. far dumber people than you are doing it every day in silicon valley, and they (and their bosses) are using those skills against you.

@dotmatrices

Jan 28, 2025

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It was overtaken by corporate interest years ago

Linked is a little article from The Verge… “The Perfect Webpage: How the internet reshaped itself around Google’s search algorithms — and into a world where websites look the same.“
I’m expecting stagflation to hit soon and that the influencer and advertising bubbles are going to catastrophically burst which would dramatically alter the way online news, entertainment, social media, and other content is created/functions so here’s hoping that we’ll be able to rebuild something better in the place of the current online landscape that isn’t centered entirely around profit

@taterhole

Nov 16, 2024

Top Recs from @flashgame

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The orange subway seats

they feel so much more welcoming to me. maybe it’s because they’ve been around the longest and always stand out more. i can recall an important memory from any year of my life involving them. also sharing earbuds with someone on the two little seats is the most romantic thing ever. gonna miss them but also i don’t mind the new trains.

@flashgame

Mar 22, 2025

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GRADUATING UNIVERSITY

Yo fuck this fuck this fuck this. My ass is not getting a job with this philosophy degree. I’m gonna write a book and hope for the best.

@flashgame

May 1, 2025

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WAKING UP EARLY

there’s so much day you lose when you wake up late! waking up early on your day off maximizes the time you can enjoy it. i’m gonna make a wonderful breakfast sandwich and listen to some ambient music.

@flashgame

Apr 12, 2025