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degoogling [2024/01/05 18:52] – created qlyoungdegoogling [2024/02/05 23:37] (current) – [Google Contacts & Calendar] qlyoung
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 +====== degoogling ======
 +
 Sometime around 2021 I began to feel that use of Google services constituted a grave threat to my digital sovereignty, and began slowly moving off of them. Sometime around 2021 I began to feel that use of Google services constituted a grave threat to my digital sovereignty, and began slowly moving off of them.
  
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   * As an OAuth identity for services that require one - literally just Tailscale, I have replaced everything else with email-based accounts   * As an OAuth identity for services that require one - literally just Tailscale, I have replaced everything else with email-based accounts
-  * Filling out Google Forms - please stop using these folks, they require a Google account+  * Filling out Google Forms - please stop using these folks, they often require a Google account
   * Access to shared Google Photos albums   * Access to shared Google Photos albums
   * Google Fi (cell service)   * Google Fi (cell service)
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 Migrated from Gmail first to Protonmail, and then in 2023 to Fastmail, which I am much more satisfied with. I was paying for GSuite for Business in order to use a custom domain name, now I pay Fastmail for that. Migrated from Gmail first to Protonmail, and then in 2023 to Fastmail, which I am much more satisfied with. I was paying for GSuite for Business in order to use a custom domain name, now I pay Fastmail for that.
  
 +==== Search ====
 +
 +I now pay for [[https://kagi.com/|Kagi]].
 ==== Google Drive ==== ==== Google Drive ====
  
-This is a tough one. I have replaced google drive with a combination of the following+This is a tough one. I have replaced Google Drive with a combination of the following
  
   * For files shared only among my own devices, I use a [[personal_infrastructure#storage|storage array]] on my home server mounted on all my devices (yes, even iPhone) via Samba   * For files shared only among my own devices, I use a [[personal_infrastructure#storage|storage array]] on my home server mounted on all my devices (yes, even iPhone) via Samba
-  * For files shared to others, I self host Filestash on my [[personal_infrastructure#public|cloud VM]], but this isn't ideal because of space limitations on the VM disk. Similar issue with Nextcloud. Recently (yesterday) I started using [[https://github.com/magic-wormhole/magic-wormhole|magic wormhole]] for p2p transfers and really like it. I have tried Syncthing but it's too hard to use for most people and is geared towards syncing and not transfers.+  * For files shared to others, I self host Filestash on my [[personal_infrastructure#public|cloud VM]], but this isn't ideal because of space limitations on the VM disk. Similar issue with Nextcloud. Recently (yesterday) I started using [[https://github.com/magic-wormhole/magic-wormhole|magic wormhole]] for p2p transfers and really like it. I have tried Syncthing but it's too hard to use for most people and is geared towards syncing and not transfers. Wormhole has [[https://rymdport.github.io/|GUI clients]] that are usable by plebeians.
  
 ==== Google Photos ==== ==== Google Photos ====
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 Sharing photos is much more complicated. The usual situation for me is that I go on a trip with a bunch of people, and afterwards someone sets up a shared Google Photos album, everyone uploads their pictures to Google Photos and then adds them to the album. I am usually the odd one out complaining about this. So far I have done one of two things: Sharing photos is much more complicated. The usual situation for me is that I go on a trip with a bunch of people, and afterwards someone sets up a shared Google Photos album, everyone uploads their pictures to Google Photos and then adds them to the album. I am usually the odd one out complaining about this. So far I have done one of two things:
  
-* Uploaded my photos to the shared album, advised all participants that they will be deleted in 2 weeks, and then delete them in 2 weeks +  * Uploaded my photos to the shared album, advised all participants that they will be deleted in 2 weeks, and then delete them in 2 weeks 
-* Zipped the photos and shared directly via one of the methods described in the previous section+  * Zipped the photos and shared directly via one of the methods described in the previous section
  
 This is much to the chagrin of people I go on group trips with, because they don't understand why I can't just use Google Photos like them and I end up being viewed as a source of inconvenience. Oh well. This is much to the chagrin of people I go on group trips with, because they don't understand why I can't just use Google Photos like them and I end up being viewed as a source of inconvenience. Oh well.
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 ==== Google Contacts & Calendar ==== ==== Google Contacts & Calendar ====
  
-I run Nextcloud on my home server and have replaced G services with Nextcloud's cardDAV and calDAV implementations. This legitimately works better than Google's services. +I run Nextcloud on my home server and have replaced G services with Nextcloud's [[wp>CardDAV]] and [[wp>CalDAV]] implementations. These legitimately work better than Google Calendar and Google Contacts, especially on iOS which has first class support for CardDAV and CalDAV baked into the system; consequently system apps and facilities that rely on accurate calendar and contact sync work flawlessly.
 ==== YouTube ==== ==== YouTube ====
  
-Replaced with [[https://qtube.qlyoung.net/|Peertube]], although my YouTube channel is still up because I haven't gotten around to wiping it yet.+For hosting my own videos, I have replaced it with [[https://qtube.qlyoung.net/|Peertube]], although my YouTube channel is still up because I haven't gotten around to wiping it yet.
  
 Unfortunately [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhFsz0OqOJA|one video]] I made has popped off, and since it's educational I'm a little reluctant to take it down. I will probably make a video explaining how to get to my Peertube, upload that to YouTube, and then take everything else down. Then when I finally get around to deleting my Google account, that will disappear too. Unfortunately [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhFsz0OqOJA|one video]] I made has popped off, and since it's educational I'm a little reluctant to take it down. I will probably make a video explaining how to get to my Peertube, upload that to YouTube, and then take everything else down. Then when I finally get around to deleting my Google account, that will disappear too.
 +
 +Of course I still watch videos on YouTube, and I still subscribe to channels. However, I do it via a self-hosted instance of [[https://invidious.io/|invidious]]. This way all my subscription data information etc is kept on my home server. On my iPhone I use [[https://github.com/yattee/yattee|yattee]] as a client to my Invidious instance, so I get a YouTube app-like experience. Also has the side effect of being ad-free :-)
  
 ==== Keep ==== ==== Keep ====
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degoogling.1704480729.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/01/05 18:52 by qlyoung
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