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degoogling [2026/02/12 17:07] – [Search] qlyoungdegoogling [2026/05/19 03:49] (current) – [Google Drive] qlyoung
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 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.
  
-Here in 2025 I still have a Google account and probably will for the foreseeable future, because Google Fi and Google Fiber remain the best cell service and internet service providers, and you need a Google account to pay for them.+Here in 2026 I still have a Google account and probably will for the foreseeable future, because Google Fi and Google Fiber remain the best cell service and internet service providers, and you need a Google account to pay for them.
  
 Today I use my Google account for five things: Today I use my Google account for five things:
  
   * 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 often require a Google account+  * Filling out Google Forms 
 +    * If you use these, please set them so they don't require a Google account
   * Access to shared Google Photos albums   * Access to shared Google Photos albums
   * Google Fi (cell service)   * Google Fi (cell service)
   * Google Fiber (internet)   * Google Fiber (internet)
  
-Despite these limited use cases, which are all provided for free with a personal-tier Google account, I still have to pay for Google Suite ($8/month). Why? Because years ago when I wanted to use a custom domain on my Gmail account, I started paying for Google Suite to enable this functionality. When you do this, your Google account is converted from a "Personal" to a "Business" account. This is a one way transition. Once this happens, if you stop paying for it, your level of services drops *below* that offered to a free personal Google account. So unless I want to completely disable my Google account (spoilers: I do, but not yet) I have to continue to pay Google, because they don't offer a downgrade path.+Despite these limited use cases, which are all provided for free with a personal-tier Google account, I still have to pay for Google Suite ($8/month). Why? Because years ago when I wanted to use a custom domain on my Gmail account, I started paying for Google Suite to enable this functionality. When you do this, your Google account is converted from a "Personal" to a "Business" account. This is a one way transition. Once this happens, if you stop paying for it, your level of services drops *below* that offered to a free personal Google account. So until I am ready to completely disable my Google account, I have to pay Google because they don't offer a downgrade path.
  
 Below I share what I have replaced various Google services with. Below I share what I have replaced various Google services with.
  
----- +---- 
 + 
 +===== Replacements =====
  
 ==== Gmail ==== ==== Gmail ====
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 ==== Search ==== ==== Search ====
  
-I pay for [[https://kagi.com/|Kagi]]; and in 2025 onward, I don't need to use that much either now that we have effective LLMs.+I pay for [[https://kagi.com/|Kagi]].
 ==== Google Drive ==== ==== Google Drive ====
  
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   * [[https://nextcloud.com/|Nextcloud]] - I use this on my intranet, but it's too heavy to host a separate public instance just for filesharing   * [[https://nextcloud.com/|Nextcloud]] - I use this on my intranet, but it's too heavy to host a separate public instance just for filesharing
   * [[https://github.com/magic-wormhole/magic-wormhole|magic wormhole]] - works, but people don't want to install programs to receive files and the mobile story is bad. shout out [[https://rymdport.github.io/|rymdport]] for favorite client.   * [[https://github.com/magic-wormhole/magic-wormhole|magic wormhole]] - works, but people don't want to install programs to receive files and the mobile story is bad. shout out [[https://rymdport.github.io/|rymdport]] for favorite client.
-  * [[https://syncthing.net/|Syncthing]] - It's a sync program, it isn't intended for unidirectional file transfer and thus doesn't work well for that purpose+  * [[https://syncthing.net/|Syncthing]] - Sync programs are not designed for unidirectional file transfer and don't work well for that purpose
  
 I now pay for Dropbox. Upload to folder, share link. Sometimes you just gotta pay and move on. I now pay for Dropbox. Upload to folder, share link. Sometimes you just gotta pay and move on.
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