Are you "google free" ?

[darkling@mstdn.social]

@futurebird It's not been too difficult for me in general, because I've *never* used the big services much, if at all. LinkedIn was the only "social" media site I was ever on. I ditched GitHub in favour of Codeberg in the autumn. I have my own domain name, and have been running a website and my own email on it for nearly 25 years.

At this point, for me, it's more about avoiding clicking on YouTube links than wresting control back from the dominant services.

[rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp]

@futurebird Ironically, I bought a 9-year-old Google Pixel phone specifically to be able to use a non-Google (and non-Apple) OS. (I have lost faith in Apple and am trying to dump them all.) My Pixel runs Lineage OS and I have never had to log in to my Google account to use it.

But I still have a Gmail account that is the only mail address a lot of people have for me. (Still, I have deleted the Gmail apps and only use the web interface for Gmail.)

The struggle continues.

[rogerbw@discordian.social]

@futurebird Never had a login, but the hardest one to give up was maps.

[black_flag@beige.party]

@futurebird This would also require not having an Android phone.

[normjess@tech.lgbt]

@futurebird I have an account via YouTube I guess, but I only use it in emergencies, when the usual methods of circumventing age restricted videos is not working and there's something politically important I must see

I have no desire to have a custom algorithm and that info about me existing somewhere in someone else's computer

[datarama@hachyderm.io]

@futurebird I have a gmail, but I haven't actually used it for several years. I gradually migrated everything from there to Runbox last year, but have kept it in case there's something I've forgotten to move over. After I did the initial migration, I deleted my entire inbox and mail history.

I don't log in for search or youtube, but I still sometimes use both. Much less than I used to, though.

[thejessiekirk@ohai.social]

@futurebird Sadly, I do still have a Google account that I use for microG, Android gaming and watching age-restrictid videos on YouTube. I don't see any of that changing, unfortunately.

[alkaid@social.lol]

@futurebird I consume YT in two ways: through my gf's premium account and apps or extensions that block ads. Some of my faves share their videos through Patreon (Dead Meat is a must for their uncut vids), but most sadly don't.

I ditched Google search a few years ago for better alternatives, but Gmail is the hardest to drop because I either can't change emails for some accounts, or am required to be locked in their ecosystem (esp if I want to sell books on the Google Play store, but I have a specific and rarely used account for that).

Also Steam makes it really hard to change my email lmao. So it's trapped there at the moment, but I have long since changed email providers. Gmail is mostly my junk mailbox now.

[roknrol@beige.party]

@futurebird I use YouTube. Even apps that strip the advertising (Re-Vanced, FreeTube) require a Google account to function.

My bigger concern is my phone though. I have plans to replace the OS, but that's a mighty big shift and I absolutely cannot be without my phone due to banks and travel and a whole bunch of shit that require I remain connected.

Once that problem is solved, I imagine dumping YouTube will be a smaller hurdle to overcome.

edit: after reading the other posts - I do have a gmail account that I use for some types of critical contact where a smaller server may have issues. And, yes, Google Maps. When I'm in France, I spend much of my time in a rural environment and things like OpenStreetMaps and such really aren't up to the task. Once I'm more settled and know my way around, that'll be easy to dump.

[kattebel@hachyderm.io]

@futurebird been using gmail since 2005. Recently moved all of my history out (into a local archive) and only check it on a fixed computer. But it's in use in so many places and so many friends use it, deletion is not an option. (yet)

Recently reluctantly recommitted to the fruit-company, by buying a 2nd hand iphone 13 mini.

[robparsons@mastodon.social]

@futurebird I'm working towards it. I wouldn't say it's hard, just takes a long time. I'm not doing it systematically, just transferring account emails to another email address when I have a spurt of energy. Getting rid of gmail ultimately won't be a problem.

Problem 1) replacement for google maps with a private layer. AFAICS Open Street Maps can do it, but it's technically daunting for me. I may just do without the map in the end.

[robparsons@mastodon.social]

@futurebird Problem 2) replacing my phone's OS, which I plan to do eventually but a) it's technically daunting b) I haven't worked out yet if I will be able to get the apps I need.

Problem 3) Youtube - haven't worked out what to do with that yet.

[tizianomattei@mastodon.uno]

@futurebird No Google account since last summer, had it dormant for 2 years after switching to Murena's /e/. I have one app from Google installed, which is Snapseed, that I sometimes use because it's a very good image editor. It's not tied to the Google ecosystem and 100% tracker free according to Exodus privacy report...

[kbm0@mastodon.social]

@robparsons @futurebird Smartphone hardware/software is really the blocker. I only carried a feature phone for years but eventually gave in to a smartphone, primarily for the live public transport information. I keep hoping that a viable low cost, open alternative will emerge and everyone will tell me about it on here.

[hypostase@bsd.network]

@futurebird
I'm functionally googevil free, but multiple accounts still exist because I refuse to give them the phone number they demand every time I try to log in to delete them.

[tadbithuman@mastodon.social]

@futurebird
Just got Graphene, slowly extricating myself from Google/Yahoo etc.

The bigger challenge is getting family/friends off it.

I use YouTube behind VPN and with adblockers and never log in for watching.

[wynke@mendeddrum.org]

@futurebird I'm uncertain whether to choose 'I aspire to be' and 'I don't aspire to be'.

[futurebird@sauropods.win]

@wynke

You can choose both. I try to make a poll that can capture human complexity and contradiction :)

[mariamakesamess@mastodon.ie]

@futurebird I was but then an employer moved to them 🤦‍♀️

[adredish@neuromatch.social]

@futurebird

I can't be google Free My entire university infrastructure is based on google workspace.

And, yes, when I asked the lawyers (OGC = Office of General Counsel) about a decade ago about this, they acknowledged that this meant google could do stuff with the data (translation and the like). Presumably, this now includes AI (although I haven't asked).

I never did find out whether they have sanctions in place to prevent google from using PHI (private health information) in the medical school files (which are also all google infrastructure. Or, more importantly, whether those sanctions actually work.