Thoughts on DeGooglefying One's Life

[madelienegrey]

So I know this community is for discussing aspects of G+, but I can't help but notice that most of the posts lately include a general dissatisfaction with the name policy and that several of you have deleted your profiles and moved on. I'm in the same boat, so I hope it's okay to share a link to Goodbye Google, a blog with links to alternatives to Google products you may commonly use. I've found it helpful, so hopefully one of you may, too. ♥

Comments

[cavocorax]

Great link. Thanks for the share!

I went over there to have a peek and it was too tough. I just *really* like google, and google products. IDK if I *could* just give it all up. It doesn't help that I have an android phone and am so used to all my apps talking to each other, and using one password for everything.

Yet, on the other hand that means that google has EVERYTHING (except my dw account). How did I let this happen? Why am I ok with this? If it were facebook or microsoft I'd be nervous as hell.

Even now I'm mostly ok with google. I knew in advance that G+ was a way for google to further market my data and build profiles, but I figured it wasn't a big deal so long as they kept it anonymous and didn't give away my name, address etc to the people they sold my info to. What do I care if marketers know that I like kindle books, bargains, and video games?

I don't like the nym-wars though. I keep watching and waiting to see if things will get better, and if they'll loosen up. I'm not used to seeing google as a fascist state. What happened? I thought we were tight! :| I'm still using G+, and all my other google products, but there's a crack in my rose-tinted glasses. Maybe someday I can make the exodus but from where I am now I have a hard time imaginging it. /0\

[madelienegrey]

I hope you can. I wrote about my own personal reasons for degooglefying my life here. When you consider the long list of people that Google's real name policy excludes, and especially when you consider that the majority of those people are minorities, women, children, LGBT individuals, and other marginalized groups...well, supporting Google happens to leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. It's much like why I decided I would rather support the policies of a small company like Dreamwidth over the outsourced conglomerate of Livejournal.

For myself I've started to slowly phase out - maybe it's easier because I don't have an Android, but it was very easy to switch to duckduckgo.com for searching, to GMX mail for email(where you can forward your existing Gmail accounts until you're ready to cut the cord), and to use Diaspora in place of G+.

Certainly the decision is up to you, but I hope you'll read some of the real implications of the Nymwars to at least get an understanding of how fighting for privacy rights on the internet (including the use of a pseudonym) is important to consider.

[dragonfly]

I was glad to read about duck duck go, since I'd been using Bing and was Not Very Happy.

I've actually been squinty-eyed about Google ever since it became clear they want to take over everything. That's the classic definition of power corrupting. If not today, soon, and for the rest of your life. So I've been cautious about utilizing their shiny new toys.

There is one SHINY toy I just can't bear to let lie, though. Googlemaps will tell you how to get from A to B via bike or public transit. I LOVE that. *le sigh*

[madelienegrey]

I'm hoping that ArcGIS will fill that gap eventually.

[cavocorax]

I feel like I'd need a googler's anonymous to help get me off google. :P (The irony). But seriously, it would be so difficult in order to walk away from all of it. It'll take more time/thought before I could do such a thing.

Thank you for sharing your post - you make some really good points. Personally I think we should be allowed to self-identify however we choose regardless of whatever "legal name" we have been branded with (even for those who aren't necessarily harmed by using their name - I think it's a freedom we should all be able to practice online). For that reason, I am very disturbed by this policy.

I think there's a good chance I will at the very least delete my G+ account. As for the rest of google? IDK yet. Using the same reasoning as I am against google, I feel like I should consider closing my facebook account as well... I don't mind disclosing my identity there, but I don't agree that others cannot. It's the same on G+ - I use my real identity there, but I support the right to choose your own identity. (http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=112146705538576)