Living a "Google Free" Life

[Ellipsis]

I hate Google. Not for their policies, not for how much their services suck and defiantly not for their lack of support for Open Source. No, rather I hate Google because it is dominating. It is becoming our benevolent web dictator, every day more power is surrendered, every day we come closer to the Gweb ( my term for google having absolute control online).

Thus over the last few months I have been searching for Google alternatives to the many products and services they offer. I have found quite a few good services and some that have vast amounts of potential. After switching to gmail (I HAD to give up on Hotmail even though I was searching for alternatives to other services) I increased the urgency of my quest and after Google released Chrome I quadrupled my efforts. Until today I was still searching but no longer! Today, after I click this I will start my "Google Free" life. A life I hope promotes a better, freer web. Yes, you can thank me for taking this bullet for you.

My Choices

The following is a list of alternative services I will be using in the new frontier. Please note that with two exceptions I will NOT use a Google service for any reason from now on. These exceptions are Youtube links given to me by other individuals. Gmail access in order to move my mail over.

Google Search ---------------------> Wikia Search

iGoogle (homepage) ---------------------> (still deciding)

Google News ---------------------> (still deciding)

Gmail ---------------------> Zoho Mail

YouTube ---------------------> (still deciding)

Google Docs ---------------------> Zoho



I would gladly welcome any suggestions you guys have for alternative applications and services.

[LaRoza]

I hate Google. Not for their policies, not for how much their services suck and defiantly not for their lack of support for Open Source. No, rather I hate Google because it is dominating. It is becoming our benevolent web dictator, every day more power is surrendered, every day we come closer to the Gweb ( my term for google having absolute control online).

They don't have "control" they just off a lot of choices.

You are very irrational...

[Ellipsis]

They don't have "control" they just off a lot of choices.

You are very irrational...

I understand that but they have the ability to gain lots of control.Google is in many ways is building a "web" around themselves...just look at all the services they provide. I for one do not think that giving one company that much power is a good idea.

This is not solely a thing about "HATE" it is also about discovering new and better applications and services.

[LaRoza]

I understand that but they have the ability to gain lots of control.Google is in many ways is building a "web" around themselves...just look at all the services they provide. I for one do not think that giving one company that much power is a good idea.

Google follows the standards and doesn't try to create new ones. It has many quality free services as well.

This is not solely a thing about "HATE" it is also about discovering new and better applications and services.

Well, that is not what I got from the post

[ooobuntooo]

I love Google because they are strong enough to stand up to Microsoft!

[lisati]

The following is a list of alternative services I will be using in the new frontier. Please note that with two exceptions I will NOT use a Google service for any reason from now on. These exceptions are Youtube links given to me by other individuals. Gmail access in order to move my mail over.

Google Search ---------------------> Wikia Search

iGoogle (homepage) ---------------------> (still deciding)

Google News ---------------------> (still deciding)

Gmail ---------------------> Zoho Mail

YouTube ---------------------> (still deciding)

Google Docs ---------------------> Zoho



I would gladly welcome any suggestions you guys have for alternative applications and services.

Zoho to get away from Google? I think I missed something here - Zoho's mail login screen has a similar appearance to Gmail and says to sign in with Google or Yahoo....

[lukjad]

Meh. I don't like Google as much as I once did and don't use their browser partly because of that. But I don't trust "Zoho" any more, and even somewhat less, than Google. Google, I know. I may not trust them not to track me, but I don't think they are some fly-by-night operation bent on selling my home phone number to telemarketers and my Gmail account to SPAMMERs.

[Ellipsis]

Google follows the standards and doesn't try to create new ones. It has many quality free services as well.

Google's services are great (as I have said) but we are in danger of being "locked in" to Google. Google is linking many of it's services together in such a way that even if there is a better mail/search/other service it becomes inconvenient to use it compared with using Google's alternative product.

Well, that is not what I got from the post

Yeah, I should tone down my use of the word "HATE".

[corney91]

I don't see anything wrong with Google. But if you're looking for an alternative to iGoogle, I'd recommend netvibes.

[Ellipsis]

Zoho to get away from Google? I think I missed something here - Zoho's mail login screen has a similar appearance to Gmail and says to sign in with Google or Yahoo....

Yeah the page style is oddly familiar but the site is managed by a separate company.