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submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by kjtrnc@lemmy.ml to c/degoogle@lemmy.ml

Yesterday on Digital Independence Day I've launched a small website suggesting sustainable alternatives to BigTech products.

I've started with five categories: Email, Search, Maps, Browsers, Messaging.

There are some controversial picks in there like Proton Mail or Brave. They do have a pretty wide adoption but have severe downsides. I'll probably remove them again. What do you think?

Which categories would be the next most important ones to add? Which services did I miss on the existing ones? Feedback welcome.

#DIDit #DigitalIndependenceDay

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[-] Fleppensteijn@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago

I hadn't heard of Here We Go and so far it's the only Maps alternative that actually gives correct routes for public transport. I wonder why its rating on Play is so low (2.9).

As for Gmail alternatives, I wouldn't consider it a real alternative if you have to pay for it.

[-] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

There are some controversial picks in there like Proton Mail or Brave. They do have a pretty wide adoption but have severe downsides. Iโ€™ll probably remove them again. What do you think?

here is a comment i wrote recently listing some of the reasons not to use proton. i'd also recommend against vivaldi (proprietary), brave (so many reasons), and everything in your messaging category besides matrix (and matrix also has lots of problems but it is the least bad of the ones you're recommending). sorry that i don't have time to elaborate right now (it's a lot), but for the inevitable "what about signal" question see my comment here and more here.

ps. if you do use signal, consider adjusting your Who Can Find Me By Number setting (see that link for a fun implementation of the attack against signal users who leave it as it is by default). note that the same thing could technically be done in matrix too, albeit by matrix ID instead of phone number. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

pps: here are my comments about tuta ๐Ÿ™„

[-] kjtrnc@lemmy.ml 1 points 14 hours ago

Thanks for the input, Arthur. I consider removing some of those picks or at least flag them for the issues pointed out. Are there some Messaging apps you'd wholeheartedly recommend?

[-] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 2 points 13 hours ago

Sadly there are none I can recommend wholeheartedly, all have various problems ๐Ÿ˜ข

[-] ayush@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Thanks for sharing, but the website doesn't seem to work - https://substysubs.net/

PS: A clickable link would have been helpful.

[-] eleijeep@piefed.social 6 points 2 days ago

It seems they made a typo in their image. There's a website at https://sustysubs.net/

[-] zavaj@livellosegreto.it 2 points 2 days ago

@kjtrnc What are the downsides to Proton Mail and Brave?

[-] cabbage@piefed.social 11 points 2 days ago

Brave is developed by a complete bigot, Proton praises Trump in the name of political neutrality or whatever the fuck.

I think neither of them should be recommended as an alternative by anyone anywhere. They do not represent an alternative, they are the same shit in new wrapping.

[-] zavaj@livellosegreto.it 1 points 2 days ago

@cabbage Thanks for the info!

this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2026
50 points (98.1% liked)

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