[addicted]

I really disagree with the Why of this article.

I think there are good reasons to move away, or at least consider reducing dependence on Google, and the last point about the change in Google Photos policy hints at that (but even there it creates a kind of conspiracy theory where none is needed).

For me, the Whys would be:

1) Far too much dependence on Google. It's probably not a good thing to have so much dependence on any single entity if its avoidable.

2) Google is extremely unreliable in maintaining their services. We have all seen them randomly discontinue services, even successful ones, because their standards for success are also Google scale. This means that anything you're using is at risk of being discontinued and forcing you to find an alternative in a rush, as opposed to doing it ahead of time when you can pick the time and choosing of finding the alternative.

3) Constantly changing UX. Based on HN comments, it appears Google has an internal culture that rewards constant churn. PErsonally, for example, Google Maps has always been untouchable for me. Until their UI changes have started hiding so much data, that just this weekend, it was almost impossible for me to find the address to a destination so I could enter it in my rental car's Nav system. After a few minutes of fumbling around I switched to Apple Maps, for the first time ever, where it was trivial.

[ricardo81]

Think your points broadly cover the consensus. I usually refer to [0] for people looking to alternatives though [1] was pointed out to me on here which also looks good and breaks the choices down by operating system.

[0] https://degoogle.jmoore.dev/

[1] https://prism-break.org

[trident5000]

I switched my main email account to protonmail a few months ago. Feels like a weight is off my shoulders. Aside from how invasive the company is, the layout is just illogical for me especially when replying and forwarding. Its also been getting progressively slower.