this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 53 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Time to stop using Gmail and YouTube. I had already avoided go░gle search for months now.

Over the last three or four months I had deleted all my FaceBook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram accounts. And this made me want to avoid go░gle search.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Been using DuckDuckGo for a month or two. It's mostly good enough for me.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I've been using it for years and have never looked back.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

You should. It uses Bing for its searches. So you are censored to oblivion.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I might be mistaken, but IIRC Bing is only one of the data sources DDG uses.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What's being censored? You have control over safesearch, and searching phrases verbatim returns all sites where that phrase exists.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Safesearch (NSFW) Censorship (Political, Government Posts, etc.)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Gonna need to see a legit source on that that doesn’t read like right-wing nutjobbery or Russian botnik drivel.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Honestly a good chunk of time its a better experience than google was

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (4 children)

DuckDuckGo is fine for some things, but if you want to do a search with a specific phrase in quotes, it doesn't recognize it. I hate having to go back to Google for some searches, but sometimes it's just better. I wish it wasn't, but it is.

DuckDuckGo's image search also leaves a lot to be desired.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I tried switching to DDG and then Qwant and sadly they both suck for some searches. For example neither could successfully find anything more specific than the home page on my country's government websites. Perhaps Bing, but, again, it's Microsoft?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I use duckduckgo but just throw in the google bang if I need specific functionality. Usually DDG is fine for me usually but it's convenient to be able to switch quickly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you need Google search results but don't want to use google try SearXng or Startpage

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you're getting Google results, you're using Google lol

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Not exactly. It's a privacy respecting front end so your data isn't being sent to Google

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You don't need to do the quote thing in DDG. You can literally just search the quote, and maybe the domain it was hosted on. You will find what you're looking for. DDG even has business profile widgets like google search does. I don't even miss google search at all.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I don't think you understand what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a search phrase that is partially in quotes for an exact match and partially not for an inexact match. Google handles that, DDG does not.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Just curious what's wrong with saying Google?

[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You must be new to Lemmy. Grab a tinfoil hat from the box by the door.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Funny how the term "tinfoil" persists even though it hasn't been used in over 70 years.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Easier to say than "aluminium"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Aluminum" at least has 1 less syllable. But I usually just say "foil." What else would I be talking about in that context?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

“Aluminum” at least has 1 less syllable. But I usually just say “foil.” What else would I be talking about in that context?

a·lu·mi·num

tin·foil

(Sorry for the 'ackshully', but couldn't resist.)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Didn't even realize that was a word until I looked it up.

the chemical element of atomic number 13, a light silvery-gray metal.

Not sure how that relates in a conversation about tinfoil hats usage but sure why not.

I'm sure the composition of the devices has a significant performance impact on their effectiveness, worthy of discussion. :p

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The successor to tin foil is aluminum foil. "Aluminum" is called "aluminium" in English-speaking countries outside the US.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh there we go, okay that explains it.

Yeah you guys on the other side of the pond like using extra letters in your words like 'colour'. :p

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Colour is closer to you than you think (look up)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Um, by "look up", if you mean my reply, I was spelling it how it's spelled over in Europe, not America.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean up as in on a map. Canada, north of the US, uses colour

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I mean up as in on a map.

Ah, so you were speaking geographically, and not Lemmyically.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

ACKSHULLY, I was referring to "aluminum" as opposed to "aluminium."

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

That's not how you spelled it though in your comment.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Easier to say than “aluminium

Is the comment I was replying to.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Fair enough. I didn't read the comment previous to yours, just your comment directly, so I thought you were referring to 'aluminum' versus 'tinfoil'.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Nooo. Those might be tampered. They could be bugged. Or they could have holes in them. Or the tin might be fake. Make your own.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Not special enough

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I had already stopped for googles slew of other issues. For email I recomebd proton mail

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

proton is very adequate to replace Gmail.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Oh most definitely. I'm still waiting for a desktop app on Linux for drive but I pay them abually and totally worth it for what I pay.

They do have free email options for those who prefer

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Well, they aren't even replying to whether the community-developed rclone backend breaks TOS, so don't expect much... but yeah, i pay for Proton and they're good for what they are.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh sweet summer child, you'll be waiting a while. Pull up a chair. Let me tell you a story about how I've been waiting years, with an S, for the Android app remake that they keep pushing back.

At least iOS users get to enjoy it..

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Here's some alternative recommendations: https://www.privacyguides.org/en/tools/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Start your own email server!! Download all of your favorite channels! Sub to your fav youtubers patreons! If you need music, use Spotify until you amass a collection of digital/physical music! Use FireFox! Google does not need to have any grip on our digital lifestyles.