Re: Life without Google
I was happy to read Amanda's post about Life without Google.
I have been on a long journey towards freedom from Big Tech too, and I feel hopeful whenever someone takes a step in that direction.
The motivations for leaving Big Tech vary. Personally, I have been propelled by doing good, privacy, and freedom. I want to support companies that serve users in a transparent and honest way; that don't sell my data or, better yet, don't collect it; and that don't create walled gardens but works for open services and communities.
Ultimately, I think the root problem with Big Tech is their business model of providing seemingly free services whilst collecting your data in order to sell your attention. A business model like this cannot have a user's best interests at heart, the incentives are misaligned.
So vote with your feet, leave Big Tech, and pay for, or support, the services that you use. By doing so, you're already in a better place, the incentives are aligned again.
I use Vivaldi as my browser, Uruky for search, and Proton for mail. Miniflux manages my feeds and Linkding stores the most noteworthy bits I come across on the internet.