I’m finding that enjoying Google products and services on Lemmy is a hot take. Personally I use a Pixel phone and use nearly all Google services from Gmail to Keep.

  • Blaze@discuss.tchncs.de
    915·
    1 year ago

    I’m probably in the minority, but I do not care. If you are happy, that’s the most important, you do you.

  • glibg10b@lemmy.ml
    421·
    1 year ago

    I don’t approve of the decisions made by Google, but that doesn’t affect how much I use their services.

    However, I am unhappy about the fact that the Google Play Services app is required by their apps, since it constantly runs in the background eating battery, consuming RAM, causing lag spikes and wasting mobile data. For this reason, I use MicroG when possible.

    I don’t like the fact that some Google apps (e.g. Chrome) on my phone are not uninstallable, but that’s the OEM’s fault (Samsung in my case). Luckily it’s possible to remove these using ADB (without root).

    I don’t like how they want to make it harder to root your own device.

    • Chetzemoka@startrek.website
      9·
      1 year ago

      This is how I feel. I don’t hate Google. But I do want to see them broken up and regulated much more than they currently are.

  • Jackthelad@lemmy.worldEnglish
    342·
    1 year ago

    I mean I don’t love Google, because loving a tech company would be a bit weird.

    But I like their phones and the Android experience. I don’t really care if some nerds on the internet who like to tell everyone how they’ve “degoogled” their phones and get a stiffy about Linux don’t like that.

    • cm0002@lemmy.world
      72·
      1 year ago

      Same, they’re also one of the few Android smartphone companies left that actually allow you to somewhat easily unlock your bootloader. Your only other option is OnePlus (Which has taken a nosedive in the last few years) or some random Chinese brand that you have to pay all cash for and import

      I think people are just pissed that this is what’s become of the company whose motto used to be “Do no evil” and actually practiced it.

      Realistically, they aren’t doing anything that much worse than any other Big Tech company is doing or has done.

    • lorez@lemm.ee
      2·
      1 year ago

      I hate the G2 Tensor currently inside my Pixel 7 but I like their Android flavor and use a lot of Google services.

  • GingaNinga@lemmy.world
    22·
    1 year ago

    I used to love youtube and their search engine but they’ve made it so anti-consumer that I just sort of gravitated to better alternatives. I just fine their ad strategy really gross, theres a huge push for anti-adblock, pushing sponsored links in searches, cramming premium down everyones throats, I’m just sort of done with it.

    • timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      One of us…

      But honestly, I think you’ll find that a lot of the degooglers and such used to be big Google fans, etc. It’s just you eventually get tired of all their bullshit, constantly tracking and advertising to you, etc. And you realize you might need to pay for those services but you don’t trust a company like Google or meta, etc. To not track you still so…

      You eventually move on and then you find new things bit by bit to replace all those services. Some free, some paid. Some amazing, some just OK. But at least you’re happier with some privacy.

  • Redonkulation@lemmy.world
    213·
    1 year ago

    You can still be hyper critical of a product you use. I rely on tons of Google services and also use a pixel, but that doesn’t stop me from being disappointed in their behavior at large when it seems like the leadership is allergic to making the easy winning decisions.

    The realistic alternative is Apple and frankly fuck that.

  • HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works
    181·
    1 year ago

    Remember when Google was a fast, simple and reliable search engine?

    Pepperidge Farm remembers.

    Also when they launched Google earth and Gmail? Those were the good times.

    Everything that came afterwards is monopoly fuckery and data harvesting. Fuck them

        • Call me Lenny/Leni@lemm.eeEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          I thought Google Plus was amazing. It’s the only social media I would never foresee myself complaining about, even through its demise due to some politicians complaining about it.

              • Chakravanti@sh.itjust.works
                3·
                1 year ago

                Yeah it does. It’s ONE in charge. I’ll take this right here or Mastadon, Diaspora, anything where control is done by the masses, not any individual. If you think Google isn’t one mother fucker in charge, then educate yourself, because I guarentee you it is.

                • Call me Lenny/Leni@lemm.eeEnglish
                  2·
                  1 year ago

                  Google Plus was run differently from normal Google or even YouTube, it wasn’t like Twitter where one voice comes to mind, one voice broadcasting themselves as the rep in any way.

  • roguetrick@kbin.social
    16·
    1 year ago

    With a user base that mostly consists of a mix of economically liberal privacy advocates and leftists, I wouldn’t expect too many to view a company like Google to be a long term positive influence on the world.

    • TheDarkKnight@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      1 year ago

      They made the internet a better place originally and now do the complete opposite, that’s my main issue with Gargle these days.

  • Moobythegoldensock@lemm.ee
    151·
    1 year ago

    I’m neutral toward Google. Youtube is fine but I don’t watch it constantly. Search has gone to shit and I’ve switched to duckduckgo. Maps are still good. My wife likes her Pixel.

  • dingus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    162·
    1 year ago

    Like it or not, Lemmy is a bit of an odd, fringe community with a lot of fringe ideals.

    I use Google products and don’t give a shit about FOSS services or intense privacy. It’s an unpopular view here in Lemmy, but it’s actually how the majority outside of it seem to behave.

    I didn’t join Lemmy because of FOSS or privacy nonsense. I joined it because spez got rid of my Reddit app and I don’t want to use some cancerous app with a zillion ads plastered everywhere.

    Look, don’t get me wrong…I am against the idea of megacorps as a whole, but not enough to stop using something that makes my life a zillion times easier and doesn’t actively hurt me.

    • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.worldEnglish
      148·
      1 year ago

      I mean, if you think its not actively hurting you, then you’re willfully not paying attention at this point.

      but you do you.

      Just don’t come back crying “how could anyone let this happen?!” and begging for help when the hens come home to roost.

      • sirfancy@lemmy.world
        82·
        1 year ago

        Just don’t come back crying “how could anyone let this happen?!” and begging for help when the hens come home to roost.

        Can you elaborate on what doomsday scenario you’re referring to? I don’t hear many arguments outside of “Google bad, they’re gonna do a bad thing” without any evidence or description of what the big bad event is gonna be. And before you say “they sell your data,” I know. So does literally everyone else. And I have no intention of living off the technological grid to mitigate that.

        • glasgitarrewelt@feddit.de
          21·
          1 year ago

          And I have no intention of living off the technological grid to mitigate that.

          I would argue that you are already living off the technology grid. Before starting my FOSS journey, every software I used was a dull ‘Just click here and let the algorithm do it’s job’. By beeing conscious about the software I am using now, I accidently found a lot of joy in technical things, feeling a lot more ‘on’ the technological grid than before.

          Can you elaborate on what doomsday scenario you’re referring to?

          I am not the commenter above, but my greatest fear with all those data hungry companies is the control and power we give to not elected entities. Knowing all about every person in a state and knowing how to use this data for targeted ads, targeted video recommendations, targeted search results,…, could make a difference in elections and law making. It is basically undermining democracy, and I am a big fan of real democracy.

          • Monkeytennis@lemmy.worldEnglish
            31·
            1 year ago

            I agree with your last bit, and I know plenty of people who are clearly manipulated by their news feeds and targeted advertising, but I’m not one of them. I don’t use ad blockers because it’s a valid revenue mechanism - I have friends who pay their bills through advertising. But I’m blind to them, I’ve never clicked on an advert and actively avoid suggestions.

            I’m worried about the societal consequence, but doesn’t that issue need to be addressed by engaging in the politics, not by me using Google less? Data harvesting is unavoidable without huge inconvenience, and life is hard enough.

            I feel the same way about climate change - I can reduce, reuse and recycle all I want, but I see my neighbours driving and flying everywhere and filling their bins every week, I probably sacrifice to make zero difference.

      • Kayn@dormi.zone
        34·
        1 year ago

        Yes, your tone will surely motivate OP and other people to take another look at their online privacy.

        You’re part of the reason people look at the privacy community in disgust.

  • realharo@lemm.ee
    151·
    1 year ago

    They’re the same as any other megacorp, no better or worse.

    There are two things (or two aspects of the same one problem) I dislike about them specifically though:

    • The Google account bundles together too many disparate services - which means if their bots decide to arbitrarily block you for some reason, that affects your email, photo backup, YouTube account, Drive, phone, docs, etc.

    • They have no usable support. Whenever something bad happens, your only recourse is to complain about it on Twitter and hope it blows up enough that someone with power to change things will notice it and manually review the decision. Otherwise you’re stuck in bot support hell. Many such cases.