this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2026
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DeGoogle Yourself
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I do want to stop using google maps in its entirety, but there are problems with all the other map and navigation apps that haven't been solved that google has working just fine.
Say I want directions to a store or restaurant 20-30 minutes away. I know what its called, not its exact location, so I type its name in and google can give me a list of all places with that name no issue.
I try that in magic earth, organic maps, co maps, its a toss up if it knows the place I am trying to find. So I try typing in the exact address if I have time and can find it online. 90% of the time that just doesn't find the place, and givss me an entire street to look down.
Lastly, often I want to call these places ahead of time, or look at a menu, get a vague idea how much it costs. Google maps just... has that information right there. Hours, images of food, menus, everything. No one else has that, and complications arise, especially when Duck Duck Go give me the wrong number and I place a pick up order from a place on the wrong side of town.
I want to replace google, but damn it if right now its just the best option and doesn't screw anything up. There are times when I cannot afford being late or lost and I can't risk using the other ones.
All that stuff is a lot of expensive data entry and purchasing of live data feeds.
I have no interest in paying for a search engine, but if someone like Kagi did a legit google maps replacement, I would pay.
At a certain point you may have to make a sacrifice. You may have to reject convenience, and call the store, or park your car and walk down the block. And while you're at it you can update the OSM address.
I know it's not the easiest way and I'm not judging you one bit—I also take the less principled option sometimes. But I can't even render Google maps on my phone now, and it's amazing how things just turn out fine when I muddle through.
I come from the 90s for fuck's sake, before all this. I'm not going to let some power tripping ad platform make me feel helpless.
If all the services suck, you could just not use any of them, like everyone did for literally millions of years. I don't understand why supporting corporate neofascism is OK if their services are convenient.
very amazing arguments there
the person described their issue and your response amounts to 'before these services existed people were fine too'. forgetting that as times have changed the different ways to live and access resources have changed. just a few decades ago newpaper information, telephone directories, etc were the way to find this exact information that barely exist if at all in most places now. before that there were travel guides and handbooks. before that travelling posts where u could go and ask. do u think today u can find anyone who's job is to guide and give out information? no. lets not pretend we have the same world we did before.
im not gonna go into millions of years ago for hopefully obvious reasons
neofascist corporations are controlling basic infrastructure. stop calling it a convenience to use them. one can argue alternatives are better, or quitting these infrastructure is possible. but that is a long, hard, difficult chore for many.