I mean I am really trying. But my muscle memory types google.com every time I want to search for something. The fact that startpage.com just feels so much slower and that the duckduckgo results are far from being as good as the google ones doesn’t make it easier.
Who of you was able to do it, and who wasn’t?
And if yes how did you do it?
I’ve abandoned it on my smartphone. But have to admit I still use it for web searches.
There was a lot I liked about DuckDuckGo. But as you said, the results aren’t the best.
I might use startpage for a month and see how I get on.
And there’s always Bing 
I use duckduckgo as my primary search engine and only fall back to google when I don’t find what I’m looking for. Remember you can just add !g to your search and DuckDuckGo will redirect you to google, so it’s very easy to switch between the two.
7 Likes
Get into the habit of using duckduckgo bangs. !g takes no time to use if you want Google results via duckduckgo. There are also other services which use Google but keep you anonymous, I just can’t remember them…
Ha, beaten to it!
3 Likes
I would sacrifice you all for chronological and literal search 
Havent been able to manage others as there is always something, and then I’ll end up Googling if I can set time window, or do literal search with that search engine
You need to relearn how to search for information. Google does it based on data collection.
Also yes. I’m almost completely Google free now.
2 Likes
I haven’t used Google for search in a long time, been using DDG and I’m happy enough with it. YouTube tho…Can’t get away from YouTube…
4 Likes
I use it for email still but google is terrible as a search engine for me. Most things I look up on google I don’t even get relevant results most the time. Well that and still got a bunch of old programs and config files I keep in Google Drive, back ups of back ups.
After getting used to DDG’s Bangs, I can’t remember how I managed to function with just Google.
I mean… I know I did. I also used search engines before Google. It was just traumatic, and my brain blocks out the details. 
2 Likes
I dunno about duckduckgo having inferior results, but I’ve been using it for a good while.
I found https://www.qwant.com/ sometime shortly after I started using Linux, so around the end of 2014. It isn’t perfect for some very technical questions (I’m not the best at searching), where some of the other advice above will yield better results, but I mostly use Qwant and only occasionally have to look elsewhere.
I’ve gotten a couple of other people to switch to it, but if I’m talking in general conversation then Google is like saying Hoover, Kleenex, or similar. People are creatures of habit and will use whatever happens their norm. For most people that ends up being Google anyway.
I mean, startpage has beent my goto for 2 years. DDG is my default on desktop because I’m lazy.
It uh, its not hard my dood.
1 Like
I’ve been using primarily DDG for a couple months now, and I feel like it performs well, you just need to learn how to use DDG instead of trying to search like you’re using Google. Still, if I’m at work and I need to find an answer fast, I’ll revert to Google just because I’m still more proficient at it. I’m gonna have to try the !g thing.
I have abandoned most of my Gmail. Slowly transitioning to ProtonMail. My Gmail is mostly just for rewards programs and stuff like that that I just haven’t switched over yet.
I switched from Chrome (which I’ve been using since it came out) to Firefox several months ago. I strayed from the path a couple times, but I’ve been strictly Firefox for I think about two months now.
Kinda hard to ditch YouTube, for now. I have looked into other platforms, but haven’t made any attempt to stop using YouTube.
Now for my phone… that’s gonna be the REALLY hard one. I won’t switch to an iPhone again. I despise the lack of customization and being stuck with Safari as the default browser. I’m hoping the Librem 5 isn’t just vaporware. I can deal with the kinda outdated specs and small screen if it means getting Google out of my pocket.
Weaned mostly off gmail, though I still have it because some things do not accept a tech TLD in email addresses. Dumbass web developers
Been using DDG as primary driver for a while now. I don’t consider it inferior in any way, it is rare I have to jump back to google search for anything.
Still use android with its google stuff in it though. Only because I like the tap and go payment stuff. But I don’t need it, i could tap my card. Too hipster though.
Still watch plenty of YouTube, but I do not need an account for that. I only have one to subscribe to channels, a matter of convenience.
I have never uttered the words “ok google” either.
So not completely, only for the sake of some convenience.
Kinda hard to ditch YouTube, for now. I have looked into other platforms, but haven’t made any attempt to stop using YouTube.
I don’t open YouTube on a browser on my system, so I don’t count it. 
youtube-dl + seedbox, and then rsync the video file locally.
2 Likes
I’m in too deep.
It’s easy. Use apple…
90% reduction in data mining achevied.
I’m slightly serious. The apple linux combination seems to work for me at least. Especially considering the lack of alternatives if you want a decent smart phone.
For YouTube, maybe we should push Wendell to have alternative video platforms it’s a start
1 Like
i found myself not using search browsers at all - and gmail mail only for spam; while i use my own exchange server for personal stuff.
1 Like
But Duck Duck go still uses the google search engines arent they?
Getting yourself free from Google is going to be pretty hard,
because Google is everywhere on the interwebs.