I Quit Chrome and So Can You!
by Raymond Trabulsy
What ended up as me giving up Chrome began, ironically, as an attempt to dive head first into the Chromium ecosystem. My aunt gave me this old Asus laptop for free back in 2011, after leaving it to rot in her office for a couple years.
She is someone you could call — if you were feeling gracious — technologically challenged. A more accurate description would be technologically destructive.
Through a series of poor install choices, she had managed to throttle the entire system with a multitude of free virus software, all of them starting up with Windows 7. This would, in most cases, crash the computer. Though I am not the most technically savvy person out there, I had learned enough from my University IT department to fix the issue. They routinely had to help me resuscitate a poorly designed HP Pavillion I’d bought on clearance back in ‘08.
And this little monster of an Asus went on respectably for several years as my main machine. Sure it slowed down with every Windows 7 update, and defragging the hard drive was becoming less and less effective, but that’s computers for you. It wasn’t until a Forced upgrade to Windows 10 back in ’17 that the final nail in the coffin had been plunged. 10, in all its beautiful and bulky glory, was too much for my little Asus, and it was finally relegated to the basement technology drawer of no return.
Then, in 2019, I’d heard about a free version of Chrome OS that promised to breathe new life into old machines, like my little Asus. Now, since I decommissioned my Asus, I had gone on to purchase other computers with modern specs, so this was more a matter of pride and general curiosity. I was going to revive my Asus out of principle.
Unfortunately, the Chrome OS look alike ended up tanking the computer entirely, corrupting both the Chrome OS and Windows 10. I was able to revive the Asus again through several secure boots, and a Windows Restore. It was during one of these reboots that I got to thinking: What other OS options are out there?
It was then that I discovered Linux, and within the hour I was running not one but two different versions of Linux on my old Asus.
For the unimitated, please go and read about Linux from one of their official sites. I am not skilled enough to adequately describe how Linux works. Suffice to say, it is a generally smaller OS than Windows or MacOS, and it is free. I started using a version called Lubuntu, because it was specifically designed for older computers with less computational power. You can find its website [here].
True to form, Lubuntu breathed new life into an otherwise ancient machine, earning it a place on my desk once again, next to an 8 years young Surface Go. Lubuntu also opened my eyes to the idea of living outside the Google ecosystem.
There is no shortage of media out there telling you that, today, it is virtually impossible to exist without Google if you wish to have any sort of digital experience, and, in fact, if you have ever had any kind of digital footprint in the past, you are forever imprinted in the Google surveillance state, if only as an artifact.
I am not going to advocate spending thousands of dollars to try and release yourself from the numerous, attractive Google services, because, even if you did, there are still thousands of invisible Google services out there that are going to keep watching you. But, what dipping my toes into the open source community taught me was this: I don’t need to give up the ghost and surrender entirely to Google. I can live within blind spots, making it harder for Google and others to track me.
And I can do this with very little effort.
Step 1. The OS.
You don’t have to necessarily jump OS ship if you don’t want to. All of what follows can be done on Windows or Mac. In fact, Apple is known for their strict privacy policies, so if you are in the Apple ecosystem, and like it, keep on keepin’ on. But if you are like me — you have an older PC, you don’t want to shell out more cash for a new version of Windows or Mac, or you are generally curious about PC tinkering — find a Linux version (called Distro) that fits you. I personally recommend Lubuntu, or Ubuntu Budgie. I have used both, and really enjoyed them.
Step 2. The Browser.
Changing browsers is the easiest and quickest way to put some distance between you and a data collector.
I started using Chrome way back in ’08, when it first launched because, let’s face it, there was no other option for high quality web browsing. Internet Explorer was a hot mess. FireFox wasn’t quite there, and (honestly) I knew of no other alternatives. As the years went on, I kept getting more and more invested in Chrome. Google kept adding new services, and they integrated it across platforms. By 2013, I was running Chrome on my phone and laptop. By 2017, I had my Google account synced across every device I ever owned, and Google Drive was backing up every computer simultaneously.
I was in deep. Too deep, I thought, to ever get out. I almost bit the bullet entirely and surrender myself to Google by turning my computer into a fully fledged Chromebook.
What I didn’t realize was, while I was mired in the Chrome ecosystem, other browsers were fast catching up and, in some ways, exceeding Chrome.
FireFox was now offering the ability to sync across platforms. It was just as fast, and offered just as many fun extensions. The best part of all, it allowed you restrict what data was shared.
Another was Opera. While I knew Opera existed years before, I’d never thought of it as a comparable browser to Google. What I found was the modern incarnation of Opera was, like Firefox, just as good as a browsing experience, and it actually beat out all the competition with its mobile browsers.
Opera offered multiple flavors of mobile browsing. There was its default Opera, which acted much like its desktop iteration. There was Mini, for those who want to use as little data as possible. Lastly, the truly unique Opera Touch, which is one of the prettiest, user friendly, and smartphone oriented experiences on the market.
Step 3. The Cloud.
It’s hard to argue any comparable free cloud storage to Google Drive. Full disclosure, I still use Google Drive for storing large Krita files, because there is no one else who offers as much storage without charging you as Google.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t diversify your cloud storage. I currently use OneDrive for all docs, and Google only for Krita.
Really, this will always be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul; if its free, they are taking something from you, so I just made my peace with this reality.
If you did truly wish to get out of the free cloud ecosystem, you can pay for other storage sites that do not collect your data. You can also invest in a couple flash drives and create your own sneaker-net. That is what I did for the better part of the 2000’s.
If you don’t mind investing a few hundred dollars, you can even buy a large WiFi enabled drive, and create your own cloud server.
Step 4. The Search Engine.
As hard as it is to believe, ditching Google search is not that hard. There are plenty of other options out there. The most popular alternative engine is DuckDuckGo. Because it does not sell your data or track your search history in order to sell you ads, this make it a very attractive alternate. Also, it’s really good. Seriously. I’ve barely noticed the difference.
There are a bunch of other options out there as well. Just take a look around, and test them out. Once you find one you like, stick with it.
The Conclusion
I am still under the eye of Google. That is a fact. That doesn’t mean I need to make it easy for them, and you don’t have to either. With a few extra minutes of download time and setup, I was able to build blind spots, and take back a portion of my digital independence. And you can, too!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, Cortana is demanding I do something, and I must obey.
