- cross-posted to:
- genzedong@lemmygrad.ml
- cross-posted to:
- genzedong@lemmygrad.ml
Something adjacent to degoogling: I am concerned that Microsoft would collaborate with the Trump Regime. I never used Linux before, but I am now downloading Ubuntu. It feels like that I should do a dual-boot setup and get ready to abandon Windows if I hear about MS HQ in Washington having a DOGE presence.
Here’s hoping that Europe and the Blue States are watching Microsoft for anything weird.
Organic Maps is still keeping it real for me
Osmand+ still gulf of mexico… Just sayin.
No better time than the present to switch to OpenStreetMap
For Android, I use OsmAnd~ which uses OpenStreetMap data and allows you to download maps to calculate routes offline, something Google Maps couldn’t do for routes by foot and by bike last time I tried.
It also has better coverage for some small paths in natural areas like forests. Give it a try!
You’re all welcome in !openstreetmap@lemmy.ml to discuss antying OSM-related.
The namechange of the Gulf has been discussed on our forum; how to deal with this has been decided in consensus.
And, obligated self-promo: if you want to start contributing to OSM, you can try https://mapcomplete.org/ (which is someting else then the StreetComplete app, but that one is nice too!)
In OSM ″Gulf of America″ is added under official_name:en-US tag so if any app uses this tag to display names, it will show up.
Here is the link to OSM object for Gulf of Mexico. And here is a thread that discusses naming.
Any country/language can call any object as they want. This change of course was dumb and petty and doubt it will be adopted by other regions, but this is nothing new or special. Google Maps currently show ″Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)″ for me. When checking in another language it shows same naming standard.
I’ve been using it and evangelizing it for some time now. I don’t have a data plan and it works. My data, location, preferences or anything is not sold to anyone.
It can be a little overwhelming at first. It can be difficult to use at times (the search isn’t great), but in using it, I feel like I’m a part of something good and I can rest better knowing that.
Google has the ability to stand up to trump. To destroy him, frankly.
But they’d have to not be little bitches, so I guess they don’t.
I just need to use Gemini until this semester is over, then I’ll be degoogling completely. I just wish I could deapple too, but nope. Nearly every OS for mobile is built on android, browsers that are for “security” are run on chromium, safari is good for security but you have to pay for iCloud plus or whatever they call it to get the private relay option, it is infuriating that we just can’t get freedom from this garbage. Things are purposefully made to be so expensive that only huge companies can afford to run it, openAI and meta literally pirated books, articles, journals, etc and although WE don’t like it, the government doesn’t care because OpenAI and meta are big companies who can do those things; neither Trump nor Biden gave a shit about it. We need
This will make groceries cheaper
Google goes full mask off. What a terrible look. This is it, this is what I needed to see to make the final push to move away from Google. My next phone will probably be an iPhone, and I’m not excited about it. I’ve almost completely degoogled my android device, I’m testing immich right now and the only things left that I rely on are maps and YouTube. I also buy a lot of my ebooks and comics from Google, but never again. There’s no way I’m buying a phone that’s supported by Google after this change. There’s no way I’m spending any amount of money on Google play at this point, or any other Google owned platform. Zero. And it really sucks, because android is the closest thing we have to an open phone platform. Maybe someday a GNU/Linux phone will actually be viable, but today it isn’t and that only leaves me running to Apple as a savior. It’s too bad that Google can’t compete on a technology level, instead of gargling Trump’s balls.
For replacing youtube, use https://grayjay.app/
Also, why do you leave your de-googled device? Just don’t pay for stuff on their store and use alternative stores with anonymous access like Aurora store or just go full f-droid.
I use iodéOS and am very happy with it. Easy de-googled life.
Grayjay is nice, not perfect but getting better all the time. I won’t buy a new device because of this, I unfortunately just purchased a new phone on a Black Friday deal. But there is no way in hell I’m going to inflate android’s user base with my next device purchase. That’s where I draw the line, no more Google hardware or software purchases. Zero. I’m sure as fuck not buying a Pixel, or buying anything through Google’s marketplace. I’m not buying another Android device, and I’m not sure if there is anything that could change my mind at this point. Google is dead to me after this.
It’s important to remember that Google is an adtech business first and foremost. It’s basically the only way they can generate cash. ADtech relies on user counts and active users to negotiate prices and other business deals. I’m not helping Google facilitate those business practices in the future. Buying a used pixel and putting Graphene on it sounds great in principle, but you are 110% adding yourself to the pool of Google pixel users, inflating the value of Google’s advertising business. You don’t get to opt out of that user count, even if you are 101% ‘degoogled’ your are going to be counted as a Google phone owner. Because you would be.
That’s where I draw the line, no more Google hardware or software purchases. Zero. I’m sure as fuck not buying a Pixel, or buying anything through Google’s marketplace
Refurbished? I get what you mean but at the same time you can still have a Google phone without paying Google. That’s what I did with my Pixel 8 and I’m happy with it, I kinda miss a few features of my Samsung phone but nothing crazy (face unlock and auto unlock if pin is correct)
Edit: Uh I just read the second half 🤦♂️ I don’t really see the problem here
You cannot purchase a Pixel without positively affecting Google’s profit margins. It’s not possible, you own a pixel you are a Google phone owner. If you are a Google phone owner you count towards their user counts, which directly affects the price they can negotiate for their ad business. The larger their userbase is, the more they can charge. The more ad business they get the more leverage they have. It doesn’t matter that you block everything from Google at that point. It doesn’t matter that you purchased your phone from somebody other than Google, regardless of the new/used condition. You can never interact with Google in any way shape or form, but the fact that you own a Google phone is giving them more leverage and more power. I know I’m getting down votes all over this thread for holding this position, I don’t care and I think it’s important for people to be honest with themselves. Graphene might be a great option, it might even be the best option today from a privacy standpoint, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t huge issues with buying a phone from Google to get it. It also doesn’t mean that the entire android community should give up on making something that works on non-Google devices, which is unfortunately how I feel at this point. If you don’t want to buy a pixel then the Android community is almost completely worthless in 2025. And at that point I might as well run an iPhone. I’m not trying to say anyone is a bad person for making these choices. ‘There is no ethical consumption under capitalism’. I’m saying that my choice going forward is to not give that company any more money or power if I can help it. And the most effective way I can do that is to not purchase anything they have their hands in.
I’m also not claiming that the other options are good either, but at this point it’s becoming harder for me to ignore this crap.
I don’t care about ads, I block them since 2020 and everyone should do that, period. Apple is a no go for the reason I said below
Nobody cares if you care about ads. The largest companies humanity have ever known are ADtech businesses.
You completely missed my point because of your apple hatred, literally the definition of a fanboy. I have never owned an apple product but I’m not going to deny the reality of the situation to justify my past purchases.
Fanboy of what?
Apple is not better than Google btw
Pinephone + dumb phone is a valid option though. The only thing my pinephone struggled with was calls/sms, so the dumb phone handles that.
I fully believe that combination works well. I also fully believe that if you asked a random person off the street to trade in their smartphone for two devices that only have partial functionality you would get told to go F yourself. I don’t think it’s a ‘valid’ option in 2025, and I would love to know what the average person on the street would say if they actually hear you out on all the benefits. I’m a ‘tech enthusiast’ I guess and a long time FOSS lover. I have been daily driving Linux for over 15 years at this point. I’m not sure if I would put up with two half-phones in my pockets all day everyday, and I know my friends would laugh at the idea. I almost purchased a PinePhone on more than a few orders from the Pine store but I keep holding off for thing to become stable enough to use the phone as a phone.
Does pinephone even have verified boot / secure boot?
Also, dumbphones are much more susceptable to malware.
How do they get malware, you don’t even connect them to the internet
APPLE?
THEY DONATED MILLIONS TO TRUMP’S INAUGURAL FUND
There is no ethical consumption undercapitalism. Google, Apple, whatever, its all the same evil, “pick your poison” situation.
(This map rename is tame in comparison to the political donations that EVERY corporation does. You’ll have to boycott like almost every company if you want to avoid that)
Buy a second hand Pixel and flash GrapheneOS on it.
Planet America, orbiting the American sun, in the galaxy called America
The Galaxy of (truth, Justice, and) the American Way!
Fuck Google and Samsung and everyone else who is preinstalled on my phone from the factory. I switched my phone OS to an AOSP GSI without the Google mobile services. Will probably be switching to WordPress from Blogger.
How about Concrete5 instead?
Though there’s an option to write Pandoc-based static site blog.
You should probably do some research on WordPress before migrating. Personally I wouldn’t touch WordPress with somebody else’s 10ft pole right now, the drama is an extreme turnoff. I’ve tried every AI chat bot except Automattics because I’m not interested in their games. Plenty of other great blogging platforms to choose from.
I mentioned it because it is the closest thing to Blogger.
That’s probably true and totally fair. I’ve heard good things about Ghost lately. Personally I’m looking into SSG’s for a new blog, a bit of setup but after that I really like the workflow. I’m trying out Zola right now. Good luck!
Just checked. You can even select it, but cannot report an error at that location. But you can leave reviews, so…
IIRC Google shows different names and borders depending on the location you’re accessing it from. They just follow whatever the local government thinks is right.
Slow your horses there partner. That sounds an awful lot like facts and logic. We don’t do that stuff here, so quit using that brain of yours. Take the outrage bait and join in on this circlejerk.
Yes, big international companies bowing down to local authoritarian governments… nothing outrageous going on there in the world. This definitely hasn’t helped dictators remain in power or target citizens, jerk away!
Use that logic to form sarcastic, misconstrued, and dangerous viewpoints and throw facts out the window! How fun!
Lad. Google has always done this.
You access Google maps from different locations and you’ll see names and border changes.
Because, and this might surprise a sheltered yanks such as yourself. There’s a whole world outside your borders, and different cultures call different locations different names.
You guys have got way bigger fish to fry than this.
Live in the south Bud, your yank shit can go out the window. We have bigger fish to fry than the worlds largest company that influences elections and controls our data and produces algorithm’s to ensure our behavior?
The point is Google has always done this shit, just because someones been pissing in your cornflakes every morning doesn’t mean you can’t get upset when they eat asparagus. Or better yet, maybe care they’re pissing in your shit to begin with?
It’s not about “bigger fish to fry”, ain’t no one frying fish in this fucker. We’re just talking and spreading awareness, idk wtf you’re doing here besides complaining about people being aware (this is a degoogle community after all).
(this is a degoogle community after all).
And there’s way more important thing to complain about when it comes to Google then something as routine as this.
The only thing you are spreading awareness about, is how sheltered you are.
This same thing has been done for the Persian/Arabian Gulf, something that I can’t help be suspicious that it’s never been brought up.
Holy hell, talk about projection with your sheltered remarks. Did you try searching for persian arabian gulf before commenting? “I haven’t seen anyone complaining about one thing, so no one should be complaining about this thing.” You’re seriously saying this?
“I deem anyone not agreeing with me as a sheltered yank, I am definitely not a sheltered southerner with a bias”
I wish I could actually add anything to this conversation but your last response was just a “nuh uh!” with more insults sprinkled in (I guess to make you feel better about yourself? how’s that going?). You’ve wasted time proclaiming this is a waste of time. Glad you got bigger fish to fry, can’t wait for what great subject we should be focusing on with our comments.
I guess everyone would benefit from seeing your comment history and all the great fish frying you’re doing. Us plebs talking about such mundane things is such a waste since you’ve highlighted it for the community. I imagine there’s a whole plethora of comments you made about Google that will help lead us into a better future.
Typical sheltered yank. Only complaining when something affects you.
great subject we should be focusing on with our comments
Something actually relevant to Google? And not standard operating procedure.
I would hate to see what would happen when you learn about how Google maps handles all the disputed borders in the world.
You’re right. No more braining!
There’s no thought in our government, so they’re already messing that one up. Also, it’s just the president who cares (and I guess some people who voted for him), I’d imagine a majority of people here aren’t calling it the new name (or even know the name changed).
I’ve always heard locals just call it “the Gulf.”
In Portugal, it appears as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)”
That has to be illegal…
Same in Canada.
In Germany, it is still “Golf von Mexiko”.
Edit: when you zoom in, it is the same as in Portugal.
I’ve seen this said several places, but haven’t seen anyone give a concrete example (at all, let alone on such a scale). I suppose there’s locations in Ukraine/Russia where it happens, though I suspect that Google isn’t just going to side with Russia on that one
I think I heard it in a YouTube video. The specific example was a contested region between India and China. Depending on your location Google showed you different borders, each time according to the country’s official point of view
It’s even weirder because America doesn’t mean just the United States
Hey since America is the center of the earth, we should change it to the Gulf of Central America!
Really, we could just call it the Gulf of the Americas. That would be perfectly correct in every way.
…but it’s not in any way contiguous with south america; that would be the caribbean sea…
Hmmm, good point. The Caribbean Sea will now be known as the Sea of the Americas, lol. Idk, I was trying to unite everyone.
Mexico’s full name is ”The United States of Mexico", I think they should rename their map’s version to Gulf of The United States just to add to the confusion and make the point these things, like all facts, are useless when people suffer no consequences from making them up.
Question for all non-US natives. When somebody tells you they are from America do you think the continent or the USA?
Saddly the US because those fuckers are just so loud and never shut the fuck up.
And that’s the point of my question, and this change. Trump feels like he won, because he took something away from Mexico.
Yes, agreed. He seems to regard life as a zero-sum game, in which he can’t win unless someone else loses, so he doesn’t understand the concept of win-win. It’s a kind of cognitive bias which is a serious weakness in someone who apparently imagines himself to be a master of ‘the art of the deal’.
Everyone knows what you mean if you say you’re American
Organic Maps:
Organic maps updates its dataset once a month or so. It will eventually be updated to the gulf of America, as it is now, technically named the gullf of America in America. See discussion here: https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/gulf-of-america-gulf-of-mexico/124571
Organic Maps is really cool :-)
Yeah, it’s even better than GMaps for me, because GMaps doesn’t have bike navigation (where I live) while Organic Maps has all the bike lanes marked and navigatable.
Yeah it’s way better for biking and walking. I also find the map a lot more coherent, with GMaps I often had to resort to the satellite view to see what’s going on.
Meanwhile on Openstreetmap:
name Golfo de México
name:en Gulf of Mexico
official_name:en_US Gulf of America
Showing just enough acknowledgement to confirm they’ve discussed the executive order, but they aren’t going to follow it.
Ooh I would LOVE to do it and I did that with 2 places but I don’t like:
- The fact it doesn’t show you the best match of your search based on distance by your location (or is because)
- It doesn’t show the 2 places I sent ~1 month ago or they’re hard to find (available on site, not on organic maps)
Google maps was exactly like that before it became the defacto navigation software for most of the planet and we all started answering innocent little questions for our new overlords. I really feel like OSM is on the verge of becoming top tier, we just need a bit more momentum to push it there. And unlike their competitors, it’s highly unlikely you will see anything in any media publication to push users towards them. Google had multiple ad campaigns for maps before it replaced things like Garmin GPS and in car GPS. Garmin and TomTom sold millions of dedicated GPS devices before Google killed their business model.
Its a great app but has some problems I can’t just ignore, the ones mentioned above are what I need and I can’t get it working
The fact it doesn’t show you the best match of your search based on distance by your location (or is because)
That highly depends on the search engine you’re using, OsmAnd for example sorts the search results by distance to your location.
It doesn’t show the 2 places I sent ~1 month ago or they’re hard to find (available on site, not on organic maps)
That’s an Organic Maps problem, they only update the OSM database once a month, and you have to click the update button manually when they do so.
I kinda recommend against Organic Maps at this point. It’s a dumbed-down app with bad routing, bad search, and slow updates. The only thing it has going for it is that it has the best UI/UX (especially for new users) compared to other FOSS openstreetmap apps. If you’re ok with proprietary nonsense, mapy.cz is a lot more fleshed out, and otherwise you should just learn and configure OsmAnd for yourself.
I use Organic Map and both my locations are on the site and if I open the location through the app, I see it but searching lead to no results. No idea why, maybe I can see them because I’m the author?
That’s an Organic Maps problem, they only update the OSM database once a month, and you have to click the update button manually when they do so.
I thought was more. But it’s up to date and I still can’t see the place I uploaded more than 1 month ago, sadly.
Eh I strongly prefer FOSS apps, OrganicMap was a cool project, can’t find a Google maps alternative FOSS and reliable
Someone at OM forgot to click the “reindex-db” this morning 🤣
Just use OsmAnd. It’s old-school in terms of its UI and can be clunky, but it’s FOSS, has hourly map updates (free for OSM contributors), and a lot of customization and features.
I’m gonna download StreetComplete, it’s a neat incentive for exercise.
That’s pretty cool, I didn’t know about that app before you brought it up. Downloaded already!
Tip on using StreetComplete: Don’t be afraid to turn off a bunch of things. If you leave everything on you’ll often find yourself standing around one place instead of enjoying more of the area and answering a smaller set of questions.
Surely that is following it? Change the name in American. Leave it the same in English.
It’s kind of a malicious compliance thing. The new name will not show up on any map renders, moreover it’s not likely to be shown in most apps even if you select the object (because
official_name:*
is not supported by most apps).Ahh nice, I like it