Over the past few to several years, I've gradually migrated away from using Google's services, because I don't like handing my data to a Big Tech company that uses that data in ways of which I don't approve. However, I'm still using YouTube for video and Google Drive to store some of my data backups (albeit zipped with password protection). That leaves areas for improvement.

Recently, I started looking for alternatives to YouTube (and got sidetracked by BlueSky). Having gone through a list of options, I've decided to give LBRY/Odysee a try. There's also DTube (which runs on Steemit), but I'm not sure I want to add yet another cryptocurrency (and dedicated wallet) to my collection. As is, I don't even use my HIVE wallet, having lost interest in Splinterlands when it became obvious that I'd have to pay to win and level up my cards (after paying to create my account).

Of course, to be completely rid of Google, I'll have to get rid of my Android phone and buy one that supports E Foundation (AKA /e/), Graphene OS or an iPhone (none of which is going to happen soon). I'll also have to convince people with whom I collaborate to use alternatives to Google Workspace (mainly Docs and Sheets), although that's not a major concern right now. When it is, I'll have to look for FOSS alternatives that respect privacy.

What is LBRY?

According to AlternativeTo ...

"LBRY is the first digital marketplace to be controlled by the market's participants rather than a corporation or other 3rd-party. It is the most open, fair, and efficient marketplace for digital goods ever created, with an incentive design encouraging it to become the most complete."

It has an average rating of 4.4/5, which isn't bad going as ratings go.

What is Odysee?

"Odysee provides an free open sourced and decentralized platform running on the LBRY protocol to allow users to upload and share videos to people around the world."

Technically, Odysee now runs on Arweave (AR), but I doubt that changes much.

It has an average rating of 4.1/5, which is a little less than LBRY itself, but still good.

The Cost of Privacy and Security is Inconvenience and Vigilance

The downside is that the wallet Odysee uses (Wander, formerly ArConnect) has an extension only for chromium-based browsers (which I'm trying to get away from). Le sigh! At least Brave isn't all bad, but this situation is less than ideal.  As it turns out, I can't install the wallet extension on Brave, for some reason. It looks like putting it on my phone (with which I'm not entirely happy) could be the way to go.

All this tedious setup stuff is not convenient, precisely the reason why so many people use Google-based products and services to begin with. Seeking alternatives is an active process plagued with trial and error. Privacy and security done right are not convenient by nature, though.

If you would like to follow me on Odysee, my channel page is https://odysee.com/@great-white-snark:c92489b4b7288fafd2621dff0b566a56b053ed5f

I've uploaded my first video here: https://odysee.com/@great-white-snark:c/Tool-Right-in-Two:1