What non-FOSS software have you been unable to quit?

For me, Google video search, Google books (Internet Archive is good, but doesn't always have the same stuff), Adobe InDesign (but in the process of learning LaTeX), and Typewise. As for the Google stuff, I liked Whoogle a lot, but almost all their instances seem to have been blocked or shut down. Also, apologies if this is repeating an earlier post.

hedge OP ,

One thing I really liked but quit because it wasn't FOSS was WorkFlowy. I did try logseq a while back and thought it was ok, but had too many other bells and whistles in addition to what I really wanted which was just a collapsible list with infinite hierarchical depth. I really wish someone would add this functionality to an email client like Thunderbird as part of its tasks.

clumsy_cat ,

I feel LaTeX is not a replacement for inDesign. It would be a replacement for something like word. maybe try scribus?

kotats ,

makemkv
also basically most of my music software

TypicalHog ,

Discord, Steam and Obsidian.

AVincentInSpace ,

Zettlr is trying, it's really trying, but it has less than half the features

blindsight ,

I'm really liking Logseq. I started on it instead of Obsidian since Logseq is FOSS. I understand it's not too hard to switch over since they both use markdown files, granted some scripts need to be run to convert markdown differences between the two.

Logseq's business model is to charge $5/mo for syncing on their (fully encrypted with a private key) server, but you can use a FOSS syncing solution (or a property one) if you prefer. I pay to support the project and to simplify sync on work devices I don't have administrator rights on (so most other sync solutions wouldn't work well.)

TypicalHog ,

I tried Logseq, but it was slower than Obsidian and it's section/block oriented and I want it to be note oriented (Obsidian). It is a decent alternative tho.

Cube6392 ,
@Cube6392@beehaw.org avatar

I love logseq conceptually but constantly use org-roam because logseq is prone to performance breakdowns on my hardware

survivalmachine ,

I started on it instead of Obsidian

This is the way. I started on Obsidian, and Logseq is painful in comparison. It's a good product, but I got accustomed to too many nice conveniences over the past couple of years.

ButtonMcLemming ,
@ButtonMcLemming@beehaw.org avatar

Discord. As a chat platform, it is by far the most user-friendly one out there despite its proprietary nature and lack of respect for privacy.

Cube6392 ,
@Cube6392@beehaw.org avatar

Messaging platforms are so hard to replace since there's a social traction aspect. I can pick out the most secure and private messaging service, and then have no one to message on it

nasi_goreng ,
@nasi_goreng@lemmy.zip avatar

Clip Studio Paint
IIt was way ahead than any commercial or FOSS alternative. Especially if you're illustrator or comic artist working in specialized workflow (East Asia and SEA industry).

Tried Krita back then, but still lacks a lot of major important feature and customizable UI layout.

kittenroar ,

chrome, the android os and platform and all the apps therein. I mainly use firefox, but some things only work in chrome.

Honytawk ,

Steam

pineapplelover ,

Spotify and games

denast ,

I also run a lot of proprietary stuff like Discord or Instagram due to peer pressure but I let it slide and put my hopes on Android sandboxing the apps and GrapheneOS tweaks. In my opinion, making sure that proprietary app can't reliably access your data and never giving it anything sensitive yourself is a decent risk model.

The only proprietary software I use and somewhat trust is Obdisian. Honestly, it's just excellent and I can't see myself moving away from it anytime soon.

StantonVitales ,
@StantonVitales@beehaw.org avatar

Plex. I'm not sure if Jellyfin is foss, but if it is, I haven't felt like converting my library. I've put a lot of work into making it just right.

Steam, obviously.

other than video games, I think that's really it. I still use some others, like Spotify, but not primarily, I just like to have options.

RootBeerGuy , (edited )
@RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

Jellyfin is FOSS. You can by the way just install it and point it at your library to see if it recognises everything. It won't change your file layout.
If you have your movies named "title (year)“ and series in a folder format like "series title/season x/s0xe0x" (x being season and episode numbers), it should actually automatically recognise it all.

But I admit, if you have deviations from that you would need to correct those first and it seems from what I read that Plex is not as picky with that as Jellyfin is.

Mazoku ,

Misidentification is easy to fix in Jellyfin, with a couple clicks you can completely fix all metadata if it gets something wrong.

Dhrystone ,
@Dhrystone@infosec.pub avatar

+1 for Plex. Basically perfect and so much more polished than JF (which I tried on three separate occasions to force myself to like).

delirious_owl ,
@delirious_owl@discuss.online avatar

LinkedIn. Super useful for OSINT

RootBeerGuy ,
@RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

I would never again install a big social media app on my phone. I am actually just using LinkedIn via a browser shortcut, they keep bugging me about installing the app but that's definitely not going to happen.

delirious_owl ,
@delirious_owl@discuss.online avatar

Oh, yeah, I wouldn't use the app. I lock that type of shit in special "untrustworthy" VMs so its sandboxes from everything. The VM gets destroyed every time the browser is closed.

But it is closed source software that I do need to use from time to time.

I dont even get asked to install the app. Maybe check your notification settings to turn that off

RootBeerGuy ,
@RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

Its not a notification like that. I open the site in the mobile browser, not a PWA in case you are thinking that.

There is a small "pop-up" at the bottom then that asks you to use their app instead. But its not even layering over the site so you could just leave it be.

delirious_owl ,
@delirious_owl@discuss.online avatar

Oh, then I guess I dont see it because I'm using a desktop user agent

NecroMemories ,

Affinity was an affordable and featured alternative to the Adobe suite, but just sold to canva so yay capitalism

trevron ,

Noooooo that is so disappointing to hear.

squidspinachfootball ,

They've said they're committing to keeping perpetual licensing and are using Canva's resources to speed up development though. So far, seems okay to me. At least for now. Unless anyone knows otherwise?

phoenixz ,

If it was open source then it still is. You simply clone the sources to a new project and continue

LordChaos82 ,

WhatsApp: I have been unable to convince my family and friends to use any other platform. Plus. in alot of countries, having WhatsApp becomes a must.
Office 365: The only option I can use for work including Outlook and Teams.
Google Maps: I keep trying to use OsmAnd+ but it is almost impossible to search for addresses.

Andy ,
@Andy@programming.dev avatar

I'm not off Google Maps either, but the closest to replacing it for me is Organic Maps, FWIW.

qdJzXuisAndVQb2 ,

Magic earth has been good for directions, ime.

Andy ,
@Andy@programming.dev avatar

I just grabbed it. The dash cam features might possibly be useful on a bike (?). But I tried and tried and couldn't find the magic zoom level for it to show me the name of the street I'm on, got frustrated, and uninstalled.

qdJzXuisAndVQb2 ,

Very fair. I've noticed that google maps really nails the zoom level when you slow down and speed up, to show you the right amoynt of information, whereas Magic Earth doesn't. I'll be zoomed in on the motorway at 120 and later zoomed out in a city centre at 30, those two are incompatible.

davehtaylor ,
@davehtaylor@beehaw.org avatar

in alot of countries, having WhatsApp becomes a must.

Why is this? I hear this a lot, but I don't understand

Mixel ,

At least here in Germany it is like that. if you got a new number or whatever you are 99,9% certain that number is on WhatsApp it's inevitable its the main source for chatting for everyone.
So if you'd want to switch platforms youd have to convince a lot of people and most would not be ready to do that since why bother when you can just use WhatsApp?

anothermember ,

As much as I try to encourage alternatives, most people where I'm from use WhatsApp for everything these days and has been that way for the last ~5 years. I might get about 10 SMS messages a year but possibly thousands of WhatsApp messages.

jarfil ,
@jarfil@beehaw.org avatar

In some countries, government employees themselves use WhatsApp to communicate on their work phones. You have a query? Schedule an in-person visit in 6 weeks, or fire up WhatsApp, your choice. Fortunately some also use email, but WhatsApp still tends to be quicker.

It gets slightly worse when you're looking for a job, and the only way to get hired, is to talk to someone through WhatsApp. Don't want to? No job for you; next!

phoenixz ,

Yeah, WhatsApp is amlove hate relationship for me.

It's seriously the best app out there, it just works, works nice and intuitive, has a web version (holy crap can't go without) and almost everyone is on there.

I'd love a Foss federated solution, but good luck with that if no one uses it

VinesNFluff , (edited )
@VinesNFluff@pawb.social avatar

Can't speak for any country but my own (Brazil)

The reason WhatsApp is such a thing here is an interesting little historical path.

See, texting never really took off here in Brazil. Because phone service providers would charge per individual message. And while the charge was like 5 cents per message, that shit builds up. So unless you're rich... You won't be texting.

So when smartphones, and with them, data plans (that offered very little data, around 4 gigs is the average nowadays, it was a few megs back then) came around, internet-based messaging services became our texting. Because if you have, idk, 512 megs of data in your plan, that's not a lot but it is more than enough for messaging over an app.

WhatsApp was the one that got popular, no idea why.

It was popular with the youths(tm) first in the early 10s, then families hopped on, dragged in by their young-adult kids no doubt, and then... Everything! Because once the Boomers had learned how to use this one app, every business under the sun realised it could serve their purposes as well. And eventually... So did the government.

You want to order pizza? WhatsApp. Want to contact a government agency? WhatsApp. Want to schedule a doctor's appointment? WhatsApp.

Now, I got my friends and family on Telegram, largely because Telegram has nicer features (still closed source though grumble grumble) but I still need WhatsApp for work. It's how I talk to everyone: The team, the boss, the contacts, etc.

umbrella , (edited )
@umbrella@lemmy.ml avatar

i dream of the death of whatsapp so we can finally move to something better, anything really, my standards are on the floor.

ill take telegram? discord?? smoke signals???

can some kind hardworking hacker collective kill it or something? please??

twei ,

tbf discord is worse than whatsapp

ShadowCat ,

whatsapp doesn't even have a decent app for PC...

DdCno1 ,

Signal does, by the way.

ShadowCat ,

ah ok, good to know

ButtonMcLemming ,
@ButtonMcLemming@beehaw.org avatar

What's wrong with the Microsoft Store app?

ShadowCat ,

I keep getting logged out, and have to scan the QR Code with my phone every few days.

stoi ,

Google maps, venmo, and lyft are my last real holdouts.

I tried Osmand~ but it like using your dads Garmin from 2005. The last two have been hard to find good alternatives to. Would be nice if signal payments were in a stable coin instead of a shitcoin.

delirious_owl ,
@delirious_owl@discuss.online avatar

OsmAnd is a maps app, not a navigation app

stoi ,

Are there good FOSS navigation apps?

acastcandream ,

organic maps is built on open maps and is FOSS. Takes some getting used to though. The time estimates aren't accurate (it doesn't account for traffic) so always add time to the estimate, and you can't really search for things by name you generally need to input addresses (except for maybe your airport. This also varies based on where you live because folks might be updating it more for you locally).

Basically it's a solid option but not good enough for me to ditch Apple maps completely (I trust apple slightly more than gmaps but not by a large margin lol).

delirious_owl ,
@delirious_owl@discuss.online avatar

Is Organic Maps better at navigation than OsmAnd?

acastcandream ,

Haven’t tried OsmAnd so I can’t answer that. Sorry!

averyminya ,

Serious question - aren't maps for navigation? I've heard this rhetoric a few times and I just... don't entirely follow the logic. Like I do to an extent, insofar as Open Street Map data is for information like rivers, buildings, updating cell data (used to do updates here and there in my city.)

But to me all of these maps, and initially starting out, maps are for... navigating?

Idk lol, not judging, mostly just confused at the intention. "We plot out maps! But dare to try and follow it to get where you are going at your own peril."

Undearius , (edited )
@Undearius@lemmy.ca avatar

Maps are for documenting the location of things in the real world relative to each other. It could be anything, like roads and buildings, or rivers and bodies of water, or electrical lines.

Then there is all the information that is added to all those objects; adding names to the roads, buildings having an addtess and what type of building they are, the direction a river is flowing and how many rivers flow into or out if a lake.

All of that is just information, where an what things are, it doesn't actually do anything. That is a map.

Navigation software takes the information about the roads and how they are connected together along with their names and combines it with addresses to show you how to get from one address to another.

You could also have software that simulates the ecological effects of rerouting a river from a lake, or damming a river.

You could take data from a map to show you all the power lines that are near trees that will need to be trimmed and give estimates to your employer on how many people to hire for tree trimming, and then combine that with a map of buildings to show how many customers would be without power if a tree branch triggers a circuit to open.

Navigation is just one part of what a map could be used for, and probably one of the only parts that most people would use a map for.

OpenStreetMap started out just being a map of streets, hence the name, but it has grown to be this massive collection of information. Then there is all of tools that decide what to do with the information. OsmAnd is a good tool for simply displaying the data. It can provide navigation but it's not the best.

delirious_owl ,
@delirious_owl@discuss.online avatar

Consider a map of all cell towers. Or consider a map of all power substations. Or a map of all dams.

None of those.maps are useful for navigating.

Likewise, good luck using a navigation app (like Google Maps) to produce the above maps. They're different tools for different jobs.

RootBeerGuy ,
@RootBeerGuy@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

Uh no. I have been using it for navigation for the past 5 years, probably even longer. It is hit and miss in some areas but it works OK.

AVincentInSpace ,

I've been using Organic Maps for my navigation. It uses the same OpenStreetMap data, but navigation (as well as searching for e.g. "food" as opposed to a specific place) works flawlessly and routing happens offline.

stoi ,

Seems ok, but seems to struggle w/ long distances. Works better than osmand tho, thanks

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