Looking for alternatives to Skype and Linked In. Also YouTube and Google Maps. I don’t like the Microsoft and Google data sucking hydras.
There’s a service called Discord ( https://discordapp.com ) which seems popular with gaming communities. It allows for voice chat but also modern text chat with channels similar to IRC for groups.
I’ve used it for gaming and it does make it easier to get groups together for discussions of common topics. It advertises as a better alternative than Skype and has mobile clients.
Even though it is a Microsoft product, the Video tab in Bing does a good job of searching a bunch of video sites simultaneously.
Bing has maps, but lesser known groups like Mapquest are still out there.
Switching to a browser from a vendor other than Microsoft and Google helps too. I use Firefox with the uBlock Origin plugin to suppress ads and tracking.
I’m not sure of an alternative to Linked In. I know Microsoft purchased them. For discussion communities on nearly every topic, there is Reddit ( http://www.reddit.com ).
Imagine the angst when GoogleEarth changes the terms of use for “kml” files.