I spent much of 2025 making small but consistent moves away from reliance on Big Tech. This is something I hope to complete within the next 12 months or so. I am doing this from growing privacy concerns and a desire to fully embrace the Open Source eco-system.
The fact is that I started using Open Source applications many years ago, first with LibreOffice and then with GIMP, amongst others. I'm quite lucky that I am not in an environment that demands the use of Microsoft products. It was a small move of the needle but an important one. It sowed the seeds of change.
Last year I installed Manjaro Linux on an ageing laptop and will be using Fedora KDE on my intended development machine sometime this year. Almost all of my current applications are privacy-focused and Open Source and they have not harmed my workflow in any way, shape, or form.
Even my learning has now become Open Source, thanks to excellent resources like freeCodeCamp. There are plenty of alternatives to things like VS Code out there, so I am not missing out with regards to webdev or programming. DEV Community being Open Source is one of the many reasons I joined.
This isn't a journey for everyone. There are counter-arguments that mean little to myself but would be deal-breaking for some of you. Either way, I look forward to sharing more about my journey.
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