Hills and valleys: My Journey Away from Big Tech

I will take you on my adventure to switch from Big Tech software to more reliable, European or open-source alternatives. I share my experience with you frankly: successes, setbacks and challenges. Along the way I encounter all kinds of obstacles, such as hardware that does not work, services that cost money and incomprehension from people around me. I will share everything with you so that you can learn and enjoy this journey. Come with me!

The old situation

• I had 3 business calendars in O365. For: Data-Pro BV, for Aeventir and for EduNEX.
• We have a family calendar in Google that my wife and I write in.
• We each have a private calendar in Google (my wife, my two kids and I).

All these calendars are shared with each other so that everyone has a total overview of the appointments with only writing rights on their own calendar. Except my wife and I, we're bosses. My wife regularly puts appointments in my private agenda. Each calendar has its own color. Via Google Calenders this works like a train and everything is usable via various mail/calendar apps. Choice too over. But everyone here uses the standard Google apps.

This construction works ideal for us. My family wants it simple. Now, if they look at their phone, they'll see everyone's appointments, neatly color-coded.

A little spoiled we are, the convenience serves man. And like the microwave, we could once live without it and now we can't.

Desired situation

• I want to migrate all my calendars (business and private) to NextCloud or Proton.
• The rest should be able to see when I have appointments.
• My wife should be able to write in my private diary.
• My family sticks to Google, they don't want to switch to alternatives.
• Everyone should be able to read in everyone's calendar. In a single overview.
• I want to be able to access my calendars via a desktop client or app, not a web application. Sometimes I go to places where I don't have access.

It ain’t easy!

The challenges

I hate the word ‘challenge’. And that's why I'm using it now. What frustration. I am already Two weeks here almost nonstop. working on it. My wife can't see me behind the laptop anymore. Indeed, it appears that NextCloud Calendars cannot be synced with Google Calendars, but NextCloud calendars can be used offline and edited in different desktop clients.

Small nuance: It is technically possible via a 3rd party android app that costs 5 eur per phone.

Proton Dan. It also provides calendars. Proton calendars can be shared with Google but that is read-only access. Access to Proton calenders via desktop clients is a drama. This can only be done through their own calender client that 1 account supported.

So I have to choose: or private or business use my calendars offline.

All a bit of half work, all just not

The current situation

• The business calendars currently exist in Nextcloud, I can work with them offline via desktop apps and my phone (via the 5 euro app that I now have on trial) but my family does not see those appointments.
• I have a private agenda at Proton that I can use and my family sees my appointments. I can edit my calendar offline via desktop and phone. But my wife can't make appointments for me.

Give me your money

Conclusion

European and/or open source software cannot compete with the integration that Microsoft and Google have achieved. I can achieve my goals but that requires that I spend money by phone for a 3rd party app and that I have to configure 4 phones separately.

 It makes it clear that at Google and Microsoft you get a lot of functionality that can only be arranged with other parties for a fee.

I don't mind paying that much: because that is an choice Which I can make. Am I willing to pay for this functionality? However, I think it is painfully clear that in terms of functionality and convenience, the competition battle against Google and Microsoft lost becomes. And hefty So is it.

Europe really needs to get to work!

I don't even mind that we can't do it with closed wallets. Apparently, that functionality just costs money. But what do I actually pay Google and friends?

And why don't they give it home when I say: Hey, I don't need your app, but here's my data, Give me money?