Based on my own experience as well as taking into account the suggestions of other people, here are the top three Linux distros for beginners:

• Ubuntu
• Linux Mint
• Pop!_OS

These are basically just “install-and-go” distros; no need for advanced setup.

It’s the same issue with a lot of open-source software projects. Many use proprietary/closed-source services to communicate with users or develop the software itself. It’s quite ironic, really. 🤦‍♂️

Linux Mint is a great beginner distro.

I got my dad, who is very non-tech, to switch from Windows 10 to Linux Mint; he has been using it for over 2 years now. He went from using Edge, Microsoft Word, and Outlook to using Firefox, LibreOffice and Thunderbird.

I cancelled my Netflix and Spotify subscriptions long ago after content would get taken down for whatever reason. This reminded me that I’m only renting the content from these services; I don’t actually own them.

Fast forward to now, I selfhost a Jellyfin server and pirate all the content I want. Feels good to have total control and ownership over my music and movie collection.

There is no certainty in flesh except death.

If you’re trying to DeGoogle, you can receive some help and info by checking out the https://lemmy.ml/c/degoogle community.

I suggest you check out Runbox as another alternative webmail service. You get the first month free to try it out before having to pay for the subscription. I’ve recently switched my mail from Gmail to Runbox.

I think a good first step is to use free and open-source, non-profit alternatives (Firefox, Lemmy, Mastodon, Matrix, etc). The next is to help grow these technologies by contributing to their development. You can contribute by fixing bugs, translating text, or just donating money.

It will take a while for most people but try to DeGoogle, DeMicrosoft, and DeApple your life. It’s quite liberating to not be tied to any of these company’s DRM, policies or rules.