Post by @edri@eupolicy.social

2026-09-06 08:35 UTC

1/ 🍂 September is here, for many, this looks like a big #Microsoft or #Google logo with spreadsheets, documents, presentations. For decades, Microsoft has dominated workplace productivity software. This dominance was turned into an unholy duopoly when Google Docs came around. #BigTech firms deploy aggressive business models built on forced subscriptions, product bundling & ecosystem lock-in. This #DigitalIndependenceDay, let’s talk about office software & how to become digitally independent

Replies (3)

@edri@eupolicy.social 2026-09-06 08:39

2/ 🤑 Instead of buying & then owning our software, Big Tech is pushing us into subscriptions with increasingly expensive layers of integrations, AI features & applications that many users never asked for but have to pay. Microsoft & Google frequently use their market position to bundle products together: Windows & Edge browser, Android & all other Google products, Microsoft 365 & Teams, Google Search & Gemini AI...the list goes on!

Open ##5102274
@simondueckert@mastodon.social 2026-09-06 09:08

@edri@eupolicy.social I try to avoid proprietary, "containerized" office apps where possible. I use #markdown and #typst instead of docx and odt, I use #reveal and #slidev instead of pptx.

Open ##5102283
@luc0x61@mastodon.gamedev.place 2026-09-06 09:42

@edri@eupolicy.social I think that most haven't yet understood why; that's the core.

Open ##5102291