Ladies and gentlemen, in this post, I have gathered a list of the best platforms currently available to us. These platforms all have you and I’s best interest as a top priority. They encourage you, and me to profit from our contributions and put individuals first. The best part is you can use these applications TODAY! No waiting. Instant gratification.

I have personally tested each technology and feel very confident in their performance and future outlook. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions in the comments below

I think it is important to clarify a common misunderstanding about “free” services like Google Chrome, Gmail, Facebook, etc. These “free” services are NOT free to us by no means. Rule #1 of life: There is NO SUCH THING AS FREE. It’s a myth! If it is not free to give, then it is not free to take.

“Free” services like Google & Instagram are no freer than the coffee you may drink at work. You pay by giving the company and its advertising partners full rights to the data you enter into Google, Gmail, YouTube, Facebook, etc. If you think paying with your data is not that big of a deal, realize hundreds of companies just like Facebook, Twitter, etc. make 100s of billions of dollars a year off your data. Think about how much money you have not made on your data, but your favorite services have. In reality, you are losing money by using these services when you factor in all your lost earning you have yet to receive.

Brave Browser - Internet Browser

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The application people use the most by far is probably their internet browser. The internet browser is like the vehicle one uses to explore the open roads, meaning the internet. When someone chooses a vehicle to browse the “open roads”, they want a vehicle which allows them the most freedom and convenience. If one selects a vehicle that hinders where they can travel and slows them down, chances are they’re not going to have the best traveling experience. 

These limitations are the problem with most popular browsers like Safari and Chrome. Browsers like Chrome are feature-rich, but their business model is dependent on selling users personal data to advertisers. Thus Google must include advertising software which slows their users browsing experience. These hindrances mainly include trackers following users from website to website living in their Chrome browser. Meaning sometimes your slow speeds is because of your browser, not your internet provider. These trackers also increase the chances of contracting computer viruses.  

Millions upon millions of people make the mistake of using an inferior internet browser. As a result, they are flooded with advertising, unfairly have their data sold off, and inevitably support companies without their best interest at heart. What a shame. 

From Wikipedia.org (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers)

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Thankfully, there are much better browser alternatives than the inferior popular options. My favorite choice is by far Brave Browser. If you have not heard of Brave Browser today is a very good day for you because you will now.

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Brave Browser is being developed by Brave Software Inc., the company founded by Brendan Eich. If you do not know of Brendan Eich, he is the founder/former CEO of Mozilla Firefox and the creator of JavaScript programming language. This guy’s resume is impressive. He created JavaScript, founded/developed Mozilla Firefox from 2003 - 2014, and now Brave. For more information on Brendan Eich, here is his linkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendaneich/. He is by far one of the most qualified talents to build the most secure, user-friendly, transparent browser we’ve ever seen. Eich and his co-founder Brian Bondy have formed an experienced team at Brave. You can learn more about their team here: https://www.brave.com/about/.  

After using Brave Browser daily for about 3+ months, I can genuinely say I LOVE this browser. Why? I can show you better than I can tell you. Below is a screenshot of my Brave browser usage stats. 

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Read it in amazement 11,743 trackers blocked, 26,691 ads blocked, 25,664 HTTPS upgrades and over 33 minutes saved. These stats could easily be higher if my primary sites were not Steemit, D.Tube, and apps which usually do not include ads or pop-ups. To give you an idea of how much better Brave browser is compared to others I’ll list some advantages. 

 Brave browser advantages: 

• 2-8x faster than Chrome and Safari on mobile
• 2x faster than Chrome on desktop  
• Never tracks you  
• Blocks ALL ads and pop-ups (You may choose to turn ads/pop-ups on with a click)  
• Saves people like you an average of $276 annually in data charges on mobile by refusing to download unwelcome ads and trackers  
• Reduces the chance of viruses 
• Allows you to donate to individual sites through your browser    
• Built using open source software
• Will soon include its very own token called BAT or basic attention token (learn more here: https://basicattentiontoken.org/faq/#meaning)
• Earns money through donations and soon BAT (meaning Brave does not need to sell your data for profit like Chrome) 

I want to emphasize the point that Brave is so much more than a browser, it’s a better way of looking at the web. Brave supports the ideals of a decentralized internet. These are the same common ideals of the Steem community. As a member of the Steem/Steemit community, I believe it is imperative that we support the Brave browser project. By supporting Brave we are supporting technologies moving us to a brighter future. 

For more information about Brave browser, I would recommend this 7-minute video overview of Brave by ‘The Perfect Goose’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlqGRIYvAnE

Protonmail - Email Service

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The second most used application on average is probably one’s email. Email is one of the most widely used means of communication in the modern world. A person’s email contains some of the most private information a person has and therefore must be one of the most secure applications a person uses.  

It took me a few days of intense searching to find an alternative I enjoyed enough to leave Gmail, but I’m glad I did. My criteria included an encrypted email service available on all my device with user privacy and freedom at the forefront. After searching for a viable alternative, I found Protonmail.  

Protonmail is an easy to use end-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland because of their advantageous privacy laws compared to most nations. By using Protonmail users gain secure email that even Protonmail the company cannot access. In spite of the high security measures, users can still easily access their emails like any other email service. It’s also free & open source, but because “free” is delusional, they also accept donations and offer a paid account with more features to keep the project running. 

Signing up for Protonmail is simple and does not require entering any personal information. You will only need a preferred email address and a password. Once you are signed up you can use Protonmail similar to Gmail or any other service, but your email contents won’t be searched by bots for data to sell to advertising companies.

  Protonmail advantages:

• End-to-end encryption to fellow Protonmail accounts & non-Protonmail email accounts   
• Anonymous email even Protonmail cannot access 
• Built with open source software  
• Ease to use similar to any other email provider (maybe even easier)  
• Email hosted in Switzerland (email protected by Swiss law)   
• Optional custom domains and email aliases   
• Only you have access to your email  

For more information about Protonmail I would recommend you visit their website and get started here: https://protonmail.com/. It’s simple to get started and the benefits are worth it. I would also recommend you watch this very informative TED talk about why encrypted email is so important for you and I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbkB_jNG-zE. 

DuckDuckGo - Search Engine

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DuckDuckGo is currently the most popular technology on this list, but still has a lot of growth to achieve before becoming the leading technology in its field. DuckDuckGo is an anonymous online search engine which recently reached over 20 million anonymous searches in a single day. DuckDuckGo includes many common search engine features like instant answers, themes, !bangs, a calculator, a currency exchange calculator, and more. 

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To understand the value DuckDuckGo offers, you must understand just how much Google and major search engines outright violate your basic right to privacy. Think about it like this: Imagine a search engine is like a bathroom and every time you searched something you were entering a bathroom. In this scenario, Google is bathroom A, and DuckDuckGo is bathroom B. Both bathrooms are fairly similar, but there are a few differences. In bathroom A there is a camera and under this camera is a sign stating: “We will blur most of your face out.” In bathroom B there is no camera. What you do in this “search engine bathroom” is up to you. You could blow your nose and leave, or you do something ‘else’; knowing this you must choose one default bathroom, bathroom A or bathroom B? 

The camera vs. no camera bathroom is similar to the drastic difference between Google and DuckDuckGo. My point is it’s not important what you are doing in the bathroom. What is important is that the bathroom you choose is secure and your privacy is protected and RESPECTED. For this reason, I strongly recommend you switch to DuckDuckGo for your searching needs as I have.  

DuckDuckGo advantages:  

• Never stores your personal information  
• Never stores your search history (DDG never sells your search history like Google)  
• You are not being stalked by Google while searching on your private devices  

Please visit DuckDuckGo.com for more information about their company, vision, and plans moving forward https://duckduckgo.com/about. Also, watch this video about DuckDuckGo’s recent surge in searches partly because of Google’s censorship by ‘The Outer Light’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ21KUBlBVI.  

Steemit - Blogging Social Network

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A platform you are probably familiar with, but still needs to be included in this list is Steemit. Steemit is a blockchain-based blogging platform allowing creators and their audiences the ability to earn revenue via upvoting. It was founded by @Ned or Ned Scott and Dan Larimer in 2016. Since launch, it has gained a large amount of traction. As of November 2017, Steemit has paid out $22.7 million to a community of 334 thousand users who publish 234 thousand posts and 600 thousand comments monthly. These numbers are continually increasing month over month. Projection show Steemit will reach over 2 million users by the end of 2018 (https://steemit.com/steemit/@aggroed/2-million-steemit-accounts-by-dec-2018). 

I joined the Steemit community in July 2017. In only a few months I’ve been introduced to many new ideas from interesting people living across the world. I expect to meet more great steemians as the community continues to grow.   

Steemit advantages:  

• Easily publish your content to steemit using the steem blockchain(database)  
• Content creators earn revenue (steem) simply by their audiences upvotes  
• Audiences earn revenue simply by upvoting content   
• The steem you earn will increase in value as steemit grows  
• The community is filled with really knowledgeable minds
• The platform is open source  

There is a lot to say about Steemit because of the newness of the technology and the potential it can bring the world. To keep this post “short”, I will leave you with a Steemit post by @Trafalgar a satirical columnist. This post describes why Steem/Steemit will succeed and why you should be a part of its success. https://steemit.com/steemit/@trafalgar/top-8-reasons-why-steem-will-succeed-dark-humor-warning 

D.Tube - Video Sharing Network

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D.Tube is the alternative I am most excited to see grow because of the sheer potential to disrupt a video industry that’s been tainted by corporate interest. When YouTube was first launched, it was a place where you and I could create enjoyable video content for anyone to view. This vision was expanded on further when content creators were offered an option to earn income from their labor through advertising. As time went by corporate heads saw YouTube as a fantastic opportunity to further enrich themselves by unfairly paying content creators.

Unfair pay is, of course, a very common amongst centralized corporations, ask anyone who contributes 40+ hours a week building up billion dollar companies only to be fired when corporate executives no longer find their labor useful. Does this sound really familiar? It should. Think Wal-Mart, the Standard Oil Company, most record labels, Electronic Arts, Chiquita and the list keeps going.  

The ‘YouTube AD-pocalypse’ or what should be called ‘YouTube’s revenue oppression’ is exactly what corporation ALWAYS do to control employees(creators) and the information they distribute. This is NOT new.   

The only way you and I can ensure platforms like YouTube are not tainted by centralized corporate interest like Google is by making it highly incorruptible in the first place. If it is worth corrupting for profit someone somewhere will attempt to corrupt it. As creators, we must support the most incorruptible technologies possible. If content creators choose to support platforms which are highly corruptible like YouTube and rely on them for their income, then they cannot act surprised when the inevitable corruption occurs. 

All this being said, we need a less corruptible video sharing platform which gives control exclusively to content creators and their audiences. Thankfully, @heimindanger has provided us with a continually improving alternative called D.Tube. 

If you are unfamiliar with D.Tube, here’s an excerpt from About.D.Tube:   

“D.Tube an experimental web application built on top of the STEEM Blockchain and the IPFS peer-to-peer network. D.Tube aims to become an alternative to YouTube that allows you to watch or upload videos on IPFS and share or comment about it on the immutable STEEM Blockchain, while earning cryptocurrency doing it. 

Because of the decentralized nature of IPFS and STEEM, D.Tube is not able to censor videos, nor enforce guidelines. Only the users can, through the power of their votes and downvotes. 

D.Tube is serverless and has no running costs. Therefore, we don't need ads. Users are free to advertise any product or service they would like, directly inside their own videos, at their own risk of losing their subscribers.” – @dtube 

What this means to you and I is we can create content for profit without having to split revenue with undeserving entities (you know exactly who I’m referring to and it is not just YouTube, Google, or Facebook). D.Tube gives content creators control over their creations as it should be. Current top DTubers are averaging $100+ at only 200-500 likes per video. Imagine when these numbers hit 20,000 to 50,000 likes per video.  

D.Tube Advantages:  

• NEVER shows ads or pop-ups unlike YouTube  
• Videos can only be removed through community-wide down voting  
• Audiences can tip content creator directly through D.Tube using steem (a cryptocurrency)  
• Audiences earn revenue by upvoting videos  
• Very familiar user interface 
•  Standard and advanced features like video speed toggling, liking, disliking, subscribing, commenting, etc.  
• 0 operating cost  
• Difficult to take down because of its decentralized nature  
• Built using open source software seen here: https://utopian.io/project/dtube/production/github/106749740/all 

For more information about this amazing technology go to About.D.Tube. I think this a platform we need to support TODAY, not tomorrow. Everyday we wait content creators are robbed of millions of dollars in earnings.  

Telegram Messenger - Messaging Service

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Telegram is an encrypted but easy to use free messaging service available on mobile, desktop, and browser. Using Telegram users may send videos, photos, and files fast and securely to friends, family, and even public groups of 30,000. Users may use their usernames or phone numbers to contact others making it easy to use Telegram as an email/SMS option. Unlike Facebook messenger, What’s App, and many other messaging services Telegram treats user’s privacy as an actual top priority. They articulate this point best on their FAQ page by saying: 

“Big internet companies like Facebook or Google have effectively hijacked the privacy discourse in the recent years. Their marketers managed to convince the public that the most important things about privacy are superficial tools that allow hiding your public posts or your profile pictures from the people around you. Adding these superficial tools enables companies to calm down the public and change nothing in how they are turning over private data to marketers and other third parties (https://telegram.org/faq).”  

By using encryption and not processing any requests related to Telegram group chats, they offer you and I a very secure quality messaging experience where most alternatives fail. Moving forward, I want to see Telegram move to a more decentralized open source approach to messaging. Regardless, I still see Telegram as one of the most secure quality messaging services to date. This is especially true compared to the likes of Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, etc. 

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 Telegram advantages: 

• Native application for the Web, Mac/PC/Linux desktop, IOS/Android/Windows mobile  
• Heavily encrypted and self-destructible messages 
• Access messages from multiple devices   
• Claims to be the fastest application for delivering messages  
• Free forever with 0 ads and subscription fees 
• 0 limits to media and chat sizes    
• Group chat max-size of 30,000 members!  
• Telegram owned servers are distributed worldwide
• Send documents of any type easily    
• Build tools using their open API  
• Easy to use interface on all available platforms  

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I’m glad to share each of these applications with you. I hope you switch to all six. Please note that I am currently unaffiliated with any of these organizations. I’m simply a very thankful user who wants people like you to enjoy the same benefits as I do. 

“If it is not free to give, then it is not free to take” - @markhalen  

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If you enjoy my content, please upvote, resteem, and follow. Leave your thoughts below. I’ll make sure to read all your comments so give me something to read. Stay positive people.