Self-Hosted 136: Google is Done
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Nov 15, 2024 
Brent Gervais, an expert in self-hosting and NAS systems, shares his experiences breaking free from Google's ecosystem. He discusses his transition to alternative search engines like SearXNG and Perplexity, emphasizing their effectiveness. Brent also dives into the technical challenges and satisfaction of building a personal NAS, and explores the advantages of using Tailscale for remote access. With insights on distributed video encoding and the evolution of self-hosting tools, the conversation balances tech advice with personal anecdotes.
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The UPS Surprise
- Alex's UK server was randomly powering off, causing disruptions to backups and Plex.
- Replacing the aging UPS resolved the issue, highlighting how a perceived reliability tool can be a point of failure.
Google's Incentive Problem
- Google's algorithm prioritizes ads, not good content, leading to SEO-driven content.
- This makes it harder for independent creators to compete, as companies invest heavily in SEO optimization.
Perplexity to the Rescue
- Alex used Perplexity to debug a Terraform issue.
- It led him to the exact line of code with the correct syntax, showcasing the power of context-aware search engines.