’Denmark Switches.’ A national campaign to collectively move off Big Tech. March 20th is Big Switch Day. I’ve named my goal now. I’m already almost deMicrosofted, except for my photo archive. I moved to Libre & Tuta mail and have been purging photos as I await the release of Tuta drive. Now I’m committing myself to just get the photos off OneDrive and on to my computer, that I own, in my house, by March 20th. Then I’ll delete Microsoft. Then I’ll boast about it on the Fediverse.

#DanmarkSkifter

”42% of Danes want to try alternatives to Big Tech. 68% would like to reduce their screen time. But far fewer act on it.

Habits hold us back. Network effects bind us to the same platforms as everyone else. This only changes if we shift collectively. When we shift together, new habits become easier to maintain.

When enough of us shift simultaneously, alternative platforms gain the critical mass they need. When we act collectively, change is possible.”

https://danmarkskifter.dk/en/

#DanmarkSkifter

About Danmark Skifter

42% of Danes want to try new alternatives to Big Tech. 68% would like to reduce their screen time. But far fewer act on it. Together, we can change that. What is Danmark Skifter? Danmark Skifter is a national campaign where thousands of Danes take back control of their digital

Danmark Skifter

Before I could pick my 2026 goal for #DanmarkSkifter, I did a digital status. I was mildly surprised when I saw my 2025 digital changes together. I looked at the list and thought: ’Tell me you hang out in the Fediverse without telling me you hang out in the Fediverse.’

From Outlook to Tuta
From Office to Libre
From MS Authenticator to Ente Authenticator
From Google Play to F-Droid
From Spotify to AntennaPod
From Firefox to Vivaldi
From DuckDuckGo to NoAIDuckDuckGo
And I bought a back-up drive.

I've added a new 2026 Digital Resolution to my 'Denmark switches from Big Tech' goals.

I had already switched from Patreon to Steady. Thanks to @JohanEmpa for making that possible after he added Steady as a Mastodon.green payment option.

Now my Microsoft subscription is the only thing left on PayPal and I'm almost deMicrosofted. So I'll be cancelling, not renewing, that. So now I commit to deleting my PayPal account. Today. Inspired by @oldrup, who just did this.

#DanmarkSkifter

I'm enjoying the results of disenshittifying my digital life so much that I need a more celebratory word for it than 'disenshittifying'. So far, every solution I’ve switched to is better than the Big Tech one I left. Not ’better’ as in ’not enshittified’, but better designed. LibreOffice: does what I need and only does what I tell it to do. AntennaPod: much better features than Spotify. Tuta: functional and calm and 10 months later, I still haven’t received a single spam mail.

#DanmarkSkifter

I stopped using Booking.com ages ago, tired of the spam and Big Corporateness of it. Now I only book directly with hotels. Every time, it's cheaper and the experience is better. If I need to contact a hotel, I communicate with a human. When I needed to make a date change not covered by the booking: 'no problem!' They changed it instantly for free. I'd forgotten how actual customer service used to be. I also forgot to actually delete my account. #DanmarkSkifter reminded me. I just deleted it.

@CiaraNi
When our family visited the UK last fall, I did the same thing. Almost every BnB gave us a discount for direct booking., and we got to deal directly with the owners.

Here's a good way to turn the tables on those third party booking sites: reverse showrooming. Use the online resource to find the lodging you're interested in, then bypass them entirely with a direct contact on their own website or by email.

@donaldham This is exactly it. Every time, there's a discount, or a good offer like free breakfast, or something like that.

'Reverse showrooming.' I love this phrase and will be adopting it, please and thank you. I've done this too, browsing Amazon (back when its site search actually worked) or Booking.com websites to narrow choices down or check some details, then I'd buy the actual book at my local independent bookshop or book the accommodation directly with the hotel or B&B.

@CiaraNi
From 2001-2011 I was an emerging tech consultant for Fortune 500 companies. A huge concern then was showrooming.

That's the practice of going to a physical presence retailer, say Best Buy, to inspect a TV, then buy it online from Amazon.

It's very satisfying to turn the tables on big tech.

@donaldham Ah! Now I get the wider context. Oh yes, how satisyfing that this is being flipped around now!
@CiaraNi @donaldham
The only thing is, based on latest experiences in Scotland last year. Only a few commercial places rented out via AirBnb. The owner(s) far away, a local system in the town for cleaning, repairing accommodations. No private owners to please.
Charming old town with even independent bakeries and groceries. "Yes. we do get some more visitors here. Your places were empty, rundown. In good shape now".
For this year we did it direct in a similar place without Uber-tourism.
@hanktank61 @donaldham I've never understood the way that AirBnb manages to retain some of the aura of 'staying on my mate's mates couch', 'sticking it to The Man by swapping with real people' etc. A commercial company monopolising the few AirBnb accommodations in a small place, centralising and monopolising the supporting services around them, is the opposite of that to me. That's just a hotel or B&B, but even more centralised and cartel-ish.
@CiaraNi @donaldham
"Good Old Days" . I lived a while in the UK in the '70''s working at trainstations in catering.
Low pay but free travel. Real B&B, £ 5 a night.
Older ladies having a spare-room. Local Tourist information with real people, phoning " Hi Annie I have a person ( later "a couple" )for you". Then came internet. They had to go by the new rules for info. Otherwise no business. Change was fast. No more "want a cuppa tea? " when arriving after a long trip.
Keybox, that is it.

@hanktank61 This is it - the real conversations, the real chats with the B&B owners or with the actual human staff and actual locals working in the hotel. The cup of tea. The 'oh I remember you, you stayed here for your friend's wedding, wasn't it?', etc. The opposite of 'Keybox, that is it'.

@donaldham