Principles of Platform Independence
A short guide to choosing apps and services that preserve your digital freedom by avoiding ecosystem lock-in.
The internet is filled with stories of people breaking free from Google’s ecosystem (here are a few examples I’ve seen recently). Yet in their rush to escape one tech giant, many users inadvertently chain themselves to another.
I’ve noticed a paradox on social media: people who champion digital independence while relying heavily on platform-specific tools like Apple Notes or Passwords. They overlook how Apple, like Google, builds its business model around service lock-in – from iCloud storage to annual hardware upgrades.
Personally, I prefer to maintain platform independence as much as possible. Over the years I’ve developed a set of criteria — let’s call them principles of platform independence — for choosing what apps and software I use. This way I retain control over my digital life regardless of which company’s software or hardware I use.
1) Cross-Platform Compatibility
Use applications that work across different operating systems (MacOS, Windows, Linux, etc.) to avoid being locked into one platform’s ecosystem. This ensures your workflow remains consistent regardless of the device you’re using.
2) Data Ownership
Choose applications that allow you to easily export your data in formats that can be read by different applications. You should have full control of your data, and it should be accessible in a readable format outside of the application.
3) Data Portability
Beyond just being able to export data, it should be in widely-supported open formats (like CalDAV for calendars, IMAP for email) rather than proprietary ones. This enables interoperability and switching between different clients.
4) Logic Separation
Your data shouldn’t be tightly coupled to specific application features. For example, your notes should be stored in a format that preserves basic formatting even if specific application features aren’t available elsewhere.
5) Local Control
Whenever possible, you should have direct access to your data in a readable format on your local system, not just through a cloud interface. This includes the ability to make local backups. I like to keep a version in the cloud, a version on my local system, a local backup, and a remote back up.