this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2025

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114

What free things online should everyone take advantage of? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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[–] Sasha@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 hour ago

Not everyone likes the way these images are built, but the liinuxserver.io containers are so easy to use. You can replace so many cloud services using these, I've replaced:

All streaming platforms
Google drive
Google photos
Every note app
The library (sorta, I just host an ebook server for manga that won't fit on my reader)
Grocery lists
Exercise tracking apps

Plus I've setup some awesome new stuff like a website for one of my collectives and a few things to automate server maintenance.

You need somewhere to host your services (I'm using an old PC) and a little linux experience, but it's absolutely worth giving it a crack. I might work in the industry but I learnt more making my little server than I ever did on the job.

[–] RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Linux, torrents, youtube (if you use a account-less frontend), Wikipedia.

[–] bl4kers@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 hours ago

Is anyone aware of a third-party service for tracking YouTube watch history across devices? That's the missing piece keeping me from switching

[–] Shape4985@lemmy.ml 8 points 14 hours ago

Lichess.org

Wiktionary.org

tilvids.com

12ft.io

eff.org

Removepaywall.com

privacytests.org

[–] nieminen@lemmy.world 11 points 17 hours ago

Harvard just released a free civics course. I've been looking into starting that.

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 21 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

The services of your local library. Sign up and use them, and get your friends & family on too because the more regular users and the more people aware of their services, the harder they are for politicians to take away or slash the budget of.

Common services offered:

Kanopy, hoopla (free TV shows and movies, similar to Netflix)
Local/national newspapers digital versions
PressReader for various (usually subscription-only) magazines
ebooks and audiobooks via OverDrive/Libby, BorrowBox, hoopla, etc.
Educational resources like language learning apps

[–] UniversalBasicJustice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 17 hours ago

I tried this a few days ago, but Overdrive only had 2 'copies' of the 30+ year old novel I wanted and the waitlist was 10 weeks so I added another "Fuck capitalism for..." to my list.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 19 points 20 hours ago

The Pirate Bay ;)

[–] regdog@lemmy.world 11 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Not really „free“ but „mostly free“: Each week you can get a different game from the Epic game store

[–] nailbar@sopuli.xyz 1 points 16 hours ago

I keep forgetting about that

[–] Tudsamfa@lemmy.world 47 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Ad blockers

[–] Vex_Detrause@lemmy.ca 1 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Pi-hole and Vance(YouTube ad blocker.) I can't watch YouTube with ads now.

[–] Samskara@sh.itjust.works 3 points 22 hours ago

For Safari on macOS, iOS I recommend 1Blocker.

[–] kugel7c@feddit.org 9 points 20 hours ago

The piracy mega thread.

[–] AusatKeyboardPremi@lemmy.world 7 points 19 hours ago

Your question’s answer is encapsulated to a high degree here:

https://fmhy.net/

[–] CorruptCheesecake@lemmy.world 47 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

https://deflock.me/

Every time you see a Flock license plate reader, add it to the map.

They look like this:

It only costs a bit of your time 😊

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

As far as what I understand you are saying..

these are free solar panels and cameras?

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I read through the website, but I don’t understand how this is helpful. Is it so that people can avoid driving past them, changing their route each time one is added?

[–] MintyFresh@lemmy.world 32 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Presumably so the people can dismantle the surveillance capabilities of a government turned fascist.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Through vandalism?

[–] Tripp@midwest.social 17 points 1 day ago

By any means necessary

[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You speak like that's a bad thing.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I literally did not.

[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Oh goody then

[–] CorruptCheesecake@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If Organic Maps supported it as an overlay that would be game changing.

[–] Little8Lost@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

I should take advantage of this tread

not that useful but cute: https://http.cat/ and https://http.dog/ give cute pictures to http error codes like 404: file not found or (the better one) 418: im a teapod
When i dont know what an errer code means i often put http.gat/{errorcode} and then i am pleased because of insight and cat

https://haveibeenpwned.com/ is very useful, it takes a few seconds for you to check if some accounts got found in public breaches

[–] crumbguzzler5000@feddit.org 41 points 1 day ago

archive.org

I was looking for an old show I saw back in 2000's to see if any streaming platforms had it, low and behold someone had archived the VHS version of the show! The quality obviously wasn't HD but it was good enough to still watch and reminisce.

[–] maxprime@lemmy.ml 43 points 1 day ago

MIT Open Courseware

https://ocw.mit.edu/

[–] yessikg@fedia.io 38 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/

[–] Samskara@sh.itjust.works 6 points 22 hours ago

Anna’s Archive

[–] speq@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 day ago

Also: https://standardebooks.org/

[–] radiouser@crazypeople.online 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

LibreVox (if audio books are more your thing):

https://librivox.org/

[–] ace_garp@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago

Been using this list of free websites and resources for a while:

http://perthfreeculture.org/

Comics on the second page.

[–] scytale@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Mullvad’s DoH service and Leta search proxy are free. You don’t need to have a VPN subscription to use them.

[–] thenose@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Can you break these two down for me please?

[–] notfromhere@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

DNS over HTTPS (DoH), which is Domain Name Service over Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the technology the Web runs on. The S in HTTPS is the secured version of HTTP, it’s encrypted using TLS (originally was SSL, Secure Sockets Layer), Transport Layer Security. DNS translates site names (e.g., www.google.com) into an IP (Internet Protocol) address (e.g., 8.8.8.8). DNS is an unencrypted protocol like HTTP. Adding in the Security component is somewhat tricky, but DoH is one of the ways, it just piggy backs on a tried and true secure transport technology that powers the web today.

The reason you would want to use DoH is to secure the domains you are accessing from (1) being intercepted and/or altered, e.g., someone poisoning the response and giving you a bad IP address for any number of reasons, and (2) snoops such as the WiFi provider you’re connected to or the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or cellular provider, or anyone else watching the unencrypted traffic.

[–] 486@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

All this is correct, but keep in mind that you still leak domain names until ECH (encrypted client hello) is in wide-spread use. It is of course still a good idea to use encrypted DNS, just don't assume your ISP can't see which websites you are accessing.

[–] thenose@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Cheers very much. I was somewhat familiar with the concept (didn’t knew the abbreviation for it tho). But your explanation just made everything slide in their place. Thanks again

[–] notfromhere@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If I remember correctly, Leta search proxy is the anonymized search proxy from Mullvad. Users connect and do internet searches, Leta will search various engines and cache the results, anonymized, for some time (days I think?) and any users who perform the same search will receive the cached results from the other users previous searches.

I could be wrong on some or all of that.

[–] thenose@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Sounds pretty much like Searchxng actually sounds a tad bit more sophisticated

[–] SonOfAntenora@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

Rss feeds.

[–] SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Global communication.

Infinite knowledge.

[–] notfromhere@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Can we apply some of both of those to narrow down to a few recommendations? 😁

[–] SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

https://plato.stanford.edu/

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/

https://www.etymonline.com/

just these 6 have more info than any human can ever consume:

https://annas-archive.org/

https://libgen.is/

https://z-library.gs/

https://www.gutenberg.org/

https://librivox.org/

https://sci-hub.se/

https://thephilosophicalsalon.com/

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/

All the wikis

https://tvtropes.org/

https://artvee.com/

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/

https://www.hplovecraft.com/

https://www.susanblackmore.uk/

https://archive.org/

https://www.technologyreview.com/

https://www.britannica.com/

https://newatlas.com/

https://www.wisden.com/

https://simone.org/

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/

http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2007/05/27/intensified-continuity-revisited/ (havent been here in a while, not sure what its like now)

These are some of my bookmarks I put up. Theres a lot lot more and I'll to get back and add more. Many people have made many such lists. Often much better

[–] notfromhere@lemmy.ml 3 points 18 hours ago

Thank you, kind stranger!