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Secure tools
Cloud services, social networks and messenger apps such as Whatsapp and others are becoming increasingly popular and we use them as a matter of course in everyday life. The tools are mostly free, offer a wide range of functions and are easy to use.
However, data protection is poor with many of these tools: they store and exploit user data, show personalized advertising, or their terms and conditions mean they cannot be used in everyday university life (e.g. due to assignment of usage rights, etc.). Important in this context: If a service is free, we usually pay with our data.
In the following table, we list useful alternatives to some popular, but privacy-questionable programs that you can use for your work.
| Applications | Examples of frequently used services | Preferred services of the HRZ |
|---|---|---|
| Online storage | Dropbox or Google Drive | Hessenbox |
| Video conference or multi-party telephone conferences | Skype or Zoom | |
| Appointment planner | Doodle | Foodle (via DFN) |
| Link shortener (URL shortener) | bitly.com |
Link shortener for UMR pages T1P.de for external pages |
| Web-based text editor | Google Docs | Etherpad (in ILIAS) |
| Project management | Asana or Trello | Planio |
| Online Calendar | Google Calendar | STAFF/Students calender (Horde) |
| Remote Support Software | TeamViewer | Live Remote Support |
| Translator | Google Translator | eTranslation - CEF Digital |
| Platform for video streaming | Youtube | OpenCast |
| Password manager | Saving passwords directly in the browser, cloud storage | KeePass |
|
Mail management apps |
Gmail or Mail.ru |
p≡p (Android / iOS, no S/MIME) FairEmail (Android) |