Too bad I had to rank them, instead of putting Amazon, Apple, and Facebook in a three-way tie for first. I don't use any of them at all. Microsoft could easily go next, because I only use them for Windows and if they disappeared, I could learn to use Linux or whatever else pops up. Alphabet gives me my blog space (replaceable with any other service), and Search and Maps--and those would be the hard cuts, perhaps, because their algorithms are so good, but I could survive with another search engine and bring back MapQuest if I had to. I watch YouTube a lot, so if it got cut out there would be an adjustment period, but it would be healthier for me to cut out the mindless entertainment anyway.

I'm in agreement with you, kleinbl00. The author of the article keeps trying to build up the companies like they're big losses, but it just makes me more smug as I read ("How can you do without Office?"... OpenOffice, chief). Kind of funny to me that I don't use much of these companies when I'm seemingly addicted to my computer.

But all told, if they disappeared tomorrow, new companies would rise from the ashes, as they always do. Maybe they'd be better.