[BGG001]

If you post a blog, and then your blog is blocked based on a word you used in a Google search; you're effectively being censored. Either you didn't think about it or you don't know how it works.

[mlibrescu]

You're afraid that Google has too much information that the government can get their hands on, so you think the answer is to let the government control Google. Good thinking! That's like letting the fox guard the hen house.

[number6]

fjpoblam said:

I've seen the suggestion "if you don't like GoOgle, just don't use it" many times before, including from GoOgle themselves. Problem with it is, GoOgle is built in to so many products. For example, GoOgle is built in as the irrevocable search engine for the Safari browser's search bar, and the default search engine for Mozilla browsers' search bars (Camino, Firefox) and for Opera. One must go to EXTREME effort not to use GoOgle. Get real.

It's not that hard to avoid Google for the most part.

[number6]

[quote]> kitsune17717 wrote:
> I was never a Google conspiracy theorist, but this article does make me a bit worried....mabye google should be a government-controlled entity.

mlibrescu said:

You're afraid that Google has too much information that the government can get their hands on, so you think the answer is to let the government control Google. Good thinking! That's like letting the fox guard the hen house.

Those were my thoughts much better put.

[kitsune17717]

i was thinking more along the lines of the government taking a more strict stance with regard to policy and stuff- instead of letting the comanies make their own privacy policies and stuff, make a standard law that all information-collecting companies must comply to.

Meh, that statement was a total FAIL either way. :p

[trentraven]

The fact of the matter is that we as a society, for better or worse, have become more forthcoming with personal information. I guess the secret to creating balance between sharing all of your information and withdrawing completely from society is to learn who you can and cannot trust. As an IT Manager, I only trust Google with my gmail account I use for online activity, and everything else sits on my computer's hard drive at home. I use Bing, Google, and Yahoo to search, and I delete those searches once a week. A good bit of maintenance goes a long way.
It's really all in who you trust with what information.

[meydrew]

1. I think we all can agree that government regulation over personal data is way less secure than private industry regulation.

2.I would have to agree with googles idea of disclosure for "enforceable government requests". They have better lawyers than you knew existed, solely employed to figure out how to deny services and protect customers(if any of you are familiar with the economics of branding then you will understand why google takes this seriously). This leads me to beleive that the lawyers can't do diddly squat to deny those requests and the alternative is someone putting a gun to your head and getting it any way.

3. "Google has your location"??! seriously, WTF this is probably the worst scare tactic the author can use. I'm a web developer specializing in tieing geolocation technology to data services. First off google doesn't have your location unless you give it to them. Tracking ones location from IP logs can only get you as far as their ISPs address. I don't know about you guys but I don't live in the restroom of my local ISPs service department.From there one has to sapena the records. Second google may have the power and the resources to record the data you give them regarding specific locations ( which of course you would have to submit and then correct the actual GPS coordinates by hand, Googles Geolocation services makes a best guess) but they are only stored as coordinates and a tag if you actually gave it tag information. This is not highlighted in their servers as "home of john smith" blinking at 3 hertz in neon signage but simply stored with every other coordinate you ASK them to save for you. If you are worried about information that is gathered by your cell phone then too bad your cell phone is about as unsecure as you can get. Things like batterylife are important facts for the programs on your phone to know. This is pretty much just google saying we are courteous and don't cut your batterylife in half so we scale back the number of transmission for information per second based on how much battery you have left. Keep in mind that the only one that can put 3rd party software on your phone and activate it is YOU.

4. Googles got your voice? yeah They might have my voice registered under something like "john doe" but who cares. Whats the most that they have on me some guy saying Customer service and Operator over and over again. Big deal! Microsoft has my name and address me singing to the hold music and Adobe has everything but my left arm becuase I registered with them as a developer as well as a 4 minute tirade of cursing I didn't know I was capable of. I don't think google is the one I need worry about in the biometrics department.

5. China is censoring china( do some research they have a HUGE task force charged with monitoring internet usage and censoring what can come into china over a hard line). Google as well as all the others are trying to bring in all the information that they can. The PRC(the guys who make the rules) is who you should dog on not the search engines( the guys to grudgingly follow them because biased market visibility is better than no visibility ).



PS. To the guy who ranted about the info apocalypse, Follow your own advice and think about what you put about your self on "the worlds biggest public bulletin board" before you post it. Don't be a sheep. Think!

[Balayage]

Sure, it is a trade-off. Good service for information leak. If you worry about online services tracking your moves, you have two choices. You can get OFF!. Or you can create a virtual person from your end and NEVER give any real "personal" information.
But, unless I am the President of the U.S., a leader of some large corporation, or a member of the CIA, who cares? Target me all you want. I ignore 99.9% of all adds anyway. If you believe it is just GOOGLE who does this, you are naive. Every time we interact with any larger company or government agency we leave a little information about ourselves as "payment".
You can come join me on my virtual island and hide from the world. I just need to know every thing about you first to see if you fit.
Get a life!

[number6]

You missed an option: stop them from tracking you. It's very simple if you're interested. I prefer that private matters (surfing habits, purchases, etc.) remain private.

[dcoburn]

Seems like you're overlooking something. Google is run by people who have made it abundantly clear that they are extreme political leftists. The same thing is true of the present US administration. The biggest problem with Google having all this information is that they are entirely likely to eagerly share it with the same people who have called anyone who disagrees with Pres O and his cohorts extremists and terrorists. This same adminsitration has set up a web site which encourages US citizens to report anyone they know who are saying anything 'fishy' about the Obama Healh Care Bill. This governmnet will NOT protect you from Google...they're essentially the same folks.

[michaelejahn]

okay, so like, when was the last time any government official broke down you door or denied any rights or harassed you - and for what ?

I mean, are you serious ?

No one cares about what you say or do my freind. okay, maybe your wife, parent or neighbor - but other than that, sheesh.

[dcoburn]

Apparently YOU care what I say or do...else why the fairly nasty reply?

We're talking about privacy matters and the Internet here, not breaking down doors. You really do have to stick to the subject in order to have a discussion.

Oh, and by the way, I don't think I'm your friend.

[number6]

dcoburn said:

Seems like you're overlooking something. Google is run by people who have made it abundantly clear that they are extreme political leftists. The same thing is true of the present US administration. The biggest problem with Google having all this information is that they are entirely likely to eagerly share it with the same people who have called anyone who disagrees with Pres O and his cohorts extremists and terrorists. This same adminsitration has set up a web site which encourages US citizens to report anyone they know who are saying anything 'fishy' about the Obama Healh Care Bill. This governmnet will NOT protect you from Google...they're essentially the same folks.

Great post. That's what it's about.

[number6]

michaelejahn said:

okay, so like, when was the last time any government official broke down you door or denied any rights or harassed you - and for what ?
I mean, are you serious ?
No one cares about what you say or do my freind. okay, maybe your wife, parent or neighbor - but other than that, sheesh.

It happens all the time. If you haven't heard then it's because you watch too much leftist media (Fox, CBS, etc.), all of which are owned and run by the same people who put Mr Big-Ears in the oval office. Googlers, politicians, indoctrinators: they're all friends; they're all working toward the same goal.

Message was edited by: number6. Added important point.

[Puddleglum]

Most of these posts are missing a significant point. Whether Google is evil or not (and given its record in China, I believe it is), very dangerous machinery is being put in place; and there is no guarantee that that machinery can not be compromised, or even taken over, to be used against, instead of for the intended benefit of, any individual.

[michaelejahn]

I for one am not missing the point. The issue being discussed is "Does Google Know to Much about me" and I am here to say, no, they do not and really, they don't care all that much about me. I really wish they would care MORE about me and help me with my project.


I think the police know plently about me, as does the IRS - but again, I am no threat to either, so they really do not care to make my life miserable.


I think most of the people freaking out about Google knowing to much should consider that this is all opt out - just don't use Google anything and thats that.


( I will post here if anyone from Google actually notices )


Michael Jahn
1824 North Garvin Avenue
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