Rant Google

[Hielor]

Wrong. Googles basic intention, beside storing just everything they can get, is to take a significant part of as much peoples life as possible. And they already succeed in that. They follow your web behaviour and collect as much data from you as far as possible legally and as far as everyone lets them do that (while legality in case of Google always has been reduced to the lowest common denominator). If you follow Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google, you'll experience that it is Googles intention to collect, store and compile as much data of its users as possible, so that in future it will be possible to ask private questions like which job could be the right one for you or what could you do in your free time regarding your interests. Googles users are the merchandise being sold. That's the basis. Nothing else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zKXCQpUnMg

Spoken like a true conspiracy theorist.

True. And at least most of Google's software is open source, so the paranoid geeks can check what it's doing. This can't be said about windows.

Right. That's why I use proper tools and methods to restrict Windows as far as possible. That's also why Windows only is my gaming system. For private stuff and work, I use Linux. But I don't store private stuff and data on a web-enabled computer anyway.

The Windows source code has been leaked on multiple occasions; I imagine that if anything insanely bad as far as privacy goes was in there, it would've been brought up dozens of time already.

The data that Microsoft collects from Windows is not used to identify you. Frankly, they don't really care who you are. They collect data to see how people are using the OS, so that it can be improved according to what people actually do, not according to what people claim to want.

The SQM ("Customer Experience Improvement Program") format doesn't support strings longer than 8 characters, and I'm fairly certain there's a tool out there you can use to see what those files contain. The data that goes into those reports is used to see usage patterns of groups of people, not to track individuals.

The Watson crash reports contain only the information needed to reproduce/investigate the issue. The data is protected as much as possible (even though it doesn't intentionally contain personally identifying information), due to the huge negative PR impact that a leak would have. If it happened, everyone would know about it.

 

[Moonwalker]

Spoken like a true conspiracy theorist.

Wrong. It is a fact that gathering personal data and organising the worlds information is the basic intention and goal of Google. Regarding Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, iGoogle is the key feature of gathering more personal data.

"We are very early in the total information we have within Google. The algorithms will get better and we will get better at personalisation."

"The goal is to enable Google users to be able to ask the question such as ‘What shall I do tomorrow?’ and ‘What job shall I take?’ "

"We cannot even answer the most basic questions because we don’t know enough about you. That is the most important aspect of Google’s expansion."

Eric Schmidt

 

[ar81]

Well they will not find out that I like Orbiter.
I do not use to talk too much about Orbiter in Gmail or Google searches or Google Earth.
What kind of profiling is that?

 

[Eagle]

Well they will not find out that I like Orbiter.
I do not use to talk too much about Orbiter in Gmail or Google searches or Google Earth.
What kind of profiling is that?

There are Google ads on the OF page before you log in. They know.

More specifically they know that you check OF almost every day.

 

[Moonwalker]

The Windows source code has been leaked on multiple occasions; I imagine that if anything insanely bad as far as privacy goes was in there, it would've been brought up dozens of time already.

The data that Microsoft collects from Windows is not used to identify you. Frankly, they don't really care who you are. They collect data to see how people are using the OS, so that it can be improved according to what people actually do, not according to what people claim to want.

The SQM ("Customer Experience Improvement Program") format doesn't support strings longer than 8 characters, and I'm fairly certain there's a tool out there you can use to see what those files contain. The data that goes into those reports is used to see usage patterns of groups of people, not to track individuals.

The Watson crash reports contain only the information needed to reproduce/investigate the issue. The data is protected as much as possible (even though it doesn't intentionally contain personally identifying information), due to the huge negative PR impact that a leak would have. If it happened, everyone would know about it.

And still, I restrict Windows carrying out informations as far as possible.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

What kind of ads? (Yes I have auto-login) If they're just space-based, then it's based on the site and not you. If they match your googling trends, then yes it is personalized. And like Hielor said, Windows wouldn't grab personal information unless you give it to them. Your computer is not psychic! Nor would it know all the websites enough to know what to look for neccessarily to gather personal information.

 

[Bj]

And still, I restrict Windows carrying out informations as far as possible.

You know, IF MS was harvesting information, that information would have to be sent somewhere eventually, (most likely when you connect to the internet.)

You could turn on the log on your router to see where any outgoing traffic is headed. Look for any suspicious packets being sent to a MS server... or in-fact, any server that you haven't visited.

 

[ijuin]

Your IP doesn't change as often as you think. It stays the same for as long as you are connected by modem, and can stay the same for several weeks if you don't restart your router for your DSL or Cable.

Refreshing your IP address on the fly is easy enough in Windows. Just open a command prompt and type "ipconfig /renew", and your computer will request a new address from your DHCP server. There's no need to actually disconnect from the Net by rebooting your router/modem.

 

[Bj]

Refreshing your IP address on the fly is easy enough in Windows. Just open a command prompt and type "ipconfig /renew", and your computer will request a new address from your DHCP server. There's no need to actually disconnect from the Net by rebooting your router/modem.

That's only local.

Try it;

Check your IP before and after... it will not change.

http://www.whatismyip.com/

 

[Andy44]

Oh yes, as if you (or any of us) make any emails that are classified or interesting to the rest of the world. Honestly, let's not turn Google into another conspiracy.

I find this to be a remarkably apathetic comment.

Let me simplify what is happening to you: Someone is reading your mail!

Once was a time when that meant they would get sent to prison. Now in the "digital" age, we are all lulled into just trusting someone we don't know with our personal commuications! Unbelievable.

It seems that the younger folks especially do not fully comprehend how invasive, intrusive, and outright dangerous this attitude is. Keeping other people out of your personal business, especially those with arrest powers (police, military, politicians), is absolutely essential to the preservation of personal liberty and human dignity.

Some of you guys really need to get a grasp on the importance of privacy.

This is about a whole lot more than just being hassled by some spam mail.

 

[tl8]

I find this to be a remarkably apathetic comment.

Let me simplify what is happening to you: Someone is reading your mail!

Someone or something?

Are they going to discover anything important? Like my address (look in a phone book)

They aren't going to get anything real interesting, except that I am looking for a job...

When I signed up to gmail, I agreed with their terms and conditions. It is as simple as that.

Yes it is possible that they might do something to ruin my life, but it is unlikely

 

[Hielor]

Wrong. It is a fact that gathering personal data and organising the worlds information is the basic intention and goal of Google. Regarding Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, iGoogle is the key feature of gathering more personal data.

"We are very early in the total information we have within Google. The algorithms will get better and we will get better at personalisation."

"The goal is to enable Google users to be able to ask the question such as ‘What shall I do tomorrow?’ and ‘What job shall I take?’ "

"We cannot even answer the most basic questions because we don’t know enough about you. That is the most important aspect of Google’s expansion."

Eric Schmidt

The fact is that they are gathering the information. The conspiracy theory is that they're doing something inappropriate or malicious with it.

---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 PM ----------

I find this to be a remarkably apathetic comment.

Let me simplify what is happening to you: Someone is reading your mail!

Once was a time when that meant they would get sent to prison. Now in the "digital" age, we are all lulled into just trusting someone we don't know with our personal commuications! Unbelievable.

It seems that the younger folks especially do not fully comprehend how invasive, intrusive, and outright dangerous this attitude is. Keeping other people out of your personal business, especially those with arrest powers (police, military, politicians), is absolutely essential to the preservation of personal liberty and human dignity.

Some of you guys really need to get a grasp on the importance of privacy.

This is about a whole lot more than just being hassled by some spam mail.

So what if someone reads your mail? Are you doing things that you're worried about getting in trouble for, if someone finds out?

I'd like evidence that Google has ever acted on that information in the US...

 

[tblaxland]

So what if someone reads your mail? Are you doing things that you're worried about getting in trouble for, if someone finds out?

Not at the moment, but in the future? Especially of concern is if, for reasons beyond my control (political, military, etc), something that I am doing presently becomes illegal. The question is not whether you trust those who presently have the power to use your personal information, but rather whether you can trust those who will have that power in the future. I think this quote is appropriate here:

It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.
- John Philpot Curran

 

[Hielor]

Not at the moment, but in the future? Especially of concern is if, for reasons beyond my control (political, military, etc), something that I am doing presently becomes illegal. The question is not whether you trust those who presently have the power to use your personal information, but rather whether you can trust those who will have that power in the future. I think this quote is appropriate here:

How far do you take this?

In America, you can't be prosecuted for something that becomes illegal after you do it.

However, if you propose that perhaps a regime could come to power that overturns that...

Well then in that case, anything goes, and you're screwed anyway. If such a regime wants to put you in jail, they will.

 

[Ghostrider]

In America, you can't be prosecuted for something that becomes illegal after you do it.

There are many countries in the world where, when David Bowie sings "This is not America", he happens to be right.

Well then in that case, anything goes, and you're screwed anyway. If such a regime wants to put you in jail, they will.

It doesn't take a tyrannical regime, it takes a "for teh children" attitude, and you're pretty much screwed.

 

[Eagle]

C.F. Iran and China for why you want some level of privacy. Most of what you do won't require anonymity, but its important to know how traceable you actually are.

In the US the major use for internet proxies like NO-IP is just to circumvent blocked sights at home or work (so you can check facebook). There are a few other reasons, but its often for some debatable reason.

Outside the US encryption and obfuscation becomes a necessity to avoid jail time and worse. Anyone reading about the show trials going on in Iran right now? The majority are captured protesters, a couple are bloggers.

Be happy that right now the only people who care what you say/do online are marketers, at least for the majority of our members.

 

[Moonwalker]

The fact is that they are gathering the information. The conspiracy theory is that they're doing something inappropriate or malicious with it.

There is no conspiracy. Trying to make peoples life depend on Google and being merchandised already is inappropriate. Google almost does not get any respect from commissioners and organizations for data protection, because there are certain resons, but no conspiracy. Just read the Google trade terms if you are interested at all. Of course there are a lot of people who are not concerned of losing privacy at all. They'll contribute to it blindly. I won't for sure.

 

[Andy44]

So what if someone reads your mail? Are you doing things that you're worried about getting in trouble for, if someone finds out?

So, "If you're not doing anything wrong, what are you worried about?", right? That kind of thinking places the priority on the authorities instead of the free man, where it belongs. And it's a fine example of what I mentioned before: younger people's apathy towards their own rights and liberties.

The fact is, I do do things "wrong". I criticize the government, using strong language I would not use in a public forum. This is considered "wrong" by more politicians than you think. Crack open a history book and look up the "Alien and Sedition Acts", signed into law by the main co-sponser of the Declaration of Independence himself, President John Adams.

I'd like evidence that Google has ever acted on that information in the US...

Not in the US, not yet. But they have no qualms about narcing out Chinese citizens to keep the government happy, and when the right law gets passed (maybe already has, PATRIOT ACT, PATRIOT ACT 2?) they will have no qualms narcing you right out.

And remember, the telecom companies all have retroactive immunity from letting the NSA or the FBI read or listen to your communications. Google has nothing to lose by playing ball with the authorities at your expense.

How far do you take this?

In America, you can't be prosecuted for something that becomes illegal after you do it.

However, if you propose that perhaps a regime could come to power that overturns that...

Well then in that case, anything goes, and you're screwed anyway. If such a regime wants to put you in jail, they will.

"In America, XXXX can't happen here!" Of course it can. The government violates its own consititution on a daily basis. Often with support from its own citizens, for the whom the consititution was meant to provide protection. Gun control, wiretapping, taser torture, millions of little incidents go by daily. As any Obama suppoter will tell you, Bush crossed many lines when it came to wiretapping and civil liberties. And as any libertarian will tell you, Obama is still crossing them, he just has better PR and a bigger fan club. Power isn't something politicians like to give up.

And if a regime ever comes to power that wants to use your email against you, I'd prefer my messages to have been protected by the service provider, destroyed if necessary, in the years leading up to this occurance.

 

[ar81]

Google does not only have the largest database. Google, which got nominated for a "Big Brother Award" by the civil liberties group Public Information Research, also has the largest interest not to take care on data protection. They are not willing to disclose internals. But they are willing and proud to announce that they are going to collect as much personal data as possible to be able to, among other things, answer "which job is the right one for me?" or "I'm bored, with what should I fiddle right now?". Google is going to exploit the data of its users. It starts by saving the IP, the type of browser, the browser language, time and date and so on. They compile and record motion and personality profiles. They are going to index all the world's information they can get. Of course this is not a bad idea to make the informations searchable for a moment. But a lot of people are naive enough to not being aware that Google is going to do way more with all that stored data than just to make it searchable...

Microsoft owns Hotmail, and Windows 7 scanned all tasks done by users so Microsoft could learn about behavior of users. They discovered that many users liked to have windows opened in a certain order, so you would see too many clicks to open and close apps. They do not say they will use the info, they just use it.

So now we have Google watchdogs. Who was the watchdog of Microsoft? Did the world end with Microsoft?

[Jerk mode]
If you are worried about privacy, then do not speak your mind. It worked in USSR. Let private things to be between God and you only. No one can do wiretapping with your line with God.

Politicians who cross lines involving moral values, human rights, do not believe in God. They are God.

Evil does not exist. Evil is the result of unhappy people who try to make others unhappy. In the middle age it was called "posessed by the devil", nowadays it is called "psychiatric problem". Evil is a psychiatric problem. Why do you have concentration camps to torture psychiatric patients?

Hitler was on drugs and he violated human rights. He might have deserved a trip to psychiatric hospital. Saddam must have been mentally ill to torture people in Kuwait and to kill as many people as he did kill. What other well known leader was on drugs and has done "evil things"?

A happy and mentally healthy person does not need to harm anyone else. So the world is handled by a bunch of psychos. No good or evil, just evil all around the planet. Antichrist? There are many, we at least one per country.

In politics, evil does not exist, only convenience. It is convenient to do evil things and claim your enemies are evil. In politics everyone is evil, because the limits imposed by moral values do not apply.

To fight for freedom and civil liberties, you need to restrict freedom and civil liberties. Else there is no reason to fight.
[/Jerk mode]

 

[Andy44]

[Jerk mode]
If you are worried about privacy, then do not speak your mind. It worked in USSR. Let private things to be between God and you only. No one can do wiretapping with your line with God.

Politicians who cross lines involving moral values, human rights, do not believe in God. They are God.

Evil does not exist. Evil is the result of unhappy people who try to make others unhappy. In the middle age it was called "posessed by the devil", nowadays it is called "psychiatric problem". Evil is a psychiatric problem. Why do you have concentration camps to torture psychiatric patients?

Hitler was on drugs and he violated human rights. He might have deserved a trip to psychiatric hospital. Saddam must have been mentally ill to torture people in Kuwait and to kill as many people as he did kill. What other well known leader was on drugs and has done "evil things"?

A happy and mentally healthy person does not need to harm anyone else. So the world is handled by a bunch of psychos. No good or evil, just evil all around the planet. Antichrist? There are many, we at least one per country.

In politics, evil does not exist, only convenience. It is convenient to do evil things and claim your enemies are evil. In politics everyone is evil, because the limits imposed by moral values do not apply.

To fight for freedom and civil liberties, you need to restrict freedom and civil liberties. Else there is no reason to fight.
[/Jerk mode]

wat