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View Full Version : should we be scared of google ?



Lifestyle_X
12-06-2010, 03:19 PM
http://www.cracked.com/article_18540_5-reasons-you-should-be-scared-google.html

straightXed
12-06-2010, 06:06 PM
http://www.cracked.com/article_18540_5-reasons-you-should-be-scared-google.html

I'm not, i'm more scared of how the media runs with and presents stories like this.

Lifestyle_X
12-06-2010, 06:36 PM
I know this article is meant as a joke.

rodrigo
12-06-2010, 07:16 PM
http://www.cracked.com/article_18540_5-reasons-you-should-be-scared-google.html

are you?

xsecx
12-06-2010, 07:42 PM
I'm not, i'm more scared of how the media runs with and presents stories like this.

I don't know dude. they have an awful lot of data, a lot of which they shouldn't, a lot of which they don't really have any business reason keeping, and a lot that you as a user have no ability to audit or delete.

Lifestyle_X
12-07-2010, 06:19 AM
No I'm not, if I would be scared I wouldn't use it. Ok they keep everything for a long time, but it's not like they would use it to screw with you.

rodrigo
12-07-2010, 08:05 AM
No I'm not, if I would be scared I wouldn't use it. Ok they keep everything for a long time, but it's not like they would use it to screw with you.

how can you know?

xsecx
12-07-2010, 08:52 AM
No I'm not, if I would be scared I wouldn't use it. Ok they keep everything for a long time, but it's not like they would use it to screw with you.

without visibility into what they have, how would you know? especially since a lot of the data they've collected has been done by means other than you directly using the website.

Lifestyle_X
12-07-2010, 12:02 PM
Ok I get that, but would they ever post all my searches with my name under it on their website ? Do bad things happen to people like you and me, who use Google ?

rodrigo
12-07-2010, 12:14 PM
Ok I get that, but would they ever post all my searches with my name under it on their website ? Do bad things happen to people like you and me, who use Google ?

maybe not google itself, it wouldnt be new if they sold whatever info they have to some other party-

straightXed
12-07-2010, 12:16 PM
I don't know dude. they have an awful lot of data, a lot of which they shouldn't, a lot of which they don't really have any business reason keeping, and a lot that you as a user have no ability to audit or delete.

Yeah, it could definitely lend to being pretty shady but as it stands i'm not scared, i still use google and the internet. I would prefer any information kept about me to be very minimal, so do i like the practice? No.

xsecx
12-07-2010, 04:12 PM
Ok I get that, but would they ever post all my searches with my name under it on their website ? Do bad things happen to people like you and me, who use Google ?


http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20016451-265.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44961.html

xsecx
12-07-2010, 04:14 PM
Yeah, it could definitely lend to being pretty shady but as it stands i'm not scared, i still use google and the internet. I would prefer any information kept about me to be very minimal, so do i like the practice? No.

the part that bothers me isn't the data collection, it's that I have no way to know what's being kept, no way to opt out and no way to delete what's there. It'd be one thing if it was just the results of web searches but the data they have stored is far more than just that.

straightXed
12-07-2010, 05:37 PM
the part that bothers me isn't the data collection, it's that I have no way to know what's being kept, no way to opt out and no way to delete what's there. It'd be one thing if it was just the results of web searches but the data they have stored is far more than just that.

Yeah i appreciate that, and on reflection that does seem scary when you apply more thought to it. The problem i have is as it stands they are just holding the data and aren't actually doing anything with it...well not that i know of...so whilst they have the potential to do things they aren't making me think they will. The more i think about it the more uncomfortable i become with it as i question the trust aspect and the fact i don't have control over it. The lack of transparency or control makes it harder to trust but the base of the mistrust comes from my projection rather than their action. So i am looking at healthy mistrust vs. paranoia and making quick snap judgements. If i think about it it makes me uncomfortable as i said and it also makes me pensive...as i would like to see what google will do next.

Lifestyle_X
12-08-2010, 07:50 AM
I didn't know that Dusty. Good thing they fired that engineer.. I don't understand the 2nd link tho, how can cars collect passwords en stuff ?

xsecx
12-08-2010, 08:19 AM
I didn't know that Dusty. Good thing they fired that engineer.. I don't understand the 2nd link tho, how can cars collect passwords en stuff ?

because they were sniffing unencrypted wifi and storing it as they drove around.

xVeganAnarchistx
12-08-2010, 09:30 AM
Hey dusty, me and you agree! i think that something needs to be done to make sure google doesn't get out of hand (if they aren't already). Maybe something will come of that monopoly case against google in the EU.

Lifestyle_X
12-08-2010, 10:13 AM
because they were sniffing unencrypted wifi and storing it as they drove around.

Wow, what excuse do they have for that.. that's just plain wrong.

xsecx
12-08-2010, 10:18 AM
Wow, what excuse do they have for that.. that's just plain wrong.

they claimed they didn't know they were doing it but they're now under investigation by a bunch of countries because of it.

Lifestyle_X
12-08-2010, 10:30 AM
How could you NOT know such a thing ? You have to equip/install the car especially for itt if you want to do that.

xsecx
12-08-2010, 10:45 AM
How could you NOT know such a thing ? You have to equip/install the car especially for itt if you want to do that.

their defense was that it was mis-configured that they were just going to use it to get an idea of how many and where wifi spots were. now of course. the tech to do that and the tech to intercept and record wifi communications is totally different, but hey.