in reply to [OT]: Google browser(Updated!)

deep reservations about this thing

Thank the gods, it's only for MSWindows ( at least for now). I wouldn't even consider using it. I have enough hassles disabling the "auto-completion" and "auto google-toolbar" that I get with Mozilla and Firefox. I can't stand the way these corporations think I want their product to automagically make my life easier, by directing me to their sites.

I was trying out Ubuntu, and typed a web address in the browser, and I get the web address sent as a search query to google!!! If I want to go to google, I will type it in.

Honestly, I have met people that think Google is the web..... you can't go to a web site without it going thru google first......the dumbing down of the people.

I'm not really a human, but I play one on earth Remember How Lucky You Are

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^2: [OT]: Google browser(Updated!)
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 03, 2008 at 19:49 UTC

    I was gifted a gmail account shortly after they went live and I've used exactly 3 times.

    I installed Picasa briefly, but eradicated it when I couldn't expain much of the system activity it instigated.

    I don't believe in conspiracy theories much, but it's hard not to believe that all this intrusive technology isn't doing more than just boosting googles competitive advantage.

    Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
    "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
    In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
[reply]

      One of Google's more clever, I think, ideas to collect data to boost that competitive advantage is GOOG-411. They provide, for free, telephone directory assistance. Why? From Wikipedia: "Google has stated that the company originally implemented GOOG-411 to build a large phoneme database from users' voice queries. This phoneme database, in turn, will allow Google engineers to refine and improve the speech recognition engine that Google uses to index audio content for searching."

      Specific to Chrome, having the data collection built into the browser lets them even reach into the address bar of the browser for data, which I'm sure is a gold mine of valuable search related info for them for them.

[reply]
[reply]
      intrusive technology isn't doing more than just boosting googles competitive advantage.

      Maybe, but if you follow the US news closely, you will find that ISP's have recently been ruled against by the courts, and are required to provide the governemnt with all logs. (Many ISP's were fighting it on possible invasion of privacy grounds). So Big Brother really dosn't have to go thru google to get info on you, they can get a list of your visited sites directly from the ISPs. So Google is probably just a mercenary in this.....trying to develop statistics to sell ads, and send you custom ads based on your browsing history.

      I remember a discussion I heard on it, and I guess they have it setup that all your internet traffic, can be routed thru a government agent's computer, even at his home. It was a court ruling a few years back, that all ISP's had to include this feature in their switching systems. So in all probability, this node is being displayed on some agent's screen, while he/she is sipping their morning coffee, and deciding if you are part of some plot.

      Which brings up another "point of paranoia".... the so-called-anonymous-surfing systems......web-anonymizers. Don't you think the governemnt is setting these up with their undercover people, and they watch you as you think you are anonymous? I wouldn't trust them as being anonymous, the government is too tricky and well funded.

      I'm not really a human, but I play one on earth Remember How Lucky You Are
[reply]
        The logs are for cops, the NSA/CIA/FBI... track in realtime.
[reply]

In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom