GOOGLE "Privacy" Policy
Have you ever Googled something? I did some "G00gling" myself and accessed their "privacy" policy. Here's a relevant part of their "privacy" policy, in Google's own words:
- Log information – When you access Google services via a browser, application or other client our servers automatically record certain information. These server logs may include information such as your web request, your interaction with a service, Internet Protocol address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser or your account.
- User communications – When you send email or other communications to Google, we may retain those communications in order to process your inquiries, respond to your requests and improve our services. When you send and receive SMS messages to or from one of our services that provides SMS functionality, we may collect and maintain information associated with those messages, such as the phone number, the wireless carrier associated with the phone number, the content of the message, and the date and time of the transaction. We may use your email address to communicate with you about our services.
More Google
Did you read the "privacy" policy? Basically, Google keeps a record of anything and everything that you do. Why are they doing this? To make money of course. Here are their profit sheets: http://investor.google.com/financial/tables.html
I'm not really good at reading them (someone who is, feel free t0 E-mail me or do a blog comment) but it says that in Quarter 3 of 2010 that Google's total assets were about 53 billion dollars. All of this revenue has been generated through their "free" website. Google is ridiculously profitable because citizens are willing to give away all of this information to Google, so they can sell you targeted advertising. This really ticks me off and I hope that it ticks you off also.
I'm not really good at reading them (someone who is, feel free t0 E-mail me or do a blog comment) but it says that in Quarter 3 of 2010 that Google's total assets were about 53 billion dollars. All of this revenue has been generated through their "free" website. Google is ridiculously profitable because citizens are willing to give away all of this information to Google, so they can sell you targeted advertising. This really ticks me off and I hope that it ticks you off also.
GMAIL (and the Dinosaur Yahoo!)
Again, check out this page hosted by the BBC (they rock):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/2010/03/100311_virtual_revolution_how_and_when.shtml
I could only find the audio version of the special by Dr. Aleks Krotoski, (there's a video version out there somewhere on the world wide web, I know it, because I saw it on Television.) Anyway, she has been reporting and studying the rise of the web for years and in my opinion has been doing an excellent job. If you have some time on your hands I encourage you to listen to the 3 part audio sequence contained on the website. However, if you are short on time or just have a limited attention span, I encourage you to listen to part 3 about "The Cost of Free." It's only 20 minutes and is completely eye-opening.
It freaked me out when I listened to it. Were you aware that Google scans your E-mails and then gives you targeted advertising based on words that you include in your supposedly "private" E-mails that you send? As Dr. Krotoski explains, if you include the word "dog" or "vacation", you might then get targeted ads from Google about dog products or places to go on vacation. To me, this is entirely unacceptable. Yahoo! also admits to this practice.
I encourage each and every one of you to consider changing E-mail services away from Yahoo! and Gmail. Nobody should be subjected to this level of spying in their supposedly private communications with one another. An E-mail service I suggest that is highly superior to Yahoo! and Gmail is Hushmail.
www.hushmail.com
It's completely free, and comes with the ability to send encrypted E-mails with a password so that only the receiver of the E-mail is able to see it. You have to log in once every 3 weeks and don't get as much storage as Gmail and Yahoo!, but it really is a small price to pay to not have your E-mails read, even if Google only says they only "scan" them via a computer. No one should be subjected to having their Emails "scanned." Plus, the service is very official and completely secure. Let's put it this way, I don't trust Google or Yahoo. I trust hushmail completely.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/2010/03/100311_virtual_revolution_how_and_when.shtml
I could only find the audio version of the special by Dr. Aleks Krotoski, (there's a video version out there somewhere on the world wide web, I know it, because I saw it on Television.) Anyway, she has been reporting and studying the rise of the web for years and in my opinion has been doing an excellent job. If you have some time on your hands I encourage you to listen to the 3 part audio sequence contained on the website. However, if you are short on time or just have a limited attention span, I encourage you to listen to part 3 about "The Cost of Free." It's only 20 minutes and is completely eye-opening.
It freaked me out when I listened to it. Were you aware that Google scans your E-mails and then gives you targeted advertising based on words that you include in your supposedly "private" E-mails that you send? As Dr. Krotoski explains, if you include the word "dog" or "vacation", you might then get targeted ads from Google about dog products or places to go on vacation. To me, this is entirely unacceptable. Yahoo! also admits to this practice.
I encourage each and every one of you to consider changing E-mail services away from Yahoo! and Gmail. Nobody should be subjected to this level of spying in their supposedly private communications with one another. An E-mail service I suggest that is highly superior to Yahoo! and Gmail is Hushmail.
www.hushmail.com
It's completely free, and comes with the ability to send encrypted E-mails with a password so that only the receiver of the E-mail is able to see it. You have to log in once every 3 weeks and don't get as much storage as Gmail and Yahoo!, but it really is a small price to pay to not have your E-mails read, even if Google only says they only "scan" them via a computer. No one should be subjected to having their Emails "scanned." Plus, the service is very official and completely secure. Let's put it this way, I don't trust Google or Yahoo. I trust hushmail completely.