Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room
Google vs. the rest: Is it fair?
Eóin:
There are probably institutions out there with even more info on us than Google.
Tuxman:
This is, of course, no reason to support Google.
JavaJones:
Yes, many others do things exactly as Google does, or worse. :D
If taking pictures on one day in a neighborhood is "spying", then I'm guilty too. I've even posted some publicly! *gasp* It would be another matter entirely if Google were trying to setup realtime photography of these areas, that would be a lot less easily understood as beneficial and a lot more like spying and potential invasion of privacy. But as it is, what Google provides is a useful tool, they're doing nothing illegal. What they photograph is only what you can see from the street, so if you show your private life on the public street, that's not Google's problem. ;) It's not like people can use Google Streetview to determine when you walk your dog or take out the garbage or go to work (thus allowing e.g. a criminal to know when you're not home and rob you easier). And of course we all know Google will remove people's faces if requested - they do it automatically now anyway.
As for Google Earth, Google didn't take those pictures and the data has been available for a long time publicly. Google just made it easier to access.
I've found tremendous benefit from both services, and I think any potential drawbacks are fairly minimal all in all. But again, to each their own.
I'm not sure who Google is sharing their data with either, I've never seen any ill effects from it, again unlike Yahoo and in fact MS too, both of whom I've received unsolicited "partner" offers from (I assign a unique email address to every service I sign up to so I know who shares my info).
In the end I don't see Google as perfect by any means, but for a large corporation they seem to do pretty decently in terms of treatment of their customers, general respect for privacy (you can opt out of most stuff), and not sharing data without permission. And I find their services generally more useful than their competitors to boot. *shrug*
- Oshyan
Tuxman:
not sharing data without permission
--- End quote ---
... except for advertising. Oh, yes, advertising is a noble goal.
JavaJones:
not sharing data without permission
--- End quote ---
... except for advertising. Oh, yes, advertising is a noble goal.
-Tuxman (November 01, 2009, 03:51 PM)
--- End quote ---
Hmm, if it means lots of great content and services can be free, I kind of think it is! Heheh.
- Oshyan
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