Google Schmoogle
Is is paranoia or just really is what it seems? Google, supposedly the 'biggest' and 'best' search engine on WWW may in future, use all the information that users have typed into their search boxes against them? I don't think so.
After the enlightening discussion during lecture, I realised that nearly if not all in class use Google without thinking. I know i do. Hollywood (or was it someone else?) coined the term 'I'll google you' or 'Just google it', which just shows that information is serious power. But, in saying all that, does it really matter how powerful Google has become?
The 'hate sites' on the Web which disagree with Google from everything from Gmail to privacy of the users and even the love connection of Google and Wikipedia. An interesting one I found was The Anti Google FAQ, which was hilarious in ways to get around Google and their databases.
Something else I came across was The New Media Journal.us, which was apparently taken of the Google News section, because of hate content. It's the perfect example of gatekeeping, and of policing articles on media and news sites. The original email (or so they say, I'm a skeptic) which I'll call The Email, does not really explain much, but it does give links of the hate content.
And then you turn around and get Andrew Taylor who seems to think Google apps and that Google itself is pure gold. Hilarious! There are even sites telling you, why Google is God like this, which I personally think is a joke!
I wonder..
have a good week all
Labels: Post 2
posted by joannechin at 4:57 PM
3 Comments:
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The whole thing surrounding Google is a right bit of mess, isn't it! Numerous people are for, and numerous others are against. Still, in the end it comes down to the end user - if they want it enough, they'll put up with all the horrendous practices that they have, in their paranoia, concocted within their minds of terrible things done with (and to) their privacy!
Yet, throughout today's entire lecture, my mind kept returning to the point of "why are people moaning like a 5 year old who lost their teddy?" If people want something, they have to actively go out and get it for themselves - there's no use being lazy and demanding particular services from companies such as Google and not expect certain kinds of things taken away from them.
Personally, I've constructed a small software that searches through Google, AltaVista, Yahoo!, MSN, and a couple other search engines off the top of my head for whatever it is I need. It automatically hides my IP so that the "information" recorded by these search engines don't trace back to me - I've also got enough layers of firewalls and blockades stuck up on my comp that it'll take a pretty well-trained hacker to get in. What's the point? I went and learnt these things, because I am paranoid. Other people may not be as technically savvy as I am, but learning all this isn't hard, just tedious.
If people want to be paranoid, fine - go ahead and do something about it, but either stop the complaints or stop using the services!
Sorry that might sound a little unpleasant, but it's a bit of a joke, isn't it? It's like the old "Show me yours and I'll show you mine" game. Except, they show us but we don't show them. Nothing's free in this world, unfortunately, and we shouldn't be expecting anything to be in the first place either.
Oh, I also found a nice little article on Google's "new" project of digitizing books. Might make you twitch a bit, for those who like controversy :p
Fair Use or Exploitation? The Google Book Search Controversy
oops, sorry to forget including the link :(
Fair Use or Exploitation? The Google Book Search Controversy
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