Comments on: Google says it won't pull an AOL

CEO Eric Schmidt says the Net giant's top priority for its search engine is user trust.

[dunnsanfrancisco]

Great and Glorious God Google

There is something in common between AOL and the Stepford Wives. AOL was always too "nice" and "simple" and "inviting". I dumped AOL back in the 90's after subscribing to them for less than 3 months. I remember the day I called to close my account. They fought me and begged me and pleaded and offered and joked and did everything they could ... but cancel my account. It was like trying to quit a cult. It was awful! So, it was no surprise to me that AOL violated the trust and privacy of their members (victims).

The thought that Google might do something that horrible really scares me. I am a true Googler. My homepage is Google. My email is Gmail. My browser helper is Google toolbar. I use (and love) Google Earth. I play with Google Sketch-Up. I keep track of my week with Google Calendar. I chat with Google Talk. I search with Google Scholar and Google Government search. I access Google Video from my Google homepage. My blog is hosted on Blogspot (Google) and I use Google Blosgsearch and Google Booksearch almost on a daily basis.

Most major religions claim that their concept of "God" is that he/she/it/them is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. It all sounds very much like the growing knowledge, presence and power of The Great Google.

If the Great God Google every decides to rat on me, I have nowhere to hide. If Osama bin Laden was a Google fan, we'd be able to nab him in a heartbeat!

[cube3]

choose your post 20th century god

apple, aol, google....?

trust us, we're a corporation.

post 20th century devils?

microsoft, enron , att ? ( check whose got your phone records recently?)

man, people are dumb.;)
smiles everyone smiles---Mr. Roarke

[disco-legend-zeke]

GOOGLE is the first "Friendly" AI

We have been living with Virtual life forms ever since the first Internet Worm was released.

Goodlife, and Badlife. As a Berserker would say.

Now the first silicon life form that is smarter than us knows more about us than we do.

Do the adsense ads on your screen suddenly offer head hunter sites. Maybe google correlated your boss's search for outplacement.

Unlike a worm, which is capable of autonimous travel, google is fed, massaged, and taught by humans. As long as google management can keep the bean counters from discovering new "REVENUE STREAMS" in the data mine, we will be safe. But as we see over and over in american management, sooner or later the BEAN COUNTERS SPOIL THE SOUP.

Think of the millions google could make just from reporting all queries about expensive yachts, airplains, electric speedsters (never though i would get to see that one get built,) and other lifestyle purchases to the IRS. (IRS pays 10% i hear!)

We MUST trust google, i trust present google management. They must put measures in place now to protect the company from bottom-lineism.

[talledega500]

Search proxies

Are simple and easy to use been around for at least 3 years.

Heres a freebie to get you started.

http://www.blackboxsearch.com

[jachamp]

There is one caveat to Google's statement

they pledge privacy unless of course China waves a buck in front of their noses and asks...then Google will hand over the launch codes to the nuclear missles

[unknown unknown]

RE

According to Googles to testimony under oath to a congressional hearing on the way U.S companies conduct business in China and other repressive countries, the only service they offer in China is their search engine. They've also stated that their servers for Gmail and Blogger etc etc are located in the U.S, therefore any request from China for user information can be reviewed and blocked by the U.S government should they choose to exercise it. Over government while criticising Google etc have ratified the European Cybercrime Treaty that lets other countries demand data from ISP and websites etc in the U.S. Since their is no dual criminality requirement it doesn't have to be crime here in order for the request to be granted.
If China were to sign on (which they could if they wanted to) they might be able to compell Google etc to legally to turn over information even if it's on their U.S based servers. Talk about hypocrisy on the part of government.

Let's not forget it was Yahoo that willingly went along with Chinese authorities and turned over email etc that lead to at least a few people being imprisoned. Let's also remember that Yahoo, MSN, and AOL all turned over search data without a fight to the U.S government in a matter unrelated to a criminal investigation. Given the record of each company I am more apt to trust Google. Other companies log search data just like Google, but only Google seems to get heat for it, and they have the best record of defending that data from being release to other parties.

[JoeCrow]

Dotso.com - feed me up ...

I found this article through the tech section of dotso.com, seems numerous syndications are pushing this story today ...

[Raemir]

But it's not their data

danny_f writes "At the end of the day it is their data," which is the whole problem when it comes to personal information. The data, in this case, do not belong to Google, they belong to the individuals searching for something. We, as a society haven't quite realized this yet, but the more that our privacy is invaded by disclosure the more we will.

And, just to complete the picture, this problem doesn't just exist with respect to disclosing personal information. It also exists were we can't even get to our information so we don't know what's being done with it--think doctors, hospitals, credit agencies, credit card processors--none of us know can even view the information they have on us so we can't know what they're doing with it.

[fewcomments]

Join "Hyper-Alarmists Anonymous" TODAY!

"... which is the whole problem when it comes to personal information ..."

Maybe we should just get rid of personal information all together??

Or maybe we should realize there is always a risk of someone/some corporation illegally misusing provided information, and take appropriate measures, as well as take a small degree of personal responsibility for simple things like words we type in a search bar. For record's sake, I don't remember ever checking a box saying, "Everything I type in this search bar can only be used at my discretion. No marketing decisions, data processing, or future decisions may be made based on the words I type in this search bar."

OF COURSE it's THEIR DATA, no less than the personal info attached to your username here is CNET's data. Obviously there are restrictions for the use of this data (making it public, etc.), but it's their's. You know how I know? Because YOU GAVE IT TO THEM.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled "panties in a wad corporation bashing hyper-alarmist bandwagon " antics ...

[BKHerbert]

User trust?

It's NOT their data! You want user trust?...Don't archive the data! THEN I'll trust you.

[kael10]

Mr. Schmidt owes his success largely to a global network of mobster fiends is what I hear from rival mafia. They say it was him that was directly responsible for the colosal profits made from promoting child pornography with the Google search engine.
http://endmafia.com
http://cid-21ccdb1c1e0c985a.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!21CCDB1C1E0C985A!130.entry