There is very relevant post on a webcomic for people who things that privacy is only for people who have something to hide: http://abstrusegoose.com/strips/missing_the_point.png and sometims images is worh thousand words, right?
I think that is alarmist in the context of this conversation. Google is not 2 people watching me sleep, shower, drive, date, make love, etc. It is software that stores and analyzes data that I choose to send to it. I choose to send my search terms to Google because I value the responses I get from Google; this strikes me as a voluntary exchange of value between two parties, not Big Brother from 1984.
The Abstruse Goose comic is much more applicable to pervasive government surveillance. To the extent that I fear that the government would get its hand on Google's cache of data about me, I blame the government, not Google. I think if people spent as much time focusing their attention elected officials as they spend on hand-wringing about Google, we'd probably have better laws.
> Google is not 2 people watching me sleep, shower, drive, date, make love, etc.
its irrelevant how many people is watching you, but Google will watch you as much as technology and law (sometimes bent to maximum) lets them. Like you stated you value responses, but it doesnt get the rocket science to know humans are unique enough that one search to one person is irrelevant to another. Hence, search needs to be customized. If they could turn your security camera on, they would watch you sleeping. You can learn plenty from the act alone: having problems sleeping, snoring, moving your legs (whatever the symptom is called), waking up too early/too late -- al this information is gold to Google. Your driving behavior is important to insurance companies. Your dating life is important to dating websites - if you are single you are worth money to them. Otherwise they dont care. Making love is important too -- can you handle the ride, are you an impotent, do you like wearing kinky clothes, etc etc. This is all GOLD to google. Now, they may not throw at you Viagra pills when you search for steakhouse in New York but if they AdNetwork goes to other website they may, in their discretionary, use information gathered about you to serve better ads and get better click-through.
> It is software that stores and analyzes data that I choose to send to it.
but you not always aware you sending, sometimes knowing what you "sending", you wouldnt!
> The Abstruse Goose comic is much more applicable to pervasive government surveillance.
whats the difference if Google has to abide by the laws of the country they do business? They can sometime deny response to govnt subpoena your searches, but I say more and more they just comply. I dont think number of gov inquiries will go down. I dont think % of denials by Google will go up.
> I think if people spent as much time focusing their attention elected officials as they spend on hand-wringing about Google, we'd probably have better laws.
how is this relevant to the subject or your comment at all?
