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Perhaps I misunderstood your intent with the trust. The hands in everyone elses pot seemed to imply snooping (to me) just as it meant trusting the veracity of the search results (to you). Lesson for us both?
What google is doing, which I think is yet unequaled in the snoop area, is going through emails, retaining emails (even when the recipient wishes to delete them), &etc. What's even worse is that even if those using google's email go in with eyes wide open and a complete disreguard for their own privacy, they are causing those who send them email to also be profiled. Reading other people's mail really sucks. The example you gave of google being above its competitors in some cases doesn't change a thing in this regard. And consider: they couldn't turn over what they haven't gathered, parsed, and collated. It's just awsome gall on their part.
For similar reasons, I wouldn't use their (or anyone elses) web based app's. If I wanted them to know what was in my letters, I'd send them a copy.
Funny thing: extremely cheap storage and broadband connections. They seem so great until you realize how much of your info can be transmitted in a few seconds spread over a few minutes - and kept indefinitely.
Oh Brave New World!
"Orgy Porgy! Orgy Porgy! Orgy Porgy! Orgy Porgy" - Aldus Huxley
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I would like to see your sources on google employees digging through gmails. If by this you're referring to *indexing* emails, then seriously... thats funny.
if you really believe google is out to get all your info you send over email, then you'd have to apply the same logic to microsoft's live or hotmail service.
and speaking to not using webmail because someone may see a picture of your kid, then you must not know how email works period. and since every single email you send is relayed across multiple SMTP servers and there are no assurances that that mail server does not store your email in some form, you run the risk of getting the same result as storing email on hotmail or gmail.
in fact, anytime you browse the internet, or post on a website, they collect information about you (pretty scary that they could actually know what ISP you use, the geographical location you're from, and what browser version you're using...  )
lol
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You needn't have asked: just "google" gmail+spying
Actually, I used a different search engine for this particular search.
Here's a comment - (emphasis mine) - a few links, follow:
I think your all missing the point a bit. Unlike MSN which guarantees certain user rights to privacy, Google does not protect your information to the same extent. It reserves the right to read your mail as well as to pass on your information to various third parties if requested. This means that if the FBI etc asks google for your account info (including e-mails) they may oblige. While the FBI etc are sure to be able to legally force MSN to hand over details it will at least demand a court order, on the other hand google may just hand it over if asked. The main reason gmail doesn't secure privacy rights is that it has various programs running that checks your emails for key words and sends you appropriate adverts. For example you get an email from your mate in Thailand you will receive adverts on the page for flights, hotels etc in Thailand. Though there isn't an actual person reading your mail there are programmes constantly 'spying' on you. This marketing tool is tied into google search so the sites you visit while signed into gmail will all be recorded and used for marketing purposes Although the current purpose of the 'spying' is a marketing tool the fact that they reserve the right to spy on you is a bit worrying. The further worrying thing about Gmail is that it does not guarantee that it will delete your emails from their system when you delete them on our end... The google team having the right to keep deleted email and read them at their leisure certainly is a bit disconcerting. ....Yes it is quite legal but that doesn't mean that it's not spying and doesn't mean that it's not course for concern.
. . . I don't know about you, but I find the policies outline above to be a "bit" more intrusive than scanning for spam/virus'. Go figure.
A rather easy search (via WebCrawler):
http://blogs.zdnet.com/micro-markets/?p=428[^]
Google, In general:
http://www.rinf.com/news/nov05/googlefacts.html[^]
Or, for the those-who-don't-care crowd:
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2004/11/11/is-google-spying-on-you[^]
Only a small step from that expression: I don't care who read my mail - "I don't have anything to hide".
Pointing out that X is worse than Y doesn't really do anything to exonerate Y - just attempts to distract. Similar reasoning applies to noting Z already does almost as much as Y, so what's the big deal.
If you don't stop the little deals, then you won't survive to learn that big deals are made a little at a time.
The link you should really follow is: http://www.telisphere.com/~cearley/sean/camps/first.html[^] - quote of Pastor Martin Niemöller
Read the patriot act; see what's already going on; these aren't silly little paranoid delusions.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
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I agree: No - Google would be cataloging everything on my computer.
Len
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and it would be way too hard to tell it what you wanted indexed... oh wait, it has an interface to tell it what to index. it was windows search that does not.
hrm...
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