Google in the news again - Ditch Google data collection tools?

[Caute_cautim]

https://medium.com/bloomberg-view/why-you-should-ditch-googles-favorite-data-collection-tools-92f8c1...

A good idea or not?

Regards

Caute_cautim

[rslade]

> Caute_cautim (Advocate I) posted a new topic in GDPR on 01-12-2019 05:58 PM in

> https://medium.com/bloomberg-view/why-you-should-ditch-googles-favorite-data-col
> lection-tools-92f8c15a1506     A good idea or not?

Google seems to be having increasing difficulties in a wide variety of areas, starting
with ethical problems and debates internally, and growing until there is a major
brain drain happening at the top. While it is unlikely that an enterprise of
Google's (Alphabet's) size will untterly implode any time soon, it may be wise to
avoid relying too much on them ...

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rslade@vcn.bc.ca slade@victoria.tc.ca rslade@computercrime.org
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pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles.
Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way:
you send signals here, they receive them there. The only
difference is that there is no cat. - Albert Einstein
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[Caute_cautim]

Sage advice indeed.   

Regards

Caute_cautim

[Caute_cautim]

I see some looking at downloading DuckDuckGo as an alternative browser, which provides some interesting insights into information sharing as well.

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=hp

There maybe others - which do not automatically sell ones data to third parties.

Regards

Caute_cautim

[DHerrmann]

I'll be a contrarian - I like Google/Alphabet, and I think that they've changed the world in a mostly good way.

[Caute_cautim]

@DHerrmann 

Try a little experiment, download yourself a copy of "DuckDuck", then run your browsing via this application and see how much tracking Google, Facebook and many others subject you and many others too. 

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=hp

Is this what you signed up for?  Did anyone actually read the Terms of Agreement or EULA?

I would like to see what you think and others?

Regards

Caute_cautim

[DHerrmann]

To be honest, I really don't care that much if they track me.     They'll see I like Cracklin Oat Bran cereal, like to play golf, etc...    It's all in the name of revenue generation, and if they know I like home theater I may even get an advertisement for something I can use.

Perhaps it's a cultural thing with being a USA citizen.   I don't think we have the same passion for privacy as our European brothers & sisters.   

If you need proof, just look at social media and see what we post out there.   (PS - I have a friend in the UK that posted every ugly, sad step of his divorce)

And, yeah, I've tried Duck, Duck Go.   I admire their passion and support their work.     But to me, Google provides the best search results and I do love Gmail....

[Caute_cautim]

@DHerrmannI agree, as a set of tools it is excellent and provides a great means of obtaining information and links via the myriad of the data lake within the Internet.  

However, I guess this stems from the original premise that in USA - unless you opted out - all your data was tracked by default.  Whereas in Europe, you had to opt in to have all your data collected.  

There are benefits and disadvantages to both lines of thought or approach.

Given the complexity, inter-connectivity intrinsically built into almost all household or organisational devices via firmware and some who accept it and others are not sure i.e. IoT. 

Is it our lot to state privacy is open, and users should just forget it as being part and parcel of the technology march, which is occurring or should we study the implications?   Or should we be aware of the ramifications, with open eyes rather than thinking PII is in the hands of the holder i.e. patient and they should have control of who, what, where it goes?   Or should the healthcare providers have full access along with the insurance brokers?

Because with the advent of data analysis, machine learning and "augmented intelligence" all sorts of patterns can be derived through shopping habits for instance.   Which then feeds back the findings in the form of customised advertising for the individual walking the isle of the supermarket.

What kind of world do we actually want for our kids to grow up in?

Regards

Caute_cautim

[rslade]

> DHerrmann (Newcomer III) posted a new reply in GDPR on 02-14-2019 04:35 PM in

>   Perhaps it's a cultural thing with
> being a USA citizen.   I don't think we have the same passion for privacy as
> our European brothers & sisters.

Way back I took my Masters at an American university, and knew a guy who'd
previously worked for the CIA. One time, he was very upset about a book he was
reading. He tried to explain what was upsetting about it. At first I didn't
understand why he was so exercised. The point the book made was that
advertisers not only used cultural touch points, but actually created and reinforced
them. Once I understood, I had to confirm that, yes, the book was correct. I had,
as a Canadian, recognized this for some time, since, as a Canadian, we saw
American advertising all the time, but it hit us slightly off-centre. Being squarely
within the cultural vortex, he'd never actually seen it ...

Yeah, it's amazing how strong cultural differences can be within a supposedly
homogenous culture ...

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- Karl Marx (1818-1883)
For a Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing (1843)
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[DHerrmann]

@rslade  - I loved your post.  I grew up 5 miles from Niagara (Tonawanda, NY), and I sure recognize the differences.    To tell the truth, I do love how Canada does things.   

Spent a week out on Cape Breton in 2002.   Drove up from Philly.   Ended up being the most relaxing vacation I've ever taken, I think in large part to the exact things you note.

Back to Google - I consider my information to be the price I pay for the services rendered.    But I lead a pretty boring life, and I'm > 50 years old, so no advertisers really care about me (unless they're pharma, but thank goodness, I don't need to shop for 98% of what they're selling).

But there was that AARP ad on Facebook that got me thinking...  ( 🙂  )