Easy to Understand Computer Tips

Google commands loyalty, admiration, fulfillment, and total disdain of a money making machine that seems to be without a conscience. It is ironic that their declared code of conduct is “Don’t be evil” when, in much of the public opinion, they exploit the user more than any other company. With common everyday practices like reporting searches to big brother governments and reading private email with an attitude that if people have secrets they are doing something wrong. Google seems to be striving to be evil. With their attitude, history, and practices it is only right that what goes around comes around.

From the very beginning Google has always had a loyal following because they have always been the best at filling a need. Their achievements have to be admired because they achieved what we needed. That’s why; as they deviated from their idealistic beginning they continued to retain their public. In the beginning they didn’t even want to use advertising to support their search engine. In reality, they needed to make a living but they went from not using ads to direct marketing as the biggest “Big Brother” you could possibly imagine.

They try to justify spying on you using every method they can establish by claiming they don’t keep anything to identify you. Everyone understands they are being identified online and some people try to boycott or find ways to be anonymous but Google not only has the best of what we need but continues to develop ideas we can’t live without and offers them for free (plus the cost of surrendering your privacy). They fulfill our needs so we continue to forgive their many sins.

Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said: “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place, but if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines including Google do retain this information for some time, and it’s important, for example that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act. It is possible that that information could be made available to the authorities.” His comments may be a way for him to forgive himself for finding ways around their slogan “Don’t be evil” but it’s still just a clever smokescreen to obscure the facts as they continue to collect your private information and read your private email.

Although many privacy organizations around the world voiced objections about Google reading (electronically scanning) private email Google managed to convince them and us that we can trust them to keep our private information confidential. We are loyal. We can trust them, except; when China demands they report specific searches, or the U.S. Government with its ever-so-reputable Patriot Act overreaches it’s too zealous authority.

The shoe is suddenly on the other foot. Someone has invaded Google’s privacy. Someone has hacked into Google’s database and taken intellectual property. Someone is collecting their private information without offering Google a free service. How rude. Some people might think it’s funny that Google doesn’t like it. The indiscretion seems to have originated in China with no proof that it was the government but Google is renegotiating its privacy policy with the Chinese government. They are taking a stronger stance on the individual right to privacy and freedom from censorship and may even close their offices in China. Maybe a better corporate attitude will come out of this.