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Google spied my email! Stop using google!
- Thread starter davidm71
- Start date
DUDE, totally leave Googul. Your soo scrood.
While you go out doing your own little thing, we'll enjoy the services Google offers even if they do read the e-mails. As a business, we're moving forward.
Next thing they need is an open source GMail-clone (literally) made by a group of Chinese (because they counterfeit so well) that could be deployed on Amazon cloud services. Then it shall be the end of the world as we shall know it.
While you go out doing your own little thing, we'll enjoy the services Google offers even if they do read the e-mails. As a business, we're moving forward.
Next thing they need is an open source GMail-clone (literally) made by a group of Chinese (because they counterfeit so well) that could be deployed on Amazon cloud services. Then it shall be the end of the world as we shall know it.
Protoform-X
[H]ard|Gawd
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Resistance is futile...
Protoform-X
[H]ard|Gawd
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"We are Google. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile."
This thread is so last year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXqrTfOWx60
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXqrTfOWx60
Just remember, you're insignificant and no one really cares what you do.
I know that seems super-harsh and mean, but I say it in the sense that what Google knows for advertising targeting hardly matters. You're an IP address or a user account to them. Not much more.
Sure, searching for illegal things might get you into heat if you're ever caught for anything else and they investigate... But I really don't think Google's advert algorithms are going to stab you in the back.
I know that seems super-harsh and mean, but I say it in the sense that what Google knows for advertising targeting hardly matters. You're an IP address or a user account to them. Not much more.
Sure, searching for illegal things might get you into heat if you're ever caught for anything else and they investigate... But I really don't think Google's advert algorithms are going to stab you in the back.
All of the above, plus, Google does not read your email. The algorithm scans the text for keywords and shows related ads, but the email is not being actively read by anyone, nor stored outside of the existing email archives. If you're concerned about that, you shouldn't be using email in the first place.
You do realize that when you see ads on the Internet, almost all of it is targeted at you based on your browsing history, search history, what you're currently viewing, etc, right?
Post of Sarcasm Resistance +1
Post of lame WoW tardshit +Infinity
Because WoW is the only RPG with stats?
On topic, if you think that Google is the only provider "reading" your e-mail, then you're sorely mistaken. You think every company doesn't study the behavior of all its users?
You know there's an option to opt out? (not sure if the new "privacy"* announcement affects this)
*The way I see it is any "privacy policy" is designed not to protect your privacy, but to inform you of how you are agreeing to give it up. If they were going to 100% protect your privacy and not share you data, there would be no need for a privacy policy.
*The way I see it is any "privacy policy" is designed not to protect your privacy, but to inform you of how you are agreeing to give it up. If they were going to 100% protect your privacy and not share you data, there would be no need for a privacy policy.
D
Deleted member 12106
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Who uses the web ui for gmail?
I block web mail at work and then setup outlook to pull it in on my laptop
I block web mail at work and then setup outlook to pull it in on my laptop
dr.stevil
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x2
This is why I only use google for search (and a junk email account). I'm not paranoid, but it's not smart keeping all your eggs in one basket like that. It will eventually come back to bite people in the ass. I guarantee it.
I don't mind seeing CCNP Bootcamps ads, or ads for Load Balancers; at least its something I'm interested in, as opposed to My Little Pony or something random.
Monkey34
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Only if you are uneducated enough to let it happen.
Why? I have one of my accounts on hotmail, and it works fine. Type mail - click send.
Who uses the web ui for gmail?
I block web mail at work and then setup outlook to pull it in on my laptop
+1
Protoform-X
[H]ard|Gawd
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If you want to worry about something worry about Facebook. I go to extremely lengths to keep my personal and business lives separate.
I dont know how but I get suggestions on Facebook to be friends with some of my work contacts, vendors, customers etc. Facebook should have absolutely no knowledge that I know these people. But somehow it knows.
I dont know how but I get suggestions on Facebook to be friends with some of my work contacts, vendors, customers etc. Facebook should have absolutely no knowledge that I know these people. But somehow it knows.
dr.stevil
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lol At least it's convenient having your data stolen from a single source. I would hate to have to track 5 different accounts waiting for them to get hacked... this way, at least it's a 'one and done'
wonderfield
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Privacy policies are legally required if your site is accessible by users in California. Federal law requires a privacy policy if data will be collected from anyone under the age of 13.
Personally I agree with this article for the most part If You’re Not Paying for It; You’re the Product [lifehacker]
Cmustang87
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Gmail has been doing this forever. Emails from my father would have ads on the top of the page related to keywords in the email body.
Whoopdedoo, not like someone is actually reading your emails.
Whoopdedoo, not like someone is actually reading your emails.
Who pissed in your cheerios? Cry more please...
Do you do anything constructive? All you've done in this thread is insult users/their posts. Get a new hobby.
Not like I work for the CIA or anything nor do I look at taboo things on the internet to really care but its like a violation of personal space if you really think about it. I mean I really don't care as much as I may have seemed to at first. Not like I'm a civil rights person or a constitutional lawyer. Though if I really wanted to I could hide my ip address and surf anonymously. Anyhow I don't think that our state and federal laws have caught up with the internet yet for what its worth. Still very murky.
Whoa, this has only been known for about 1293 days... it's supposedly targetted to words from your emails, the most used. Get lots of email from my college, and load and behold, there is ads at the top (when not using Firefox) that show my school books or something for offering about college.
It's anonymously (supposedly, what they sayyyyy) collected and no names are shared with the data.
It's anonymously (supposedly, what they sayyyyy) collected and no names are shared with the data.
Red Squirrel
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Google pretty much tracks everything you do using cookies, your IP, your google login etc. Notice how you automatically get logged in to everything when you log in to one single thing - even google search! All your searches are logged and kept. You are also now automatically part of google+ now whether you like it or you don't. Try logging in to it with your Google account. Yeah you'll have a profile and everything and even some friends. How do they know who your IRL friends are? No clue. But they'll be there.
You want a real scare? This is what Google knows about you:
http://www.google.com/ads/preferences
It IS kinda creepy when you think about it. I'm sure the government has access to all this data too, as part of some kind of bribery.
Really the only way to stay private is to use some kind of proxy system that changes the IP at every click, does not do cookies (or at least, is very selective) and does not send the referrer (some sites may track you that way). Should also change the useragent and other such info at random.
Basically if you have anything to hide the internet is the last place you'll be in private. Anonymity is a thing of the past.
A basic defense against this (at least as far as email goes) is to use your own server for email. That's what I do. The only way my emails could be snooped on is if the person I send mail to or the person that sent to me gets snooped on, or if someone packet sniffs at the data center. I am in a Data Center that is in Canada, so it's not like the US where they're constantly sniffing everything.
Basically, just think that you are 1 of millions of people, so they most likely assosicate all that information to a number, and not so much to a specific person. Like if you are walking downtown someone who has that info wont really be able to correlate it with you specifically unless they're targeting you. Now here's a scary one: I rented a jackhammer at Home Depot this summer for a project. For about a week straight after that, all I was seeing is "Battlefield Rental" ads on all the sites I visit. I can't explain this one, but I have a hunch Google also tracks banking transactions, so they saw I rented something at Home Depot because of my transaction, so they sent me targeted ads. Or maybe it's specific to Home Depot, maybe they are affiliated with Google in a way or other. So my name is registered with them, and is registered with Google, so it matched. Who knows. Guess that's another way to help stay a tad more anonymous, don't give Google your real name and address.
Overall I'm not really THAT concerned about it, but what does worry me is if Google can do all this, then what stops malicious organizations to do the same?
Oh, and when you wear your tin foil hat, what lot of people do not realize is that it's completely useless if it's not grounded. You need to use a crocodile clip with a banana plug on the other end and plug it into the ground part of any electrical outlet. You may also clip it on something else grounded like your computer case. I use at least 18awg wire, but it's recommended to use 16awg.
You want a real scare? This is what Google knows about you:
http://www.google.com/ads/preferences
It IS kinda creepy when you think about it. I'm sure the government has access to all this data too, as part of some kind of bribery.
Really the only way to stay private is to use some kind of proxy system that changes the IP at every click, does not do cookies (or at least, is very selective) and does not send the referrer (some sites may track you that way). Should also change the useragent and other such info at random.
Basically if you have anything to hide the internet is the last place you'll be in private. Anonymity is a thing of the past.
A basic defense against this (at least as far as email goes) is to use your own server for email. That's what I do. The only way my emails could be snooped on is if the person I send mail to or the person that sent to me gets snooped on, or if someone packet sniffs at the data center. I am in a Data Center that is in Canada, so it's not like the US where they're constantly sniffing everything.
Basically, just think that you are 1 of millions of people, so they most likely assosicate all that information to a number, and not so much to a specific person. Like if you are walking downtown someone who has that info wont really be able to correlate it with you specifically unless they're targeting you. Now here's a scary one: I rented a jackhammer at Home Depot this summer for a project. For about a week straight after that, all I was seeing is "Battlefield Rental" ads on all the sites I visit. I can't explain this one, but I have a hunch Google also tracks banking transactions, so they saw I rented something at Home Depot because of my transaction, so they sent me targeted ads. Or maybe it's specific to Home Depot, maybe they are affiliated with Google in a way or other. So my name is registered with them, and is registered with Google, so it matched. Who knows. Guess that's another way to help stay a tad more anonymous, don't give Google your real name and address.
Overall I'm not really THAT concerned about it, but what does worry me is if Google can do all this, then what stops malicious organizations to do the same?
Oh, and when you wear your tin foil hat, what lot of people do not realize is that it's completely useless if it's not grounded. You need to use a crocodile clip with a banana plug on the other end and plug it into the ground part of any electrical outlet. You may also clip it on something else grounded like your computer case. I use at least 18awg wire, but it's recommended to use 16awg.
I think they're going to track your location and stuff with any Android-powered device for more data.
Honestly, it's kind of scary. If Google got subpenaed, they would have _everything_ about you. All the emails you send, websites you visited, apps you own/use, documents you keep in their Google Docs, tracking data for everywhere you've been, and all your emails.
I'm considering getting out of Google, though I've used Gmail for years. It's going to be a tough switch if I do, and our phones are Android. I use NoScript and block Google Analytics, so at least some of my web habits may not be tracked.
Honestly, it's kind of scary. If Google got subpenaed, they would have _everything_ about you. All the emails you send, websites you visited, apps you own/use, documents you keep in their Google Docs, tracking data for everywhere you've been, and all your emails.
I'm considering getting out of Google, though I've used Gmail for years. It's going to be a tough switch if I do, and our phones are Android. I use NoScript and block Google Analytics, so at least some of my web habits may not be tracked.
You can disable stuff on Android.
Don't just think it applies to android in the future, cause you will always be able to customize android OS's... on the other hand, the apple iphone 4S, and iphone4 already has government data tracking, installed from the factory! Google it, its a fact..... check out wired.com/threatlevel
Red Squirrel
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When I do buy a new smartphone I want to go Android just to go against the Apple bandwagon and the fact that you have to unlock it to do anything cool, but all this tracking stuff Google is doing is indeed kind of creepy. I guess I could physically disable any GPS related device on the phone. I'm sure there are already tutorials online to do that.
I used to be paranoid about what Google might track on my phone as well, but then I realized that I have a bit more trust in Google than I do in any cellular carrier when it comes to keeping my information safe. I don't like Apple much at all, but I also trust them more than the carriers as well. The carriers can track you just as easily, and tend to be willing to give up the information without much fuss.
I say again, if you need/want to go off the grid, you can't just cut out a part of it, you have to completely disappear from anything electronic. No bank account, no credit/debit cards, no phone, no computer (use public terminals and self-obfuscate your usage), no utility bills, etc. It's not that we should go and give away our "private" information, but that we need to accept that if someone really wants to get it, they will--no matter how much we try to avoid that.
I really don't understand why people are so convinced the government and Google are sharing information under the table. I don't think you realize how much Google doesn't want to cooperate anyways.
They barely help when subpoenaed, and they absolutely NEVER turn someone in themselves. I'm sure there are illegal stuff in people's Gmail accounts that Google could find in seconds if they wanted to. Do you really think they're going to even bother? Of course not, it's cheaper to not only just play ignorant, but BE ignorant.
Google probably can't even tell you what ads were just shown to you 10 seconds ago and why. That information just doesn't help them and they really don't care what their algorithms deem "targeted" and why, as long as it does target you and sell ads.
They barely help when subpoenaed, and they absolutely NEVER turn someone in themselves. I'm sure there are illegal stuff in people's Gmail accounts that Google could find in seconds if they wanted to. Do you really think they're going to even bother? Of course not, it's cheaper to not only just play ignorant, but BE ignorant.
Google probably can't even tell you what ads were just shown to you 10 seconds ago and why. That information just doesn't help them and they really don't care what their algorithms deem "targeted" and why, as long as it does target you and sell ads.
Once upon a time, the US was good buddies with Saddam Hussein and the Taliban. Not so much anymore, eh?
What good can come of a company, private or public, to catalog just about every last detail they can find about you and what you do?
Additionally, the government can mandate just about anything they want, and a lot of it without traditional process. We're not talking about going off the grid, we're talking about a one-stop-shop of everything about you in one place.
It just makes some of us nervous, even if we're law-abiding citizens and have "nothing to hide". If there are no criminals, they'll make them of the common man and all that.
faugusztin
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Arts & Entertainment - Music & Audio - Urban & Hip-Hop
Uhm, what ? Was someone at google drunk when they put me in that category ?
Books & Literature, Computers & Electronics, Food & Drink, Games, Smartphones - <sarcasm>yay, i am totally screwed that Google knows i like to read books, use computers and smartphones, play computer games, eat and drink.</sarcasm>