OT: NSA? What about Google?

[Bkat]

Yesterday morning on a thread on this forum, I posted a comment saying I have Raynaud's syndrome and that my hands get cold and numb while riding. Then, all afternoon I started seeing these Google ads for "Gloves for Raynaud's" popping up to whatever webpage I went to. I'm bothered less by the NSA mining data (I'm not that interesting anyways much less a threat to national security) than with Google using every move I make online as marketing data for their own benefit.

I do know that Apple actually has a cookie permanently imbedded in their new computers that shares data with Google. Is anyone else troubled by this?

[thirdgenbird]

It drives me crazy. One search for a digital camera, and now I get hammered with adds everywhere I go. Before that, it was the subaru brz.

[cachagua]

George Orwell was on the right track, but he didn't know the half of it.

[kgbianchi]

We are all screwed until we all put up a fight and use different services or devices. These companies and the government is not going to give up the power that we have all handed to them without a battle.

[redir]

The difference is that you accept Googles terms and conditions you probably don't accept NSA spying.

Another way to think about it is that if you like Google's products which are free to use then you should be willing accept targeted adds as this is how the products that you use stay in business.

For the rest of us there is Firefox with AdBlock ;)

[MattTuck]

I use an adblocker (so who knows what ads they're targeting at me). and usually use two browsers. one logged into gmail. and one that is not logged in that I do searches with.

I can't imagine google would track what you post here, unless the Mods have a deal with google to sell our info and fund their booze habits. :p

maybe if you are using Chrome, they could do that.


If you're really concerned, use Tor.

[thegunner]

you're logging onto sites that have advertising contracts with google - part of the way it works is that they serve cookies to target more relevant ads. if you're mad at anyone, it should be the publishers and advertisers...

or block cookies, problem solved.

[Bkat]

The difference is that you accept Googles terms and conditions you probably don't accept NSA spying.

Another way to think about it is that if you like Google's products which are free to use then you should be willing accept targeted adds as this is how the products that you use stay in business.

For the rest of us there is Firefox with AdBlock ;)

I don't use Google's search engine, don't have a Gmail account, but my Apple laptop gives Google my data and the ads pop up regardless.

I view the ads following me around the internet as something akin to, going into a brick-and-mortar store and having a sales clerk follow me around the rest of the day asking if I want to come back and buy something.

[echelon_john]

Maybe it's the tinfoil hat talking, but I have long maintained that Google is just another in a LONG line of CIA/NSA shell companies (Flying Tigers, anyone?) whose legitimate business purpose masked the 95% of the functionality that was based on Agency activities. Adopting "Don't be Evil" as a company motto is just too perfectly ironic...

[slidey]

I use the Tor browser for my e-mail, just so I dont get mobbed with ad-drivel by Google or their minions. And it works - how do I know that? I am seeing an ad on my Gmail for 'unlimited mailing lists'; who knows ··· that means, but I'll take that for as long as I can.

Btw in case you didn't know this already - Google is the the only e-mail provider to target ads by mining the content of your e-mail, where as the rest (AOL/Yahoo/Microsoft) have only been restricting themselves to the subject line. There's a class action suit about it, and you can read about it here (http://www.itworld.com/it-management/375066/googles-gmail-scanning-unclear-users-judge-finds).

For what its worth, the 'I have nothing to hide so carry on NSA'ing the s**t out of me' is the most perplexing trend per my view. :fight:

[Kirk Pacenti]

"Where am I?"
"In the Village."
"What do you want?"
"Information."
"Whose side are you on?"
"That would be telling.... We want information. Information! INFORMATION!"
"You won’t get it."
"By hook or by crook, we will."
"Who are you?"
"The new Number Two."
"Who is Number One?"
"You are Number Six."
"I am not a number — I am a free man!"
(Laughter from Number Two.)

[MattTuck]

Maybe it's the tinfoil hat talking, but I have long maintained that Google is just another in a LONG line of CIA/NSA shell companies (Flying Tigers, anyone?) whose legitimate business purpose masked the 95% of the functionality that was based on Agency activities. Adopting "Don't be Evil" as a company motto is just too perfectly ironic...

A guy I know is a VC that met with the founders before they were funded. He passed on investing in them. I don't think they were founded as a CIA front, but who knows what they have become. With stuff like this, (http://rt.com/usa/nro-satellite-octopus-emblem-854/) it wouldn't surprise me.

[goonster]

A guy I know is a VC that met with the founders before they were funded.
How well do you really know this guy?

And how do we know you're not with THEM? :eek:

[redir]

I don't use Google's search engine, don't have a Gmail account, but my Apple laptop gives Google my data and the ads pop up regardless.

I view the ads following me around the internet as something akin to, going into a brick-and-mortar store and having a sales clerk follow me around the rest of the day asking if I want to come back and buy something.

Ha, yeah that's a good way of putting it.

[jpw]

this always makes me chuckle;

http://www.bvp.com/portfolio/antiportfolio

the google garage.

if you really want to know what the nsa is capable of watch this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Sc6pUR1mA

[Anarchist]

Apple do not have a cookie permanently embedded in their computers for the benefit of Google.

you have visited sites that are imbedding cookies that are passing info to Google.

Given the amount of money that Apple and Google spend fighting each other in court and the money Apple have spent to replace Google maps and make Yahoo the default search engine in place of Google should make that clear.

Clear your cache once in a while.

[redir]

Oh yes and +1 on the Tor Project:

https://www.torproject.org/about/overview.html.en

[rice rocket]

Targeted ads are somewhat creepy, but it's better than being hammered with Viagra ads, no? (unless you get those targeted as well ;) )

[Anarchist]

I use the Tor browser for my e-mail, just so I dont get mobbed with ad-drivel by Google or their minions. And it works - how do I know that? I am seeing an ad on my Gmail for 'unlimited mailing lists'; who knows ··· that means, but I'll take that for as long as I can.

Btw in case you didn't know this already - Google is the the only e-mail provider to target ads by mining the content of your e-mail, where as the rest (AOL/Yahoo/Microsoft) have only been restricting themselves to the subject line. There's a class action suit about it, and you can read about it here (http://www.itworld.com/it-management/375066/googles-gmail-scanning-unclear-users-judge-finds).

For what its worth, the 'I have nothing to hide so carry on NSA'ing the s**t out of me' is the most perplexing trend per my view. :fight:

Agreed.

The Soviet Union were pretty good at spying on their citizens as well.

[vqdriver]

with redir on this one.
i use google cuz it's free and good and fast.

but if you really want to know how the sites you visit are connected to one another, check out the lightbeam plug in.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . do NOT have a deal with ANYBODY to share content from this site, though I know Matt was only joking. (At least, I hope he was joking!)

But that being said, you have to keep in mind that we are not behind a firewall, either. Anybody, whether human or robot, can come to this site and see the content without being signed in. As far as I can tell from doing it myself, the only content you can't see if you're not signed in are the posted photos.

As for the booze habit, I'm perfectly capable of funding my own with the money from the pencils I sell on the corner of State and Erie downtown. :p

BBD

I use an adblocker (so who knows what ads they're targeting at me). and usually use two browsers. one logged into gmail. and one that is not logged in that I do searches with.

I can't imagine google would track what you post here, unless the Mods have a deal with google to sell our info and fund their booze habits. :p

maybe if you are using Chrome, they could do that.


If you're really concerned, use Tor.

[Keith A]

Dave is correct. We do not have any type of agreements with anyone other than our forum sponsors. However, we are not stopping the search engines from crawling our site. There is a way to disable the search bots, but this would mean that any of the publicly visible content couldn't be found with a web search.

[Bkat]

I never thought this site was giving up the personal information. My hunch was, and remains, insidious Google cookies lurking in our own personal computers are to blame. After all, it was Google CEO Eric Schmidt who said, "Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it."

Of course, that's a mighty thin grey line.

[PQJ]

NSA = govt; Google = private. In our country, private enterprise is given license to do pretty much whatever it wants (except manufacture controlled recreational substances)!

[slidey]

There is a way to disable the search bots, but this would mean that any of the publicly visible content couldn't be found with a web search.
I'd love to see the bots being blocked from crawling the forums, just because there's so much info about people's bikes, locations, etc on here.


Of course, that's a mighty thin grey line.

I think its been expanded to a big, fat grey highway where Google/NSA, etc carry on their trade willy-nilly.

[BobbyJones]

http://www.worldbrainthefilm.com/

[Germany_chris]

Add block plus and no script creates a calm and peaceful Internet

Sent from my newest gadget I'm either on the bike or in the Jeep