Google and its business practices

[id5.1]

Google offers many good services with no fee. They make money mostly through advertising. To be able to do that better, Google has extensive data mining operations. Websites visited (Chrome, Analytics, AdSense), searches conducted (google.com, chrome browser), emails (gmail), location (android), contacts and social connections (gmail, android, g+), online purchases (checkout) are all recorded (not an exhaustive list) to create a profile as detailed as possible. How do you feel about this?

"them" in the poll refers to business practices, not services. I had to shorted the options and now it won't let me edit the poll.

[rms]

It's no good. That's how I feel about it.

[GreyGeek]

I got a call from my wife yesterday, but my cellphone was off and we never connected. When I got home and logged onto my laptop and opened KMail I had an email from GMail which contained a voice recording from my wife. Our phone service is Verizon.

I use gmail as my principal email service.
I have a Video/Voice account with a balance for making phonecalls from my laptop to land lines and cellphones.
G+ is my website aggregators.
I use Maps and GoogleEarth extensively.
I haven't put anything into my GDrive yet.
I've been looking at no contract smartphone services. I've been evaluating StraightTalk's no contract $45/mon unlimited data, texting, calls and 411. I'm holding off because Google just completed the purchase of Motorola and there is word on the street that this fall Google will be releasing their own no contract Android 3.0 smartphone and service with the same service StraightTalk offers. IF it competes with $45/mon I'm interested.

[SteveRiley]

s/GreyGeek/GreyGoogleGeek/

[bsniadajewski]

I primarily use GMail for my email, and so far I kave had no issues or problems with it. I use KGmail Notifier rather than Kmail to keep tabs on new messages without problems either.

[whatthefunk]

The only google service I use is the search engine. I have a gmail account but its my spam account and I havent checked it in months.

[GreyGeek]

s/GreyGeek/GreyGoogleGeek/

Guilty. I'm cheap. I like free. (For as long as it will last...) 8)

[SecretCode]

I use gmail a lot, although via Thunderbird & my phone, rather than the usual web interface.

I use Google search a fair amount but I prefer not to be logged in to any google account. And I use other search engines a lot.

I block several ad services via adblock or noscript. I've disabled location tracking on my phone where possible.

I use Google Maps a lot, with numerous saved places.

[dibl]

I use GoogleEarth occasionally, Maps fairly often, G+ occasionally, gmail for only a couple of kinds of communications, chromium-browser and Google search daily, and my cell phone is an Android. When I was setting up a Square account on my cell phone, I was a bit freaked out when "they" (using information obtained from Google, I suppose) associated one of my daughter's e-mail address and street address with me and used that to confirm my identity. But I always think "What am I actually trying to hide here?". My street address is public information, if someone knows where to look for it in the county recorder's office. My home phone (the land line that my wife refuses to dump) is public information for anyone who thinks to look for it under my wife's name. There are two web sites that identify me, my street address, and one of my e-mail addresses. I don't think you can expect to both hide and use a computer in the modern age -- nor do I think it was ever the case that a person could both hide and still interact with the rest of society.

[id5.1]

Interesting responses. I must admit I expected more guarded attitudes toward privacy issues in the linux users community. Then again, this is not a scientific poll, the sample size is small, and I don't know what is the baseline from the general population.

For me, there is a big difference between having some of my information publicly available, and having commercial entities actively collecting as much as they can. Personally, I minimize my interactions will Google. I think it's somewhat of a false dichotomy: "either you interact with the rest of society using modern tools, or you go living in the woods". I use e-mail, just not gmail, I use search engines, just not google and so on...

[GreyGeek]

I've completed my evaluation of StraightTalk's "UNLIMITED" and after having read their "Terms of Service" have decided not to use the service. Below are the parts that turned me off, highlighted in RED. having The use of the term "UNLIMITED" voice, texting, email and 411 is EXTREMELY misleading. If, in StraightTalk's OPINION and SOLE DISCRETION, I am "placing an abnormally high number of calls", or calls of "long duration", or using the service in "any other manner THEY deem unreasonable", then they may, without notice, reduce or eliminate Web Service Access, reduce the speed of data throughput, or terminate your service and decline to renew it.

Merriman defines "Unlimited":

un·lim·it·ed

   [uhn-lim-i-tid] Show IPA
adjective1.not limited; unrestricted; unconfined:unlimited trade.

2.boundless; infinite; vast: the unlimited skies.

3.without any qualification or exception;unconditional.

If you are like me you believe a word means what it means, what the standard dictionary definition states, what normal, intelligent people believe it means. Silly me. Silly you.

The Uban Dictionary gives the corporate definition:

1.	Unlimited
	In the context of computer data storage, or data transport costs: Severely Limited. XYZ Internet Services offers their Unlimited plan (*). (*) Which will be limited to x Gigabytes six months after you subscribe. Mozyhome online cloud data backup services offers our Unlimited plan (*). (*) Which now is limited to 2 Gigabytes.

I have no doubt that IF I purchased that service and hit 2.5Gb I'd find my phone unresponsive, dead, useless. No warnings or final notice.

6. STRAIGHT TALK UNLIMITED TALK, TEXT AND MOBILE WEB ACCESS PLANINTENDED USE: Straight TalkUnlimited Talk, Text and Mobile Web Access Plans may ONLY be usedwith a Straight Talk handset for the following purposes: (i) Personto Person Voice Calls (ii) Text and Picture Messaging (iii) Internetbrowsing through the Straight Talk Mobile Web Service and (iv)Authorized Content Downloads from the Straight Talk Mobile WebStore. TheStraight Talk Unlimited Plans MAY NOT be used for any otherpurpose. Examples of prohibited uses include, withoutlimitation, the following: (i) continuous mobile to mobile or mobileto landline voice calls; (ii) automated text or picture messaging toanother mobile device or e-mail address; (iii) uploading, downloadingor streaming of audio or video programming or games; (iv) serverdevices or host computer applications, including, but not limited to,Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automatedmachine-to-machine connections or peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing; or(v) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated dataconnections. This means, by way of example only, that checkingemail, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs,and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloadingmovies using P2P file sharing services and/or redirecting televisionsignals for viewing on laptops is prohibited. A person engaged inprohibited uses may have his/her serviceterminated without notice or a refund.
TheStraight Talk Unlimited Talk, Text and Mobile Web Access Plan is forindividual use only and not for resale. Specifically, Straight TalkUnlimited services are provided solely for live dialogue between, andinitiated by, two individuals for personal use and as otherwisedescribed in this policy. Unlimited voiceservices may not be used for any other purposes, including, but notlimited to, conference calling, monitoring services, datatransmissions, transmission of broadcasts, transmission of recordedmaterial, interconnection to other networks, telemarketing,autodialed calls, other commercial uses, or other connections that donot consist of uninterrupted live dialogue between twoindividuals. Straight Talk reserves theright to cancel or deactivate service, and/or reducedata throughput, without notice, in order to protect theCarrier’s network from harm due to any cause including, withoutlimitation, the excessive and/orimproper use of Straight Talkservice. Straight Talk reserves the rightto limit or reduce data throughput speeds or the amount of datatransferred, and to deny or terminate Service, without notice, toanyone Straight Talk believes is using the Straight Talk UnlimitedTalk, Text and Mobile Web Access Plan in any manner prohibited aboveor whose usage, in Straight Talk’s sole discretion, adverselyimpacts the Carrier’s network or customer service levels. StraightTalk will presume you are engaging in a prohibited use in violationof these Terms and Conditions if in Straight Talk’s sole opinion,you are placing an abnormally high number ofcalls, or repeatedly placing calls of unusually long duration,or if your talk, text or Mobile Web usage is harmful or disruptive tothe Carrier’s network or services. If we determine, atour sole discretion, that you are using an unlimited servicein violation of the Straight Talk Terms and Conditions of Service, orin any other manner that we deem to beunreasonable or excessive, then we mayterminate individual calls, terminate or reduce the speed of dataconnection throughput, Mobile Web Access or terminate your service,decline to renew your service, or offer you a differentservice plan with no unlimited usage component. Notwithstanding theforegoing, Straight Talk reserves the right to deny service,deactivate or cancel existing service, terminate data connectionsand/or reduce data throughput speeds, to anyone for any reason at anytime, in Straight Talk’s sole discretion.

StraightTalk may discontinue providing Service to you, discontinue youraccount, discontinue providing connections to particular telephonenumbers or types of Services used or called by you, terminate dataconnections and/or reduce data throughput speeds for customers whoseusage, in the sole judgment of Straight Talk: (1) appear likelyto generate abnormally high call volumes or Mobile Web Access anddata usage and/or abnormally long average call lengths or Mobile WebAccess and data usage as compared to the usage of other Straight Talkcustomers; (2) may be harmful, disruptive, or interfere withthe Carrier’s network or Straight Talk or the Carrier’s abilityto provide service to other customers; or (3) for any other reason inStraight Talk’s sole discretion. For detailed description ofactivities that could result in service interruption or termination,see paragraph 7 and the section entitled “Straight Talk Features:Intended Use” under the Mobile Web Services Section below. Byinitiating Service and placing or receiving calls, you acknowledgeand agree to Straight Talk’s right to terminate your Service underthese circumstances.
StraightTalk may modify or cancel any Service or take corrective action atany time without prior notice and for any reason, including but notlimited to your violation of this agreement.
...

[GreyGeek]

http://straight-talk-wireless.pissed...127292408.html

[SteveRiley]

So this outfit would be more properly understood as WeaselTalk.

[SecretCode]

This term "unlimited" (and its friends "uncapped" and "unshaped") are widely and heavily abused in the ISP and mobile phone industry - especially in SA, but I've seen it in the UK too - and clearly now in the US.

Do they think we are stupid?

[kubicle]

Do they think we are stupid?

99% of people are...and the rest only occasionally manage to dodge stupidity in a relatively small area of expertise [/cynicism]