google chrome - should i worry that google is logging my surfing?

[lxskllr]

That's like saying that it's reasonable to deadbolt your doors on your home even though you're leaving the French windows wide open when you go on holiday.

Not really. I run a pretty tight ship. If your saying it's stupid to balk at Chrome while you run your mouth on facebook, then I agree. Removing Chrome is a small part of a complete process.

 

[TuxDave]

That's like saying that it's reasonable to deadbolt your doors on your home even though you're leaving the French windows wide open when you go on holiday.

I lock my car doors. If someone wants to smash my car window and take my radio (or whatever), they probably can still do that. But I'm still going to lock my doors.

 

[Crow550]

:sneaky:
you seem to imply that we either choose to believe that spying all the time on everything is either a conspiracy or it is not and therefore there is nothing to worry about.

have you ever considered that neither are true... no conspiracy, yet in the attempt to spy on everything you do in order to sell your information, the databases that are compiled create the possibility for an absolutely nightmarish future.

imagine those databases in the hands of Hitler, or pick an evil bastard with too much power. I suppose if we all wear rose colored glasses and cross our fingers that the people in charge will always be nice guys from here unto eternity th en there is absolutely nothing to fear. do you believe the people in charge will always be nice guys.

How many countries on Earth today would be places where the collected information in the facebook, google, etc.. databases would be enough to have innocent (by western standards) people murdered by their "not so nice" leaders? how many have beenharmed by those databases already?

you're correct though... people just don't care. then again, it isn't really in the interest of corporation controlled news outlets to seriously discuss this topic either... and then there are the apologists who tell us that having every last bit of everyone's personal lives databased by govts and corporations is A-okay because we get shiny things in return.

Shiny things!

If these companies want to sell bits of my boring day to day tasks in return for awesome services. Meh....

As someone who uses many Google Services.... When I think if Google has effected my life in a positive or negative way. Seems positive....

Many would say Facebook has improved the way they connect to there Friends, Family and follow people they like. Same with Twitter & Google Plus.

Not to say you shouldn't try to watch what you sell to them. I don't know if people are going to care much. This seems like it's going to continue to happen....

As for the OP wanting to use Chrome.... Don't see how it's worse than other Browsers that follow suit in similar forms anyways. Chrome does have a lot of cool features and addons. So really it's your call.... Use what you feel comfortable with. However do be aware too.

You should be aware of what goes out and lock down what ya can. Maybe try to surf privately on things you don't want the possibility of being leaked.

Maybe I'm the wrong person to discuss this or maybe I am not. I use Gmail and Google Voice which I love and have an Android phone and use Google Now.... To name a few.... I dig a lot of Google services. I don't worry too much. If they want to feed me ads that on products I would actually want then I don't see it as a big deal.... I use other services from other companies that do similar things too.

 

[nemesismk2]

just installed google chrome, as was taken back the software asking me to log in and keep all my book marks on their server...
... then it made me wonder "what if" these fine folks are keeping a history of my browsing as well? what if they are storing my passwords as well?

am i being paranoid? or is this a legit worry?

yes you should worry if google is following you right into your online bank account lol

 

[gitano]

Can read this opinion article, is very informative.

The Internet is a surveillance state
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/16/opinion/schneier-internet-surveillance/index.html

I block a lot of content at home when web surfing, i do not want to be tracked, and its more hard every day.

Ip lists from http://www.iblocklist.com/lists.php and http://www.peerblock.com/ for manage and update the lists, peerblock its no longer maintained but still does the work very well, the important part its having updated IP lists for "block" and also for "allow".

When i saw the first time on the peerblock logs the amount of connections blocked from everywhere i was really shocked. We are all getting tracked very hard.

 

[MrColin]

I am not concerned about it. I use chrome for day to day browsing, its my default browser though I use others. I am personally worth squat to advertisers because I do not ever see their crap due to multiple layers of ad blocking. Even if ads do get through, it doesn't matter because I don't buy anything. If an advert makes an impression on me it can only be a negative one.

 

[Miramonti]

If you don't want google to track you, you'll have to do a lot more than use a different browser.

 

[Shephard]

yep don't use the cloud either that's the worst of them all. upload private documents or personal photo's and they are there forever. if you get hacked, just as bad.

 

[ultimatebob]

I'd imagine that Comcast is tracking my TV watching and browsing history as well so they can target advertising to me.

Is it annoying? Sure. That said, do I really have anything going on in my life that I have to worry about hiding? Not really. It's not like I have a secret drug addiction or mistress on the side. I'm not building WMD's in my basement, either. Maybe if I did, I might have the kind of paranoia that some users have around here.

At least I don't have to pay Google or Facebook for the privilege of being spied on like I do with my ISP.

 

[Stone Rain]

Call me weird, but not only am I fully aware that Google logs my activities (I'm fully grounded in the ecosystem of services), but I actually am fully OK with it.

Think about it. Google is an advertising company. They can afford to give away so much free stuff because the free stuff helps fund them. Also, to be honest, I like targeted ads better than random ads, if I must put up with ads at all. An ad for discount computer parts is much better than one for a questionable Polish dating site.

So I stopped caring about privacy/Google quite a while ago. It's like Facebook; the price you pay for using great free services, is your privacy/information.

 

[Crow550]

So what did the OP: paradigmGT decide?

 

[ImpulsE69]

Call me weird, but not only am I fully aware that Google logs my activities (I'm fully grounded in the ecosystem of services), but I actually am fully OK with it.

Think about it. Google is an advertising company. They can afford to give away so much free stuff because the free stuff helps fund them. Also, to be honest, I like targeted ads better than random ads, if I must put up with ads at all. An ad for discount computer parts is much better than one for a questionable Polish dating site.

So I stopped caring about privacy/Google quite a while ago. It's like Facebook; the price you pay for using great free services, is your privacy/information.

I stopped reading when FB was compared to great free services.

 

[wirednuts]

it wont be long before this constant surveillance is proven so trustworthy that it would be easy for a hacker to frame someone. im sure its already happened actually...

 

[colonelciller]

Take a given set of facts.

From those facts write a narrative.
Give the same facts to someone else and have them write a narrative.

1 set of facts... many narratives, all based on facts.:thumbsdown: The writer of the narrative has the power to include (and exclude :sneaky facts to suit their motive:whiste:.

The narrative could be stupendously convincing (it's all based on facts after all ()) and still be completely and utterly wrong :'(.

burn the witch!:twisted:
good times:thumbsdown:

 

[colonelciller]

I'd imagine that Comcast is tracking my TV watching and browsing history as well so they can target advertising to me.

Is it annoying? Sure. That said, do I really have anything going on in my life that I have to worry about hiding? Not really. It's not like I have a secret drug addiction or mistress on the side. I'm not building WMD's in my basement, either. Maybe if I did, I might have the kind of paranoia that some users have around here.

At least I don't have to pay Google or Facebook for the privilege of being spied on like I do with my ISP.

What makes you think you have to be doing something "wrong" in order to become a target for persecution or worse? Did Jewish people do anything wrong when Hitler took to power? Those are serious questions.

Nobody, absolutely nobody can predict how that innocuous information will be used in the future, the only thing for certain is that it is that nothing is ever going to be forgotten ever again. What innocuous characteristics will the next Hitler decide to target? Maybe it'll be dog owners... if so then let's hope you don't have any pictures of pets on facebook, a "cloud drive", or heck... GPS data indicative of a habitual attendance at dog parks. Or perhaps Orwell's 1984 really nothing worth sweating about? Try reading 1984 again. Virtually all of the characteristics of the Orwellian nightmare exist in today's world in one form or another. The difference is that Orwell never predicted that the spying would become automated... and the record permanent.

Here's an interesting story from today:
CIA's Gus Hunt On Big Data: We 'Try To Collect Everything And Hang On To It Forever' http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/cia-gus-hunt-big-data_n_2917842.html
"'It is really very nearly within our grasp to be able to compute on all human generated information,' Hunt said. After that mark is reached, Hunt said, the agency would also likely to be able to save and analyze all of the digital breadcrumbs people don't even know they are creating."

the subtext in that video (above link) is really a top-notch work of art. pair that vid with this article:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/all/

I suppose we should just thank our lucky stars that this technology didn't exist in 1930's Europe.
Care to paint the picture of how things would have played out had those databases been in the hands of the aforementioned archetypal bad guy?
Anyway, I suppose the point is made.

 

[John Connor]

I wouldn't touch Google shit with a ten foot pole! Firefox FTW!

 

[Crow550]

I wouldn't touch Google shit with a ten foot pole! Firefox FTW!

Google funds Firefox.

What makes you think you have to be doing something "wrong" in order to become a target for persecution or worse? Did Jewish people do anything wrong when Hitler took to power? Those are serious questions.

Nobody, absolutely nobody can predict how that innocuous information will be used in the future, the only thing for certain is that it is that nothing is ever going to be forgotten ever again. What innocuous characteristics will the next Hitler decide to target? Maybe it'll be dog owners... if so then let's hope you don't have any pictures of pets on facebook, a "cloud drive", or heck... GPS data indicative of a habitual attendance at dog parks. Or perhaps Orwell's 1984 really nothing worth sweating about? Try reading 1984 again. Virtually all of the characteristics of the Orwellian nightmare exist in today's world in one form or another. The difference is that Orwell never predicted that the spying would become automated... and the record permanent.

Here's an interesting story from today:
CIA's Gus Hunt On Big Data: We 'Try To Collect Everything And Hang On To It Forever' http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/cia-gus-hunt-big-data_n_2917842.html
"'It is really very nearly within our grasp to be able to compute on all human generated information,' Hunt said. After that mark is reached, Hunt said, the agency would also likely to be able to save and analyze all of the digital breadcrumbs people don't even know they are creating."

the subtext in that video (above link) is really a top-notch work of art. pair that vid with this article:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/all/

I suppose we should just thank our lucky stars that this technology didn't exist in 1930's Europe.
Care to paint the picture of how things would have played out had those databases been in the hands of the aforementioned archetypal bad guy?
Anyway, I suppose the point is made.

So in that case we might as well just disconnect from the Internet all together. However everything is logging something. Hell even Stores you shop at like ones with Membership cards and ones without because of your Debt/Credit card. Gotta ditch those too. Get rid of your phone and tablet, TV.... What else can you do? Gonna convince the masses to do this as well. This is what it is. You can either try and live off the grid or just live the best life you can and hope no worse case scenario comes true....

 

[colonelciller]

Google funds Firefox.

Correct, Google funds Firefox.
Question: Why?
Answer: Google pays a ton of money to Mozilla so that Firefox will make Google Search the default search provider when you type a query in the address bar.

Here is how you fix it: This is how you change it to a search provider that respects your privacy (or one like bing which doesn't... it's up to you):

• copy and paste the following into the address bar --> about:config

• you'll get a warning... continue by pressing "I'll be careful, I promise".(notice how inconvenient it is to change this setting... $$ from Google to Mozilla for this "feature")

• you'll then see a search bar and a long list of things in the browser window. type the following into the search bar --> keyword.URL

• double-click on the "keyword.url" data field... a little window pops up... paste the following into that window --> https://www.startpage.com/do/search?q=

• congratulations... google can no longer spy on your internet searches... repeat this on all browsers in your household. Alternatively you can paste a different string in the box for another search engine provider which will spy you you the same as google... your choice. Do you want spying on all your searches, or do you think enough is enough?

So in that case we might as well just disconnect from the Internet all together. However everything is logging something. Hell even Stores you shop at like ones with Membership cards and ones without because of your Debt/Credit card. Gotta ditch those too. Get rid of your phone and tablet, TV.... What else can you do? Gonna convince the masses to do this as well. This is what it is. You can either try and live off the grid or just live the best life you can and hope no worse case scenario comes true....

Well that's a mighty fatalistic straw(man)-colored false-dichotomy you've painted there... either:

a) we accept the spying and hope that those in power will always be angels with everyone's best interest at heart... in which case students of history will quickly tell you that such fatalism is not going to end well for lots and lots of people (who will have done nothing wrong whatsoever).

OR

b)we retreat from society altogether


perhaps there are other options?

 

[colonelciller]

here's a page with a description + screen captures on how to change the default search provider in firefox (for the address-bar searches):

http://www.wikihow.com/Change-Your-Browser's-Default-Search-Engine

 

[lxskllr]

DuckDuckGo complete should change everything over as a one click transform.

 

[wirednuts]

Google funds Firefox.



So in that case we might as well just disconnect from the Internet all together. However everything is logging something. Hell even Stores you shop at like ones with Membership cards and ones without because of your Debt/Credit card. Gotta ditch those too. Get rid of your phone and tablet, TV.... What else can you do? Gonna convince the masses to do this as well. This is what it is. You can either try and live off the grid or just live the best life you can and hope no worse case scenario comes true....

its not the technology that's scary. it could be used for so many good things, it just dwarfs the possible bad.

what IS scary is the lack of concern. if people don't care about privacy, then they are just allowing the technology to get out of hand or be used improperly. just like anything, its PEOPLE that are the ones to be scared of. RICH ones, really....

 

[colonelciller]

DuckDuckGo complete should change everything over as a one click transform.

Is this the one?
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/duckduckgo-for-firefox/

looks like a good way to go

 

[lxskllr]

Is this the one?
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/duckduckgo-for-firefox/

looks like a good way to go

This is the one I'm using...

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/duckduckcomplete/?src=api

You got me thinking though. I'm wondering what get bundled by default with each. I /thought/ DDG Complete gave you everything, including adding a button to the search box, but I'm not sure as I pieced it together myself. I can't remember if I ever used DDG Complete on any of my systems by itself :^/

 

[colonelciller]

This is the one I'm using...

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/duckduckcomplete/?src=api

You got me thinking though. I'm wondering what get bundled by default with each. I /thought/ DDG Complete gave you everything, including adding a button to the search box, but I'm not sure as I pieced it together myself. I can't remember if I ever used DDG Complete on any of my systems by itself :^/

ahh, that looks cool too. I like the search results in the toolbar feature

 

[John Connor]

Correct, Google funds Firefox.
Question: Why?
Answer: Google pays a ton of money to Mozilla so that Firefox will make Google Search the default search provider when you type a query in the address bar.

Here is how you fix it: This is how you change it to a search provider that respects your privacy (or one like bing which doesn't... it's up to you):

• copy and paste the following into the address bar --> about:config

• you'll get a warning... continue by pressing "I'll be careful, I promise".(notice how inconvenient it is to change this setting... $$ from Google to Mozilla for this "feature")

• you'll then see a search bar and a long list of things in the browser window. type the following into the search bar --> keyword.URL

• double-click on the "keyword.url" data field... a little window pops up... paste the following into that window --> https://www.startpage.com/do/search?q=

• congratulations... google can no longer spy on your internet searches... repeat this on all browsers in your household. Alternatively you can paste a different string in the box for another search engine provider which will spy you you the same as google... your choice. Do you want spying on all your searches, or do you think enough is enough?

Well that's a mighty fatalistic straw(man)-colored false-dichotomy you've painted there... either:

a) we accept the spying and hope that those in power will always be angels with everyone's best interest at heart... in which case students of history will quickly tell you that such fatalism is not going to end well for lots and lots of people (who will have done nothing wrong whatsoever).

OR

b)we retreat from society altogether


perhaps there are other options?

My key word URL goes to OpenDNS. Tee Hee!