Is google desktop still considered a privacy hazard?

[thespeakerbox]

Back when they introduced it, all i saw were bad reviews because of private info that google can gain access about your computer and the files on it. Is this still the case?

 

[randomlinh]

nothing has really changed, maybe something in the agreement, but it basically boils down to do you trust google.

 

[Injury]

Rule #1 of the internet is and always will be do not put any information online that you are not willing to share with other people, whether intentional or not.

 

[LS8]

I don't use it myself.

 

[mugs]

You can disable the feature that stores data on Google's server

 

[vital]

as long as you don't have kiddy pr0n why do you care if google know what filenames you have on your computer? there are millions of people using it, why would they filter out only you?

 

[CrazyLazy]

Originally posted by: mugs
You can disable the feature that stores data on Google's server

No way to know if they will do it though. I use google for a ton of things, and although the privacy issues/data mining worries me, it's not enough to prevent me from using services that are superior to all the other ones out there.

 

[rudeguy]

Not to mention that Google Desktop bogs your system down. If you can't find what you are looking for on your own computer, it might be time to learn how to organize.

 

[thespeakerbox]

does anyone know of a similar program. God , how i love googles searching , yet hate their privacy issues!

 

[funkymatt]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
Not to mention that Google Desktop bogs your system down. If you can't find what you are looking for on your own computer, it might be time to learn how to organize.

QFT

50% of the computer problems i encounter are due to this. most of the time google desktop was installed when they got google earth. people weren't even aware it was installed!

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
Not to mention that Google Desktop bogs your system down. If you can't find what you are looking for on your own computer, it might be time to learn how to organize.

Tell me about it. How do you not know where you put shit on your computer?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: CrazyLazy

Originally posted by: mugs
You can disable the feature that stores data on Google's server

No way to know if they will do it though. I use google for a ton of things, and although the privacy issues/data mining worries me, it's not enough to prevent me from using services that are superior to all the other ones out there.

1. Yes, you can know exactly what they are sending to their server if you care enough and know what you're doing. But you don't need to know what you're doing, because there are nerds who do know what they're doing, and they would let you know if Google was sending data to their server without your permission.

2. Any program you install could send any data from your computer to a server somewhere. Google tells you what they're doing, and you'd find out if they lied to you.

 

[Zee]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: rudeguy
Not to mention that Google Desktop bogs your system down. If you can't find what you are looking for on your own computer, it might be time to learn how to organize.

Tell me about it. How do you not know where you put shit on your computer?

seriously, what the hell is the big deal with the home search feature bullshit??

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: Injury
Rule #1 of the internet is and always will be do not put any information online that you are not willing to share with other people, whether intentional or not.

So you don't use online banking?

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: Triumph

Originally posted by: Injury
Rule #1 of the internet is and always will be do not put any information online that you are not willing to share with other people, whether intentional or not.

So you don't use online banking?

I don't recall saying I didn't, but that falls under the "not intentional" part.

I feel the site is quite secure but I'm not naive enough to think that if someone wanted that information they couldn't get it.

Regardless, the worst someone can do with my online banking info is transfer money between my accounts and see what days I went out to eat, paid my rent, etc. There are no options to transfer to random accounts or issue checks or anything.

 

[PokerGuy]

Originally posted by: Triumph

Originally posted by: Injury
Rule #1 of the internet is and always will be do not put any information online that you are not willing to share with other people, whether intentional or not.

So you don't use online banking?

Dumb comparison -- I'm not the one putting that information online, the bank is. I don't trust google enough to let it catalogue everything I have on my machines and send it to the mothership.