Originally posted by: Goosemaster
Originally posted by: EmperorOfIceCream
Originally posted by: Goosemaster
With all the commotion about the DCMA, the Patriot Act and quite a few other regulations, I would assume people would stick to their guns. All these regulations in some form or another remove a little bit of privacy for every internet user, and people are right to object.
Yet, when google, a company synomymous with searching, offers a free 1GB-capable Email service, everyone couldn't be happier, even though it is quite clear that google will scan every email you send through them.
People fight for their privacy when it costs them money, but will accept an end to their inherent privacy for free?
Isn't it ironic...?..then again, it's not.
Don't you realize that most peoples emails are alrady scanned by their ISP in order to do spam filtering?
The HUGE problem I see with Gmail is that google will be using other peoples intellectual property to make a profit. As part of my business, I have a newsletter with 27,000+ subscribers - I give them valuable information while at the same time offering related products and services. If google has its way - they will use the free valuable information in my newsletter's to find targetted ads that directly compete with me. Basically, they would make money from my work. THis is why many businesses are refusing to accept email from Gmail flat out. I hope Gmail fails, and fails miserably. I want to make money, and I don't want google stealing my work without my permission in order to make money.
That's going on a tangent from my initial post, but I agree with you 100% as it is also a very important topic of disscussion(for another time

). This "targeted" advertising is not perfect. I do not feel that I will suffer from it, but you will.
In detail, my argument is this:
The resiliance-to-accpet that many people exhibit in the presence of privacy-reducing goods and or services deminishes greatly or fully when presented with a free good and or service.
As a society, we have willingly accepted license agreements in return for free products and or services spyware anyone?). This is obviously a deeper problem than I have disscussed, whereby a "treat" is held before our eyes in order to woo us to agree to some normally undesired action.
Basically, I am pointing out a weakness many people exhibit, and how it relates to our lives today.