Google web pages

for those who might be interested

[broken link removed]

A product of googles labs, lets you build your own web pages. You wont be able to sign up straight away, put your name on the list and they'll mail you 3-4 days later. Must admit, its VERY nice, it just the about the easiest way Ive ever seen of getting a web page up.

I just created a page, it then lets you publish that on the web so my home page would be [broken link removed] -- where firstname.lastname is the name of my my gmail address but Id imagine you could sign up with whatever name you wanted.

I posted this response to an AAM query Googling preference:

This (biased) site has lots to say about Google's cookies.

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It may be relevant before you join up and post your personal info, photos, blog, etc to Google's servers.

Google make money by analysing your web surfing and 'serving' you ads based on their analysis on your behaviour. Generally speaking, there's nothing wrong with this but I think people should know this before they become too reliant on Google.

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=14184&highlight=google

there's nothing wrong with this but I think people should know this before they become too reliant on Google.

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If theres nothing wrong with it then why do you think people should know about it?

I could list 100 things about google that theres nothing wrong with before becoming too reliant on them, but I'll just link to their extensive free products and future products in their labs all of which theres nothing wrong with.

maybe he's referring to peoples fears regarding the google privacy policy: http://www.google-watch.org/cgi-bin/cookie.htm

I'm still undecided.

If theres nothing wrong with it then why do you think people should know about it?

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Depends on your answer to the following question:

"Are you happy enough to allow a privately held company to have a load of information about your internet search habits governed by the laws of a different country?"

Regardless of whether there's anything wrong with it, I think that people should know that data about their habits is held by Google and, in fact, other search engines.

I know that was probably what he was referring to. The google-watch site makes a lot of points abut what google does and what future implications they may have regarding data integrity. But its (IMHO) scaremongering.

Even after reading the google-watch articles, why would you be worried about googles cookies? do you let other sites put cookies on your pc?
Ive still to see ANY argument against having the cookie on the pc except for the fact the CIA might be able to use me in a demographic of search terms. Knock yerselves out lads.
Oh, and I might get caught in case I google "how to bury a body in woodlands near the new M3 motorway" a couple of days before I knock off the missus.

As for the ads throwing up mismatches as to search terms, I see they quote 1 mismatch when google handle 200 mill per day. They must have trawled hard for that.

Google makes things easier for web use by providing simple, free, easy to use products. Thats the simple fact of it. If you dont like their practices (like the cookies) which are very transparent, use other software, theres a ton of it out there.

"Are you happy enough to allow a privately held company to have a load of information about your internet search habits governed by the laws of a different country?"

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My internet search habits??? Quote me an example of what I could search for in google that could affect me if I decide to book a family holiday in disneyland tmrw. Scaremongering.
Laws of a different country? Utter Scaremongering. Quote me one example where anything has happened due to their web searching, let alone in another country, is Bush gonna send the lads round? Scaremongering.

Do you use a clubcard in dunnes, tesco etc? ever notice how when you suddenly start buying other products, e.g. nappies for a new baby, you get offers for those type of products in your next post?
Does this bother you? same thing.

Regardless of whether there's anything wrong with it, I think that people should know that data about their habits is held by Google and, in fact, other search engines.

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Why? Whats anyone going to do about it? spend 200e extra a month to get a dynamic IP from their ISP so google cant do IP matching on search terms?
If someone wants to remain under a radar that bad, they wont give any personal details to anyone about anything, let alone google.