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generalcliche
Guest
Google Desktop, a tool designed to:
may not respect your privacy to the fullest degree. Details at The Register here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/15/google_desktop_privacy/
Slashdot also has an interesting discussion regarding the application
In short, and all tinfoil hats aside, you probably want to stay away from this, at least for the time being, while it is examined/revised more closely.
desktop.google.com said:# Find your email, files, web history and chats instantly
# View web pages you've seen, even when you're not online
# Search as easily as you do on Google
may not respect your privacy to the fullest degree. Details at The Register here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/15/google_desktop_privacy/
Google's Desktop represents a privacy disaster just waiting to happen, a rival has warned. David Burns, Copernic CEO, says users should know that the giant ad broker intends to mix public and private queries in the future, leveraging its key moneyspinning product: contextual advertising.
"If you lined people and said, 'Stick your hand up if you want Google to know what pictures you have, and what MP3 files you have,' I don't think many would." Burns had offered these capabilities to partners before, but received some pushback.
Google Desktop Search allows users to opt out of sending the company back detailed usage data, but it isn't possible to firewall it completely. Much more ominously, reckons Burns, Google's product manager Marissa Mayer said she expected the private queries to generate more hits for google.com. Most people, she believed, would choose to combine personal and web searches resulting in more revenue for Google's ad business.
Slashdot also has an interesting discussion regarding the application
In short, and all tinfoil hats aside, you probably want to stay away from this, at least for the time being, while it is examined/revised more closely.