How to delete your Google Browsing History before new policy ↘
With just a week to go before Google changes to its new privacy policy that allows it to gather, store and use personal information, users have a last chance to delete their Google Browsing History, along with any damning information therein.
It's Official: Google Is Evil Now ↘
In a radical privacy policy shift, Google announced today that it will begin tracking users across all services—email, Search, YouTube and more—sharing information with no option to opt out. The change was announced in a blog post today, and will go into effect March 1.
For what little it’s worth (and not entirely related to this particular privacy issue), you can install a target-ad opt-out extension for your browser here. We shouldn’t have to opt out of information tracking in the first place, but this is a start. Perhaps we should all start surfing in Anonymous mode?
Can someone please explain to me why this is evil? What are we doing that is soooo important or bad that Google shouldn’t know about it. I really appreciate targeted ads, it means less “PENIS ENLARGEMENT” in ad boxes around the web.
Google is just mediocre at this point.
From an information retrieval standpoint, this means Google will start tailoring what it offers you in searches and suggestions to what it thinks you seek. Understanding a user’s information need is a tricky business. In reference service, librarians (like me!) are trained to promote access to resources through a reference interview and make sure a user has a wide array of options to fulfill that information need without hindering their search or available resources. Knowledge is power, as they say.
A set of algorithms set by a corporation shouldn’t be doing that job for us based on our web history; it’s a conflict of interest. My Google search shouldn’t be modified by the fact that some company has a sponsored result that I once happened to click on, for example.
This, you guys, is why Google does not replace libraries.
It's Official: Google Is Evil Now ↘
In a radical privacy policy shift, Google announced today that it will begin tracking users across all services—email, Search, YouTube and more—sharing information with no option to opt out. The change was announced in a blog post today, and will go into effect March 1.
For what little it’s worth (and not entirely related to this particular privacy issue), you can install a target-ad opt-out extension for your browser here. We shouldn’t have to opt out of information tracking in the first place, but this is a start. Perhaps we should all start surfing in Anonymous mode?
Free eBooks on Google Books ↘
Or, “Why I will get f-all done in my office ever again.”
