informed choices

[RelandR]

Something The good Rev said to me a bit ago got me thinking that a warning shout was in order.

the Gmail flood is upon us, and every eager beaver seems to want one and I've heard odd statements similar to god and google being synonymous and never needing another mail service, yadaYada, etc.

I posted a link in one of the threads (which is about three pages back now) that didn't seem to get much notice, about the huge question of googles motives and intents with this and frankly it spooked me a lot when I first read up on it.

...I've now relaxed a bit and decided to 'get-one' (if one of the givers will give me one) and have it on stand by so-to-speak and watch this thing evolve .. to use or not as I feel...

Point is, with the privacy questions afloat out there I think it behooves evryone who intends on using this service to at least read up on the varying views before making this to-good-to-be-true give away as their primary/private email account(s)... be informed,

..anywho, for whatever it's worth - read away if you like::

kinda paranoid but could be right (http://gmail-is-too-creepy.com/)


Tim O'Reillys take (http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/4707)

..or not..

[reverendflash]

Here is something from the EFF (Electric Frontier Foundation), which has no political, or financial bias that I can find, anyway...

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/001398.php

they don't seem too eager to get gmail accts.

I also find it odd that they were "selling" for $800.00 on Ebay... yet anyone who wants one a week later, can have one for the asking.

I'm always wary of "invite only" parties, when to get invited, all you need do is hear about the party. Rarely is your enjoyment in the forefront of the host's minds.

Then again, I'm a cynic, so take this with a grain of salt. However, the EFF is a great organization, and should be taken seriously. IMO.

[macneilslt]

IMO, if you're not doing discussing anything sketchy it really doesn't matter, as long as they aren't making logs like they claim, but even so..It's better then getting random adds flashing in your face, I was interested in what it scanned, so I e-mailed myself several times from another account with subjects ranging from ****, to politics, to bmx, and back...I like relevant links. As long as you're not e-mailing warez, child ****, or discussing things that really shouldn't be discussed in through any e-maili, then you don't really have anything to worry about...

[mdipi]

Reland: If you still want an invite, PM me with your e-mail and name :D I might not be able to send it to you till later tomorrow or early tomorrow morning (its about half 1 AM here and i am about to turn in)

I will read Tim's outlook in the morning.

Thanks-
-Mike

[muffins]

GET OVER IT PPL? AFRAID A GOOGLE EMPLOYEE IS GONNA READ YOUR LOVE LETTER AND PRINT IT FOR HIS CO-WORKERS? ARE YOU STUPID ENOUGH TO SEND YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER THROUGH EMAIL? GET A LIFE! WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT ANOTHER AMERICAN WILL DIE IN IRAQ. NOT ABOUT YOUR EMAIL.

-duck :cap:

[reverendflash]

GET OVER IT PPL? AFRAID A GOOGLE EMPLOYEE IS GONNA READ YOUR LOVE LETTER AND PRINT IT FOR HIS CO-WORKERS? ARE YOU STUPID ENOUGH TO SEND YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER THROUGH EMAIL? GET A LIFE! WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT ANOTHER AMERICAN WILL DIE IN IRAQ. NOT ABOUT YOUR EMAIL.

-duck :cap:
1. don't shout. You know better.

2. a name change is no excuse for rude behavior.

3. Just because you are paranoid does not mean they aren't out to get you.

4. Is worrying about people spying on you, and trying to stop the war in Iraq mutually exclusive? I think not.

So relax, take a chill pill, apologize for the outburst, and move on.

[RelandR]

@Duck : No need to shout man, you sound personally offended :sure: , check this snippet from the first link::


Google's relationships with government officials in all of the dozens of countries where they operate are a mystery, because Google never makes any statements about this. But here's a clue: Google uses the term "governmental request" three times on their terms-of-use page and once on their privacy page. Google's language means that all Gmail account holders have consented to allow Google to show any and all email in their Gmail accounts to any official from any government whatsoever, even when the request is informal or extralegal, at Google's sole discretion. Why should we send email to Gmail accounts under such draconian conditions?



@Mac : That sounds alot like some of what my Grandmother used to say - (the part about if you're not doing anything wrong...yer cool) - of course she also believed and proclaimed that "They wouldn't print it if it wasn't true" ... bless her naive soul...
Problem is that too much license gives too much power and as we all should know, power can and usually is abused right after it is too late to take it back... forethought and caution should never be abandoned for fear of seeming paranoid... IMO

@Dipi : - thx -

[minimalistik]

theres always downsides to everything thats offers things big.

[muffins]

Sorry, im angred by stupidity. :rolleyes: no ones forcing you to use gmail.

-duck :cap:

[jokun]

Seems like they've done a good job of generating interest, anyway. 1 gig got a lot of people interested, and having to wait for it got a lot of people anxious for it. Then the whole "invitation" thing had people scrambling for it. Generated a lot of hype.

[reverendflash]

Sorry, im angred by stupidity. :rolleyes: no ones forcing you to use gmail.

-duck :cap:
So you are calling all of us Stupid?

I'm confused, oh wise one, please expand your thoughts...

[RelandR]

no ones forcing you to use gmail.
hmmm ... ok, analyze this:

No one is forcing you or anyone else Not to use it, nor to read or post in this thread. Up until your posts in here, I thought nothing of your runaway generosity beyond "gee that's nice of him".
Until you took it personal, I certainly didn't think of you as an 'attention whore' nor as an undercover marketing agent for Google.inc. (the latter really would be paranoid huh?).... I'm re-evaluating the former one now.

This thread is not about you - it's about looking before you leap to anyone interested - kinda like the fine print on labels.


Sorry, im angred by stupidity.
Are you so 'angred' at stupity that you just can't seem to speeel it out ?
..and when spelled correctly that sounds dangerously close to 'despising the little people' ... laughably arrogant of you

:rollseyesMoreThanOnceForExageratedEffect:

[kirupa]

Duck - try to be friendly and nice. What goes around comes around, especially on the forums. Besides, the only way most people can base their opinions of you is from what you post.

There are more appropriate ways of dissenting without resorting to namecalling or being plain difficult ;)