Originally Posted by
PygmySurfer Actually, that's not it. When you search for the Corvette ZR-1, Google is going to keep that in it's profile on you, and it's going to cross reference that information with all the other things you've searched for.
Right, of course. And that's the point: to show me ads that are relevant to ME. I don't care if Google knows all that stuff about me, and uses it to show me better ads. That's better than showing me ads that I don't care about. I'm going to see ads (or, mostly, links to ads) either way.
I fully understand how it works, and I'm fine with it. Most people are. Again, it's not like Ford or Honda or Playboy is getting my info from Google. It's not like those companies can track me down and fill my mailbox (or email box) because of what Google knows about me. They aren't calling my home, or any of that. They are making ads
helpful instead of annoying (imagine that!). And the people running the ads get a better return on their money. Everyone wins.
Now, if Google was a bad steward of my data, THEN we'd have a problem. But they aren't. Yes, the NSA managed to get inside Google's firewall and steal a bunch of information. So now what: Google is going to be the first company that will keep my data fully encrypted while stored - other services did the same thing Google did, which was that, once inside Google's network, the data was unencrypted - all the security was "at the outer gate" and stripped off once it got inside. Very soon, that won't be the case anymore. Google takes data security VERY seriously, and has some of the best cryptographers in the world working on this problem.
Otherwise, I'm not shocked or surprised to know that Google uses my data to improve the ads I see. I've understood that for more than a decade, and I'm fine with it. Again, most people are, because Google isn't doing bad things with that data, like letting people have access to the raw data.
If you have a problem with it, then fine, don't use Google services. That's no skin off my back. But for those of us who choose to use Google, and understand the deal we are making, Google's services are very powerful and provide very real, beneficial services that no one else can compete with. It is the future of computing,
today.