Why I’m Worried About Google • Hacker News Board

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#31

Post by tyingq » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:47 PM UTC

GreeniFi wrote: post #21

I think it’s probably possible to model credit-worthiness according to search history and site use patterns. Google’s partnership with Mastercard could be something to do with that. What would be particularly irritating is if Google start showing credit offers next to product ads. Eg you look at an advert for a new iPhone and google then lets you know Mastercard will give you an immediate credit line for an impulse p…

From: https://adwords.googleblog.com/2017/05/powering-ads-and-anal...

"even if your business doesn’t have a large loyalty program, you can still measure store sales by taking advantage of Google’s third-party partnerships, which capture approximately 70% of credit and debit card transactions in the United States"

Who knows what other 3rd party data they correlate...

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#32

Post by stochastic_monk » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:48 PM UTC

demxzy wrote: post #5

orf wrote: post #2

Firefox.

Firefox is looking more like a very good insurance policy going forward privacy-wise. I would like to see more open source browsers though. It feels like we are getting nearer and nearer to browser mono cultures with all the chromium clones. Maybe Ms can release edge as an opensource app with it being far behind in adoption.

I’m seeing more webpages entirely break on Firefox recently. I tend to reach for Vivaldi when I need to try a different browser, as it’s Chromium without all the tracking.

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#33

Post by lallysingh » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:48 PM UTC

_red wrote: post #27

orf wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate as to why it is "marginally better than Chrome" please. You could start by explaining how a privacy focused nonprofit is marginally worse than a multi-billion dollar advertising company with regards to privacy.

Because your "privacy focused nonprofit" is itself funded by those very same "multi-billion ad companies".

The money flow itself doesn't invalidate them. They have multiple bidders for their defaults, and that isolates them from the whims of their funders. The funders are just customers.

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#34

Post by midwest_mex » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:48 PM UTC

GreeniFi wrote: post #21

I think it’s probably possible to model credit-worthiness according to search history and site use patterns. Google’s partnership with Mastercard could be something to do with that. What would be particularly irritating is if Google start showing credit offers next to product ads. Eg you look at an advert for a new iPhone and google then lets you know Mastercard will give you an immediate credit line for an impulse p…

mastercard does not issue cards, credit lines or control interest rates, your bank does this.

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#35

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:48 PM UTC

bnt wrote: post #23

To me it sounds like we need a Libre Office of Google Docs (web based). Everyone is worried about tracking and privacy, but what about the productivity tools? If you quit Google, you also abandon the GSuite - which is quite nice.

[deleted]

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#36

Post by Flow » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:49 PM UTC

janpot wrote: post #11

This bothers me a little bit > By clicking “Agree,” you consent to Slate’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our site, in emails and across the Internet, to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw c…

I leave or click the Reader Mode button in Safari. But my guess is that those cookies have already been set.

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#37

Post by ocdtrekkie » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:50 PM UTC

bnt wrote: post #23

To me it sounds like we need a Libre Office of Google Docs (web based). Everyone is worried about tracking and privacy, but what about the productivity tools? If you quit Google, you also abandon the GSuite - which is quite nice.

I use Sandstorm.io which has most of the features of Google Docs/Sheets and then some. But there are plenty of other open source alternatives as well. Look at Nextcloud and Cloudron as other options.

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#38

Post by dpcx » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:50 PM UTC

janpot wrote: post #11

This bothers me a little bit > By clicking “Agree,” you consent to Slate’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our site, in emails and across the Internet, to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw c…

You speak as though an author on Slate.com has any actual say in what Slate.com does to set policy. It would be the same as if you read this article on any other "news site" - so why would you dismiss the author's concerns about privacy? Simply because they chose to use Slate.com as the outlet for their statement?

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#39

Post by Flow » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:50 PM UTC

simion314 wrote: post #18

janpot wrote: post #11

This bothers me a little bit > By clicking “Agree,” you consent to Slate’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our site, in emails and across the Internet, to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw c…

Same here, so I always close the tab.

Probably it's too late. Or do they really load the scripts from Google et al after you click "Accept"?

Re: Why I’m Worried About Google

#40

Post by CaptainZapp » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 12:51 PM UTC

robin_reala wrote: post #4

It’s the closing paragraph that’s the important bit: In the end, this is why I’m moving away from the Google ecosystem. If nothing else works, then at least I can vote with my feet—or my fingertips. Google have set their path, so it will take effort for them to deviate from it. The best way to show them that the effort is worthwhile is to affect their bottom line by reducing your use of their services. And maybe you’…

Firefox is fine and DuckDuckGo is good enough by now.

Firefox has the added bonus that it doesn't implement a two tier cookie system. Of which one tier cannot be deleted.

This, in combination with the new and improved "sign-in-convenience" convinced me that Google is exactly as dirty as any other tech company and should be avoided like the plague, wherever possible.