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Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

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Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#11
post #4
post #2

Is this a new warning page that has been added following Facebook's actions, or one that has been around a while?

This gets better and better. Time to grab some popcorn. And i really like this move from google.

Actually this is boring - where are the HD explosions? The glib remarks by the heros? The hot babe they are trying to save?

Even Michael Bay was better than this.

Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#13
"I recognize that once it’s been imported to another service, that service may not allow me to export it back out."

I could see how this could scare the average user into thinking their contacts are moved from Google to facebook and stuck there, thus loosing their ability to use them within Google's products.

Do you think this is the intention?

Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#14
post #11
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This gets better and better. Time to grab some popcorn. And i really like this move from google.

Actually this is boring - where are the HD explosions? The glib remarks by the heros? The hot babe they are trying to save? Even Michael Bay was better than this.

Are you kidding me? Clearly you don't have the kickass bookmarklett installed.

http://erkie.github.com/

Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#15

Google is being silly. First because they're breaking the usability of THEIR own site out of an invented vendetta against a company that is just using the feature they created and made available. If they don't believe people should be able to export data from Gmail they should stop offering it generally and compete against other email providers with a more closed platform, not whine about reciprocity from sites that…

Facebook has, I assume, the ability to discern me from an app, and so easily could give me a way to export my friends contact information made visible to me while simultaneously not giving it to Farmville.

Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#16
Facebook could allow users to "Opt-in" an email export. If I'm not "Opt-in", only my name would be exported by me and my friends.

We all know that Opt-in is like "does not exist", but they could at least say they are open.

edit: They could even sell it as a privacy feature ...

Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#17

Google is being silly. First because they're breaking the usability of THEIR own site out of an invented vendetta against a company that is just using the feature they created and made available. If they don't believe people should be able to export data from Gmail they should stop offering it generally and compete against other email providers with a more closed platform, not whine about reciprocity from sites that…

Don't get it wrong, facebook it's not protecting you against anything, they are just monopolizing your relationships so that you won't move on with ease to other services.

Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#18
I just used this link and saved my contacts, just in case this story leads to more dramatic actions. I also tested the register complaint button and, sure enough, my complaint was duly registered (though nobody explained what this means). Interestingly enough, I could have done both in one step, by checking both boxes and getting a long button reading: "download my contact information and register complaint".

Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#19
The warning says: "Here’s the not-so-fine print. You have been directed to this page from a site that doesn’t allow you to re-export your data to other services, essentially locking up your contact data about your friends."

I think this is misleading - Doesn't Facebook allow you to download all of your data, just like Google? As much as I dislike Facebook's privacy policies, the mudslinging seems a little thick from both sides.

Facebook and Google - two of the biggest privacy violating companies on the planet. May you live in interesting times, indeed.

Re: Gmail: Trap my contacts now (warning when exporting contacts to Facebook)

#20

The warning says: "Here’s the not-so-fine print. You have been directed to this page from a site that doesn’t allow you to re-export your data to other services, essentially locking up your contact data about your friends." I think this is misleading - Doesn't Facebook allow you to download all of your data, just like Google? As much as I dislike Facebook's privacy policies, the mudslinging seems a little thick from…

No, you can't get your "friends"' email info out.
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