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Google will pay for free wireless in S.F. parks

sfchronicle.com

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Re: Google will pay for free wireless in S.F. parks

#41
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reading that article and the follow up[1], it looks like Google made use of a quirk in Safari to give third-party cookies that would otherwise be blocked. No other major browser blocked third party cookies in this way, so the workaround just made Safari act like, e.g., Firefox. The quirk was relatively well-known, used by other advertisers and "like" buttons and such, and the article says that "Facebook even encourag…

Google is a serial offender when it comes to privacy violations. Not really different from big banks who are caught committing fraud but always manage to settle with a big wad of cash, without having to admit any guilt whatsoever.

Huh? I don't think it is anywhere near as bad as Facebook, for example.

Re: Google will pay for free wireless in S.F. parks

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's more reasonable to say that it's worth it for Google to put free wifi in parks if a few of their engineers get work done because of it.

They already buy us mobile broadband, so we can do work without needing to be near WiFi :)

What's the point of having wifi on those buses then?

Re: Google will pay for free wireless in S.F. parks

#44
but then they will quickly pull the plug on it once someone actually starts using it.

they have just done that with the Netflix deal and Chromecast - already cancelled, barely 24h after it was made available.

it's bad enough to be dependent on gsearch and gmail, no need to also get dependent on wifi access, etc. for "free", with no guarantee it will work tomorrow.

Re: Google will pay for free wireless in S.F. parks

#45
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reading that article and the follow up[1], it looks like Google made use of a quirk in Safari to give third-party cookies that would otherwise be blocked. No other major browser blocked third party cookies in this way, so the workaround just made Safari act like, e.g., Firefox. The quirk was relatively well-known, used by other advertisers and "like" buttons and such, and the article says that "Facebook even encourag…

Google is a serial offender when it comes to privacy violations. Not really different from big banks who are caught committing fraud but always manage to settle with a big wad of cash, without having to admit any guilt whatsoever.

Comparing Google ethics to banks ethics. sorry you said wat?!

I worked for at a credit bank and I am still shocked at how immoral my coworkers were... I mean there was no limit : racist discrimination with the first name to calculate a risk on a consumer credit ? checked. Intentionally put people under with credit, anticipating the fact and be first to recollect ? checked.

At Google, from day one if you remember one thing they tell you : You never mess with private data ever.

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