Here in Dymaxia we sometimes try to keep the lid on our paranoid side by humming to ourselves "tomorrow, tomorrow, the sun will come out tomorrow". But having been weaned on "1984" and "Brave New Worlds" and being somewhat addicted to the writings of Horseman Fat (otherwise known as the science fiction writer Philip K Dick) we all too easily fall back into a major funk. Having written a somewhat tongue in cheek piece on getting one's own personal RFID Jammer and finding that it's become one of our top 5 all time hits, we can assume that we're not the only afflicted ones out there.
This was the week, after all, in which the FDA approved the RFID powered human implant that will allow citizens to carry their medical records (and God knows what else) around with them safely tucked under the skin. It was also the week that Google took one step further into the realm of --to paraphrase another of our happy tunes-- "getting to know all about you".
So we've been a bit taken aback by the near silence, at least, so far from our more astute friends on the privacy watch regarding Google's latest release of desktop search software that offers as a download for personal use Google's (GOOG) magical algorithms to index the data stored on one's own hard-drive as well (get this) as the footprints one leaves in one's journeys around the web (this is limited to Explorer for now) . The complete Google user can now have --perhaps inadvertently (see Google's privacy policy below and follow the link to their Desktop Search FAQ)-- not only their GMail (Google's Hotmail killer 1 Gb online mailbox) data scooped into the giant Google index but also their privately stored desktop files. If this doesn't have an Orwellian twang to it, we don't know what does.
In case you haven't noticed, Google(GOOG) has already changed your life, no doubt for the better, through the ease of use in which they've allowed you to put all kinds of necessary info at your fingertips. Anyone who writes, researches, or just plain wants to know where the nearest Dairy Queen is, is likely to have benefited mightily from the little seach engine that could. We can remember having wide-eyed discussions back in the mid 80's about the potential of a CD-ROM containing an entire encyclopedia of information. But it wasn't until AltaVista and Open Text got their crawlers out scraping the nascent Internet that the possibilities of a Google-like universal library came into real focus.
But there is a dark side to the Google phenomenon that may or may not have yet struck you directly. Imagine being googled by other party goers prior to your next festivity. Does that sound farfetched? I doubt it. How about going for a job interview or even sending out a resume'. Is it not already normal practice for a screener or interviewer to Google you long before you get an offer? How about googling or being googled by your next date or all the members of your at-work team and anybody else with your name and a curiosity?
And so it is not just the policiticans who have to guard for candor in every public remark they make; it is a simple fact of life that we now all leave indelible tracks across the web. One can only imagine how many pleas Google gets every day by someone trying to erase or get lowered something that now no longer fits into their lifestyle. It's now part of our new public/private persona. So don't attend any event you wouldn't want a potential suitor, employer/ee, inlaw etc. to know about. Don't publish anything in print or on the web that might put you in an embarrassing position. If you're being a little too revealing, stay away from people with cellphones who may be moblogging in near real time the party or event you're participating in. Do you like to talk dirty or tell off color jokes to small groups of intimates? ....Better check to see they are not podcasting you.....
When Google announced their GMail service we got a little wary. Sure they were giving you everything that Hotmail seemed to have gotten all wrong but they were also getting the privilege of indexing everything in your email in and out box. Sure, there are privacy assurances that allow them to datamine your email without linking your identity. And the same holds true, see below, when it comes to the desktop tool. All your personal data will be indexed locally and none of the really personal stuff will be linked in any way, they assure you. For trusting but security minded sophisticated users, these safeguards may be sufficient, though we don't think so.
Google, the guys with the goggles, are supposed to be white hats. Good guys who are doing things differently, who are full of good intentions and the moral fiber that was so lacking in most dotcom enterprises where competitive edge trumped all. Can anyone imagine letting Microsoft index their online emails, their desktop hard drives and the footprints your browser leaves as you move around the infosphere?
We listen a little harder when engaged in chitchat at networking events. What does he or she already know? Is there something more than innocent conversation in that question? And so, as much as we'd like a fast way to search those 40 gigs of private space around us, we'll wait for a decidedly more hermetic tool. Once again we'll say, caveat emptor, even, or especially because it's free, tempting and assures that you're in control!
link:
Google Desktop Search Privacy Policy
Here's an excerpt:
Your computer's content is not made accessible to Google or anyone else without your explicit permission.
For more information about what Google Desktop Search can do, please see the Product FAQ.
What information does Google receive?
By default, Google Desktop Search collects a limited amount of non-personal information from your computer and sends it to Google. This includes summary information, such as the number of searches you do and the time it takes for you to see your results, and application reports we'll use to make the program better. You can opt out of sending this information during the installation process or from the application preferences at any time.
Personally identifying information, such as your name or address, will not be sent to Google without your explicit permission.
