No matter what they say in the license agreement, I think you can count one thing from them: To make money by tracking your habits. Building their own web browser just gives them all the hooks they need to that end.
Take a look at this from the same article in CNET about Chrome's upgrading abilities: "The software which you use may automatically download and install updates from time to time from Google. These updates are designed to improve, enhance and further develop the services and may take the form of bug fixes, enhanced functions, new software modules and completely new versions. You agree to receive such updates (and permit Google to deliver these to you) as part of your use of the services."
Ran across this blog this morning which has a good summary of Google Chrome privacy issues: Preventing paranoia: when does Google Chrome talk to Google.com? Personally, I would like to see it become popular - not taking over, just popular enough that web designers will make sure that their sites work with it. Since it is based on Webkit, that would mean that their websites will work with other browsers (like Safari), as well.
The business about automatic updates would concern me. I generally do install the updates for programs I trust. (I don't have any MS software.) But I don't like the idea of giving up that choice. However, since it's not available for the Mac, and I'm quite satisfied with Firefox, it's a non-issue for me. OTOH, I'm not especially worried about Google. We live in a capitalist society where big business will do whatever it thinks will increase its profits, including selling information about you to other businesses. In this context, I think Google is no worse than all the rest, and probably not as bad as some. Anybody have a grocery store discount card? (I don't.) Those things track every purchase you make so they can send you personally targeted junk mail, and sell your information to whoever will pay for it.
It's in the works. But what I do hate about them is that they try to give the impression that they are better than the rest of the industry. They try to keep up an image that does not correspond to the reality anymore. Me neighter, for the that very reason. I'm not willing to give so much valuable information away for such a small bonus. Consumers should realise that information about their consumption pattern is worth money, and in the long run force the industry to pay a fair price for that.
That's capitalism: Every company tries to get your business by giving the impression that it's better in some way or another. Tastes better, is better for you, gets your clothes whiter. Etc. Google provides a free service and makes its money through advertising. To keep ad revenue up it must convince people to use its services, and it must provide value to its advertisers. The advertisers are the customers and we are the product. Same as with the mass media and other forms of "free" entertainment. Google provides very useful services. I enjoy playing with Google Earth and I find their search engine to be enormously useful. They provide a good product to me. But unless I'm willing to pay for their services, I've got to accept that hey are "selling" me to their advertisers. From what I've read about Google Chrome, I have no interest in using it. But I expect to continue using their search engine. The bigger you get, the more corporate you get. I believe that capitalism is an unwise way to structure an economy, but as long as they are not killing people intentionally, as Ford did with the Pinto, and Blackwater does as its primary business, or actively obstructing progress as GM does, I don't hate the individual companies.
I don't think Ford intentionally wanted its customers to die, that just isn't good business. They just didn't think it was worth it to recall the cars after they ran the numbers. :evil: Re: Club Store Cards [rant on] I hate them because: 1. They are a marketing gimmick to make the (less intelligent) consumer think they are getting a good deal when they really are not. Usually the "non-club" prices are just inflated above market value so the discount can bring the price back to market value. 2. All of the information gathered can be gathered without the card for marketing purposes (e.g. what products are popular, how price reductions affect the amount sold, etc.) But there is no reason to tie purchases to a specific individual and it does seem to be somewhat of an invasion of privacy. 3. It slows down the transaction(s) at the checkout line as people have invariably lost track of their card or don't have a card or can't decide whether they should obtain a card. And the checkout robots have been trained not to allow a purchase without either recording the card number or giving a 5 minute sales pitch on the benefits of card possession. Even in the f$cking express line. [/rant over] So I try to avoid "club card" stores as much as possible, but unfortunately Safeway is both convenient and has higher quality pre-made salads for lunch than the other non-club store. So, instead of obtaining a "club card" I just use my mother's club card number. So now my mom buys a salad, hot food and a soda two or three times a week at a store 50 miles away from where she lives. Sometimes she buys gas $100 dollars at a time to fill a motorhome she doesn't have at a Safeway gas station she has never been to. I wonder if anyone has noticed her change in buying habits and how it might have affected their marketing of items for my mother. Oh yeah, one other thing: My mom passed away almost three years ago.
Re: Ford: They knew the car was a bomb on wheels; they calculated about how many people it would kill, and they chose to sell the car, knowing it would kill people, rather than fix the cars before they hit the dealerships. To me, that's cold-blooded murder for the purpose of stealing money. Re: store cards: Gathering individual information allows targeted advertising, which is more profitable. It also allows selling personal information, which is profitable. Therefore, from the store's perspective, it is justified. Obviously, it's not worth it to me, so I don't participate. Safeway seems to be the only store in Spokane, and definitely the only store close to me, that sells nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt. That's the only thing I ever buy there. When they ask me if I want to apply for a card, I answer NO politely but firmly, and they don't hassle me.
VERY FUNNY POST If you don't browse 'Incognito' this could happen (but never to me). Google Chrome: Google Chrome Fatal Flaw Discovered, Will Destroy Lives, Dignities
If you ever need a number for Safeway, feel free to use my mother's number: 530-644-2552 In fact, I invite everyone on PriusChat to use this number if they would like to. I'm not sure how that might affect Safeway's marketing objectives. :evil:
Every step forward for Google, is a step backward for MS. Sounds good to me. And so long as Google stays within the boundaries of open protocols and open formats I'm not going to worry about how they compete. At least until they start hiring MS executives. Mostly I see Chrome as a migration of UI OS services out to an (open source) browser layer. I think it is a great idea. Looking forward to trying Chrome out when it reaches the Mac and Linux platforms used at home. I know my wife will love it, since she already pretty much lives in a browser anyway, and tabs as mini-apps is da bomb.
You understand their business model, and so do I. But a lot of people don't, and Google does everything to keep it that way. I believe every company should have a more or less transparent business model, and be clear about it. I don't know of any other company that has the slogan "Don't be evil". I don't take moral lessons from companies like Google. That slogan was, according to one of the Google boys "also a bit of a jab at a lot of the other companies, especially our competitors, who at the time, in our opinion, were kind of exploiting the users to some extent". The way I see it, Google is exploiting the users like any other company. That's just pure hypocrisy. I used NASA Worldwind before Google Earth was even there. Freeware, and no ads. It's a good example of yet another idea that Google has stolen. A typical thing for Google to do is to spot some valuable public domain content, repackage it in a friendly package, throw in all the advertisements and push it through the throat of the world community. It's almost parasitic. The feed on the valuable information created by someone else, without paying the actual price for it. That's interesting: something we agree upon! I don't hate Google. That would be a meaningless statement. I hate some of their business practices.
Thanks. I'd probably do that, except that Safeway (or at least my local store) seems to have a perpetual two-for-one offer on the nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt, but only for card holders. Since I am caught in the middle of an eternal battle between my mouth and my stomach (my mouth wants more; my stomach screams "Stop!") I cannot allow myself to buy a whole gallon of the stuff at once. Not having a card keeps me from buying twice as much as I otherwise do, which is already four times as much as is good for me.
Sounds like they took a page from Microsoft's business manual. Microsoft has always been good at taking a good idea from somewhere else and making it a commercial success for themselves. It's not wrong, it's not nice, but it's just how they do business. Tom
