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July 20, 2007
My Google wishlist
My Google wishlist: Chris Taylor of Business 2.0 describes some of the elements of the counterpressure Google is generating against itself these days. I've become increasingly concerned about Google's attempts to hyperintegrate personal data about citizens, without transparency or user opt-in... it reminds me of the way Microsoft tried to hyperintegrate application software in the mid-90s, to later disastrous effect (JavaScript in email!? eg). Changes they could make which would reduce my concern over Google: (a) get rid of Al "Clipper Chip" Gore on the Board of Directors; (b) stop using Fenton Communications and MoveOn.org for politicized media campaigns; (c) you can host your own domain's ads, but spin out the business of serving ads on other domains, to create an ironclad wall between the varied databases; (d) fix the search engines -- Google Blogsearch is nearly useless because of AdSense and Blogspot abuse, Google News has an increasing number of false hits and duplicates, and I'm even starting to see websearch decay in results; (e) open up the proprietary database, and let the people who generate this info inspect it, correct it, and authorize its reuse. (I suspect many people I work with would not agree with me on some of these... clearly my own opinion, not that of others at Adobe.) I'd like it if Google could help organize the world's information, but I'm not keen on the hunt to organize *my* information, without my explicit knowledge or consent.
Posted by JohnDowdell at July 20, 2007 10:55 AM
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Comments
Are you sure you're not mixing your companies here? I thought Gore was on the board of directors for Apple.
I'm with ya on the transparency JD but some of those items on your wishlist seems more partisan than anything else.
Maybe you had a bad experience at Live Earth? ;-)
Cheers,
A.
Posted by: andrew at July 20, 2007 04:19 PM
Sorry, you're right, bad technical term on my part... they use "senior advisor" or "special adviser", rather than the Board proper. My error.
Interesting reading there, though.
(ack, compulsive, but there's stuff in Google's engine under a more complicated term too.)
Posted by: John Dowdell at July 20, 2007 10:56 PM
Interesting. I didn't realize Gore was so tight with the Google gang too.
Ah, the silicon valley boy's club. No wonder Valleyway is so damned cynical ;-)
Cheers,
A.
Posted by: andrew at July 21, 2007 07:15 AM