Google Desktop Tracked: The Aftermath

Don't be evil.
 - Google
Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity.
 - Unknown

4. Look what they did to your computer.

Get It Try It

Ike and Monty would be proud: few invasions have been so thorough and so successful. For there's no other way to describe what Google do to your computer: they invade it.

Portions of the software are admittedly brilliant. And the suspicion is Apple's engineers have helped the Google PhDs along the way. But it's how they do what they do that matters to you.

Ponder that '⌘-⌘' a second: that's two successive key strokes. That no matter what override anything else you're working with on screen.

You can't do that kind of magic at application level - in 'user land'. That has to be done deep down in your system. At the driver level. But they did ask for your password, didn't they? Yes of course they did. And you gave it to them - in effect you told them to go ahead and do whatever they wanted to do.

And they didn't bother telling you and you didn't ask. And now it may be too late.

And look what they're going to do to you now that they've established their beachhead. In the good old days they set cookies for the year 2038 on your computer when you searched the Internet; get a clue: they don't need those cookies anymore: they'll be uploading all they want to their servers - from your computer - without them.

There's a curious symmetry to it, isn't there? You want to be able to search the things you're too feeble to find; Google give you that ability; and as a 'thank you' to Google you give all the personal sensitive details of your life away to them for free and no questions asked.

You didn't really think they're giving you something for free? They aren't - you are.

⇐ Open House | Be Never Gone ⇒