What is Digg?52 Comments
- DisposableRob, on 10/12/2007, -0/+19"There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information! " --Sneakers
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8"Whoever controls the media--the images--controls the culture."
- Allen Ginsberg
"The empires of the future are the empires of the mind."
- Winston Churchill
"Truth is the greatest of all national possessions.
A state, a people, a system which suppresses the truth
or fears to publish it, deserves to collapse."
- Kurt Eisner
"Any dictator would admire the uniformity
and obedience of the media"
- Noam Chomsky
"The Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone
of any significance in the major media."
- William Colby, former director of the CIA
"We live in a dirty and dangerous world. There are some things
the general public does not need to know, and shouldn't.
I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take
legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press
can decide whether to print what it knows."
- Katherine Graham, late owner of the Washington Post,
in a speech to CIA recruits in 1988.
"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is
the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals,
one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it
becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws."
- Ayn Rand
"The process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event -- like a new Pearl Harbor" (2000)
- Project for a New American Century
"We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order."
- David Rockefeller
"Terrorism is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death."
- Adolf Hitler
It's getting more and more obvious that Google is part of DARPA's
(they said they had killed it) LifeLog program.
A Spy Machine of DARPA's Dreams
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,58909-0.html - Grimdotdotdot, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11Will we even have to go to school? Why learn if we have access to everything?
- konstantinr, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10worst... paranoia-filled... article... ever..
- sovereign3, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9I think the comments on the linked blog pretty much explain it all. People are always so paranoid of an all-knowing Google, but so much information is already collected from various other sources about how people shop, spend their money, or like to eat... whatever. I guess the only spectacular thing that Google is doing is just managing to get all that information in one place. Creepy indeed. But somehow, someone is going to acquire such information anyway.
- Zjm7891, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12So google wants to own all the data in the world? Scary thought... Now just imagine when they start to archive our brains! That'll be the day.
Teacher: What is the answer?
Student: Hold on gimmie a second still googling my brain! - funkpucker, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8I think that's the very think humanity needs and will eventually become. Take a step back and get a new perspective on life in general on this blue planet. Life on this earth is only in its infancy. If you scaled the history of the universe down to a month, the last two seconds of the month would encompass all of recorded history (thanks Carl Sagan). We have a long way to go before the end. Machinery and computers will inevitably become integrated into our organic framework. Eventually, we will have access to all of human knowledge, because our brains will all be networked. We will be telepathic. We will have actual morality, instead of simply a facade. Therefore, no, we won't need traditional schooling. We won't need to work out. We won't need to worry about diseases. We won't even have to worry about reproduction. We'll become near god-like. And that's not a problem since there isn't any god anyway. It's too bad if you disagree, you're religion is obviously holding you back.
When people ask me what I would lose by believing in a god... I tell them I lose my ability to evolve. - Odweaver, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I actually hope they continue with this activity, it would make a killer website. They already have the best map, mail, and search software on thier website. Pretty soon they will probably have an office suite online that could rival both microsoft office and openoffice.org. I trust that they will do great things with thier acquisitions that will make computing easier and cleaner.
- cbeach, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6What a daft article. "WE are the targets" etc etc. For goodness sake, Google is not outside the law - they can't hurt you.
The very worst they can do with all this information is to better target banner adverts, which are all blocked by adblock in Firefox anyway. And the happy irony is that Google funds Firefox. So really, what are you tin-foil-hat-wearing folk harping on about?? - CarzorStelatis, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I take it the people who are bothered by this never email documents to someone else (in which case they can be read by any of the servers your email passes through) or use a shared computer (in which case everything you do can be read by everyone else who subsequently uses that computer) or connect to a network (in which case the network operator ie your boss can read all your files)
- helladude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I trust the "current" Google boys, Sergy and Larry, to do the right thing. The next gen may not. Let's face it. Corporate America is not based on altruism. I don't even trust Schmidt anymore.
- breakneckridge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4If you don't want others to know what you're up to, for better or worse, your only option is to go live in a shack in the deep woods like the unabomber.
- silenceHR, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3i fear flame here, but isnt Google doing what M$ has been trying to do for many years?
dont get me wrong, i love Google, but ammount of personall information they have about people using their services is way beyond anything else on the net.
just check when your "google cookie" expires... mine expires in 2038, thats (for those that failed math) 22 years from now, so Google will have _ALL_ my search requests, my Gmail account, my G**** (whatever they come next), my Gtalk history ( i uninstalled it ) and so on....
personally i dont think that even NSA has so much personal data as Google.
and all "betas"?... c'mon.... you really think they are _JUST_ betas?
sooooooo... after taking my tin foil hat off, i will still use Google, but i just wanted to point to some "other sides" of it....
i really dont think there is any other service that collected so much data about people.... yeah, they say its for ads, but is it? ;)
put your tin foil hats on :) - leonbev, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3When can I get a hold of these Google branded laser guided missiles? Are they still in pre-beta, or is this an invitation only deal? One of these could come in handy the next time my neighbor parks in my driveway! :)
- MonolithTMA, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I loved Sneakers. This also makes me think of another movie. Minority Report. I was not so much freaked out by the mind reading part of it. I was more freaked out by the retinal scanners in the mall. I'm not sure I want a store recommending things for me to buy based on previous purchases. I'm definitely sure I don't want them knowing my complete life's history based on one retinal scan as I walk through the door.
- helladude, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5I, for one, am willing to trust the Google boys to keep their word, to "do no evil". However, with Big Brother's prying eyes, it is now a different story. Once the information is accumulated, the threat to civil liberties has become real. Welcome to our Brave New World.
- Dradis, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4In our times, information is money; Google knows this more than anyone, and is thus attempting to garner as much information as possible. There's a lot of money and power to be had in 'knowing'.
Personally, I'm not afraid of Google having all the world's information at their fingertips.. as long as they share it openly and freely. I think the benefit that could be derived from such a system would be far greater than any potential harm. - edis0n, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5The problem with google is that it is all controlled by one entity. If they keep buying companies, technology and information they will eventually control too much. To me, they have already gone too far. I am about to become just as afraid of Google as I am of Microsoft, because I understand what they will become. No matter what the original founders think about mantras such as "do no evil", stockholders' opinions will prevail - and they want world domination and $$$profit.
- Enoch9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2why would you trust google if you don't trust the government?
gimme a reason why google should be assumed as better than the government, or anybody else? - thomasf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Right-- Google really terrifies me with the implications of all this indexed information. Now in the vaults of the credit bureaus, that's the rightful place for all my information.
- n8to, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You may be willing to trust Google right now to do no evil. But what happens when they have access to everything and the government then decides that "for reasons of national security" they are going to subpeona all of Google's info?
Or what happens 10 years from now when Larry and Sergey get bored of Google and the vacant CEO position goes to Dick Cheney? Will Google still do no evil?
Hey, I love Google products too, but they don't need to know every detail of my life so I can enjoy Picasa. - justice7, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Seriously, think about this..
Whats the worst thing google could do with all this information on everyone?
The author of the article needs to stop smokin' the ganja before writing in his blog.
He's a little TOO paranoid. - Enoch9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2m$ could easily collect much more info, if they were allowed to do so in windows. it's funny to see ppl don't like m$ to collect your cpu id but are happy with google doing a lot more. it's funny isn't it?
- zbeast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1yes its on google but you still have to think.
google is my back up brain. - magister, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Reported as Lame. The article has no information, just some person's paraniod ramblings. Yes, google tries to get all the information they can. Yes, they will use information about you to deliver more accurate personalized advertising. I have yet to see anything to make me mistrust Google. I doubt I ever will.
To me, what I find interesting, this person is paranoid about their data collection, yet still uses Google for regular searches. If you're that worried about a company, why use them at all? - mousky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1n8t0: Based on your logic we should trust no one, ever. Can I trust digg in the future? Trust by no means of the imagination is perfect. To trust someone or something requires a leap of faith in logic, but without trust, society would cease to function.
- ThirdPrize, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Back before it became evil, Google was a search engine company. Now it is an advertising company (hey, it has to make money) whose main channel is web searches. There is no shame in admitting it, you float your company and your priorities change. Just like TV in the UK. ITV are an advertising company who make programs to entice you to watch their adverts.
Whatever Google does, be it web search, OS, office suite, spinny map of the world, it will have adverts in it. Whether it be related to the band you just searched for or the mail you sent to your granny. You use their services then you are allowing them to gather data on you. - Chasuk, on 10/12/2007, -6/+7/sarcasm
Ooh, creepy!
/sarcasm
Tin-foil hat wearing Luddites... - sporkwitch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Voice of the Google Collective: We are the Google. Lower your shields and power down your weapons. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
I'm sorry, I read the article description and just couldn't help making the comparison, lol. - nihilator, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Didn't you learn anything from X-Files???
Trust No One. - crythias, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The worst thing Google could do would be to enable someone else to have that information either by design or by lapse in security. Especially someone who I'd rather not have that information. Like that stalker that keeps bothering me.
OTOH, if those enhancement drug spammers actually had an idea of my wants and needs, they'd realize what I'd rather be spammed about. But it's not like targetted advertising is important to spammers... - MrUnderbridge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1With Google, like *any* other provider, you'd do well to encrypt anything you would rather the "bad guys" didn't get their hands on. This is true no matter who you consider the "bad guys" to be.
In other words, if you trust someone, go ahead and assume you're trusting everyone. - Argon52, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4This reminds me of the movie Sneakers (I just watched it again last night)....so if Google gets all the info....and then they use the little black box (from the movie) to decode any encryption of the info they find, then they will cause the world to be a bunch of deleted 1's and 0's. Oh, and then a literal reading of revelation will occur,
"Revelation 6:12b-14 ...and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places."
Thanks a lot Google all because of you and your grubby info gathering corporation!....ha ha ha.*
*Please notice all of the sarcasm in this post. - flaxx, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3too many paranoid people out there. google is doing a good thing for everyone and hasn't shown any signs of taking over the world, popping electrodes on our head, sending scud missiles at us, or any other crazy ***** people make up. Until they do something totally insane, I'm gonna trust that THEY'RE ACTUALLY SINCERE. Imagine that. It's just sad that a cooperation provides service for the sake of humanity (yes, they have to make money as well, they are a cooperation, but they are providing a huge service to us all) and everyone has to question "why are they doing this, they must have some evil plot". Not everyone is as evil-minded and self centered as those of you that have this mentality.
- rightbrain12, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4What a stupid article. You owe me a chicken salad hoagie for having to sit for 30 seconds and read that crap.
- somerandomnerd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"He said the real purpose of the acquisition was part of Google's strategy to "collect and organize the world's data."
This is pretty frightening to me. The next logical question is: why does Google want to do this?"
Google is a search engine. That means they collect data and organise it, so that if you want to search for something, they can give you information relevant to what you're searching for.
Why are people surprised by this? - ddpruitt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1OMG! Google is going to take control of all the data in the world! Then they are going to monitor what I search for so they can target ADVERTISEMENTS at me! For stuff I might want to BUY! I'm a freaking TARGET!
Damn the money loving corporations! Damn them all to HELL! I should move to Montana just to be safe. - funkpucker, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I'll elaborate slightly. Just having the technology will not do all of that, obviously. However, we are already using gene thereapy and stem cells to cure diseases. That technology is progressing very rapidly. When we get to the point where we can freely and completely manipulate those genes, we will have the power to cure disease and improve the human body. We will cease needing to procreate if we can regenerate our bodies by implanting technology or using stem cells to create complete replacements for body parts. The morality part will likely come well down the road as needed to keep ourselves from destroying ourselves with all our power.
I believe evolving is good. On a whole, smarter people are more peace-loving. I really don't want to turn this "comment" into a lengthy discussion. After all, it doesn't really matter what you or I predict.
All I'm really trying to say is that I really wish people would stop pulling down the advancements and intelligence of our species because of a fear of self-destruction. Our society will continue to advance, no matter what objections you or I have. The best thing to do is to find a way to make our advances as beneficial as possible instead of destructive.
Also, what 'human' mistakes are so bad? After all, look at where we are... 6 billion+ people on the planet. If that's not an indication on how successful we actually are, I don't know. There may be some bad eggs out there, and giving them more knowledge might help them do bad easier... but if we can master genetics to the point where we can make people less evil... I say go for it. - koguma, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Uh no. You probably don't know about the government subpeona to Google for deleted emails and other information for "research" purposes. The government can just file a civil suit to get any info it wants on YOU from Google. Google just makes it very very easy for the government to keep tabs on you.. Welcome to Big Brother.
- alasdairdf, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Google stockholders have no power. Google has already said it will never pay dividends, and the founders' stock just so happened to have 10x the voting power of everyone elses'. They could sell 90% of the company and still do with it whatever they want.
- aquadude, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Awwww.... Misleading title. I actually thought Google was gonna shoot Microsoft or something.
- willcode4beer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Two words: Artificial Intelligence
Haven't the google founder openly stated that their goal is to build a sentient artificial intelligence. This appears (to me) to be just another step in feeding the machine.
Maybe the goal here is to feed the machine as much information (in an organized manner) as possible. The crossreferencing helps build context for the info.
A friend as work asks "how do we know they haven't succeeded?", "how do we know the machine isn't already running everything over there?" - scards, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Yeah - keep worrying about Google and how they're archiving information - or how they notice the fact you seem to google for gifts for your significant other around the same time each year. The fact that governments and credit card companies want to put RFID chips in your passports and wallets is just cause they want to help make your life better, right? Anyone worried about privacy and 'big brother' ought to be worried about some bigger issues than what kind of ads google is pushing to your screen...
- paulfarag, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Google is the only company that had the balls to stand up to the government. Yahoo and Microsoft had no problem turning over the same information to the DoJ that Google went before a federal judge to protect. ...and the FCC demanding the content's of a user's Gmail account? Non-issue. ANY email provider will do the exact same thing.
They're not trying to OWN anyone's information, just index it and make it easier for you to find it. (and make money by selling ads next to it...) - brandizzle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I trust Google with the information. It's the government I do not trust once they know Google has all of this information. Allow me to put on my foil hat for a second, will you. Since we're in a war (on terrorists) won't the government constantly be in an elevated security state? That grants them alot of power that we normally would never think of giving them. In the mass amount of information Google has there is probably something that could convict a terrorist. They could probably convince a judge to allow them to access Google's information. Because after all, if you're against the government then you're for terrorists. [/end tin foil hat]
Either way I know Google collects information. It's their job. And they're damn good at it. And you know I love Google just as much as anyone else. Google's way too busy with their 10329847198 projects, and making too much money off of what they already have to want to use our information for anything "evil".
But maybe now just isn't the best time to have all of that information in one place? - BoiseGuy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0But is their goal to own the information or to just make money on our accessing the information? So far they are making "bank" on us wanting easy access to information and making sure their google ads are everywhere and to the point of becoming "kleenex" instead of just tissue and drinking a "coke" (I'm originally southern) instead of a pop or soda. I'm willing to keep watching and waiting. I wish they [google] would have been a little more "true" in China, but I'm willing to hold judgement. Keep making great tools Google and enjoy flying your company plane everywhere!
- slicedoranges, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Google is crazy.
- Grimdotdotdot, on 10/12/2007, -22/+11...
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