[HLUG] Search Engines

[Broomster]

I think that all this worry about Google and other entities spying on
us and knowing our inside leg measurement, all depends on how paranoid
you are..

People complain about Google reading their email - yet I can guarantee
that unless you're an MP, or in MI5, nobody will be sat looking at
your email - instead one of Google's thousands of servers will be
automagically matching keywords in your text (which is all it is to a
machine) and then serving up adverts at the side of the screen,
matched up with the content of your mail.. Which is how Google makes
money.  They don't make money by blackmailing you over the contents of
your emails. Search wise, they will use similar techniques, providing
relevant search results and adverts, based on previous searches, and
other bits and pieces they pick up whilst logged into google
services..

I've no worries about them logging your ip address - so does every
website you visit.. Using proxies (unless you're 100% sure of the
server) can in all probability put you more at risk of privacy issues,
such as private data being cached..

I've no issues with Google, in fact look here :-

http://tinyurl.com/ybyqpkn

There's me, captured by the Google Streetview Camera. Oh, and in case
Google *is* reading this, that image is me, my email is
broomster at gmail.com, and my inside leg measurement is 31". Hopefully
that will enable them to match up with my NI number, by bank account
details, and steal my identity...

I can sometimes see why people who are paranoid refuse to even plug
their pc into the phone line.. The reality is, unless you're doing
something wrong, or are very careless online, nobody will actually
care what you do..

Back to the original question tho - I can't think of any search engine
based on my useage, that comes close to Google, and I think they'll
all have some concerns privacy wise if you care to dig deep enough..
The reality is, Google is bloody good at getting results. Both in the
business sense, and in the 0.36 seconds it takes to find an answer to
your question..

If you don't want these concerns, go to your local library..  Oh, hang
on, they have your name and address in their membership database..

Broomster,
Kington,Herefordshire.



On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 11:17 AM, Marilyn or Tony McQueen
<oak.organics at btinternet.com> wrote:
> With the election coming over the horizon its been mentioned again how google and co are secretly crawling all over us when we use them. Has anyone any confidence in a search engine that reduces this?
> Bests Tony
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