General Discussion

mwooldri

(10,810 posts)

19. One doesn't have to use Gmail.

Thu Jan 2, 2014, 02:39 AM

Jan 2014

The phrase no such thing as a free lunch comes to mind. Once you use services offered for no direct monetary cost to you by companies like Google, your cost is them having permission to access your data that you store with them - within certain parameters.

As for its street view cars gathering stray unencrypted wifi signals... anyone could do that.

The problem is that if you want true internet privacy, there is a price to pay. Regular people don't want to have to fart around with security settings, encryption, and keeping any data they want secure on their own computers. For me to set up and run an advert-free, secure email service ... I'm looking at $150/month to rent a dedicated server... I'd have to pay more upfront if I want full control over the hardware and software. Plus maintenance time. And traffic costs.

Sometimes the cost of having the likes of Google handling this is a price I'm ok with.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

24 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

The Psychological Dark Side of Gmail [View all] El_Johns Jan 2014 OP

The difference being, Google doesn't throw cancer grannies in prison for 10 years for smoking pot Warren DeMontague Jan 2014 #1

There are different ways to "Don't be evil." Ron Green Jan 2014 #2

If so, they've done it without the help of NSA surveillance frazzled Jan 2014 #3

Really. So, that stuff about "parallel construction" was.... what? Warren DeMontague Jan 2014 #4

I doubt they were looking for grannies frazzled Jan 2014 #7

Oh, goody, we can take their word they only subverted the Constitution to prosecute BAD folks Warren DeMontague Jan 2014 #9

The truth is the truth. Th1onein Jan 2014 #5

There's also certainty now that no terrorist has ever been caught by all this creepy spying by the sabrina 1 Jan 2014 #6

Yep. Very important. Also, Google is not bound by the Constitution. merrily Jan 2014 #13

P.S. Also, merrily Jan 2014 #16

Of course. Warren DeMontague Jan 2014 #17

I only wish that everyone on this board, of all boards, saw it as an "of course." merrily Jan 2014 #20

Not all of us are knowledgeable enough to avoid google. GeorgeGist Jan 2014 #21

Unless you have some form of script blocker dickthegrouch Jan 2014 #24

I hope this gets the attention it deserves. The only reason Silicon Valley is getting involved in okaawhatever Jan 2014 #8

Agreed. And they are forcing users of other services to have gmail accounts. I hate it. n/t freshwest Jan 2014 #10

This is an indicator of the showdown agent46 Jan 2014 #11

This piece is just another #7 PSPS Jan 2014 #12

I like #2 SCVDem Jan 2014 #14

I would not mind. But the Constitution says I do not have to. merrily Jan 2014 #18

Government is selling our info to private companies; and also buying it from private companies. merrily Jan 2014 #15

One doesn't have to use Gmail. mwooldri Jan 2014 #19

I don't use it, but I see that they also do "content extraction" on e-mails SENT TO Gmail addresses. enough Jan 2014 #22

No wiretapping or interception required with Gmail seveneyes Jan 2014 #23