A Facebook Alternative?

I hope this is a Facebook alternative.  I’m sick of FB’s lack of respect for personal information.  Too much abuse and too many hacks.  I hate the setup where interacting with an entity through it’s app almost always requires me to share way too much personal information and give them the ability to write on my wall. 

I realize the developer chooses this, but my complaint is that FB gives them the power and does not grant me the right to reject it and control my own information.  For instance, perhaps I am OK giving an entity my profile pic and ability to write on my wall, but I want to reject the ability for them to grab all my friends’ information – I cannot do that.  As a result, I rarely interact with business/apps, which means a portion of the social network is unavailable. 

So I welcome Google’s entrance (re-entrance).  I have not used the service yet, but I plan to.  My initial fear is that it will be similar to Facebook in how much data it gives to marketer’s via apps and interfaces.  Just because I make a comment on some blog or news site does not mean I want my comments posted across my social network – nor do I want to have to worry about settings for that every time I want to write a comment.  I also don’t want everyone who goes to that site to see my comment tied to my picture, name, and location.  I have a job and like you, I don’t always want my boss in my personal life.  As our personal lives now extend to the Web, we want to be able to protect it. 

So, I look forward to trying Google+.  To that end, here’s a newbie’s guide:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/12/google-plus-guide-tips-for-newbies_n_896350.html#s307613&title=Start_By_Finding

Google: Privacy doesn’t exist

Interesting information on the Google G1 phone.  I became dis-interested when I learned that it does not have a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack (a la Blackberry phones).  2.5 mm jacks…”that’s so 20th century”, me thinks. 

I would like to hang on to my privacy, but as a society we will keep giving it away for convenience (myself included).  I’m mindful of the privacy aspect, but I do love my technology.  What troubles me is the inevitable occurence where the government will overstep its bounds and seize control of this information, plunging us further into an Orwellian world.  It’s already been moving the boundaries back, see the recent warrantless/illegal phone taps.  Legally, these companies should not have turned over personal information but they did, and they did it with impunity. 

Google G1 Phone: Does it know too much?

• Date: February 11th, 2009
• Author: Michael Kassner

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/networking/?p=981&tag=nl.e102 

At first, I didn’t understand why this was so different from using a normal computer and any one of the many Google services. Then Cauley quoted Rep. Edward Markey D-Mass, former chairperson of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet:

“The Big Brother aspect of it is troubling. Mobile consumers are especially vulnerable. Unlike PCs, cellphones tend to be used by one person exclusively. The information they telegraph on Web browsing, lifestyle and more tends to be “highly personalized.”

Google’s Chrome Needs Detailing

Google’s Beta browser “Chrome” has some concerns:

Privacy: http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/web_services_browser/chrome_privacy_is_full_of_dents.html?kc=EWWHNEMNL090408EOAD 

Security: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Google-Chrome-Security-Features-May-Not-be-Enough-to-Win-Over-Web-Surfers/?kc=EWWHNEMNL090408EOAD 
&
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Google-Chrome-Browser-Vulnerable-to-Security-Flaw/?kc=EWWHNEMNL090408EOAD

411 – Google Strikes Again

Now Google is rolling out free 411 service – sweet!  In 15 years when Google is taking over the world we’ll probably all complain about them.  But for now…Google=good!