"JohnH" wrote in message
news
Went to get some info on Gmail and came across the following thread in the
Gmail discussion group at Yahoo:

http://tinyurl.com/hofoe

Definitely gives me second thoughts about subscribing. I think I'll just
stick with Cox and Yahoo.

I also came across this line in the info section on Gmail:

"There are no pop-ups or untargeted banner ads in Gmail, only small text
ads. Ads and related information are relevant to your messages, so instead
of being obtrusive, they may even be useful for once."

In order to target the 'ads and related information' it would seem as
though something is paying more attention to messages than I would desire.

http://mail.google.com/mail/help/about.html

Any thoughts?



Gmail comes from the same company that gave us Google desktop, which carried
some major security risks. You have to be pretty flaky to use any product
from Google other than their basic search engine.

February 09, 2006
Google Copies Your Hard Drive - Government Smiles in Anticipation
Consumers Should Not Use New Google Desktop

San Francisco - Google today announced a new "feature" of its Google Desktop
software that greatly increases the risk to consumer privacy. If a consumer
chooses to use it, the new "Search Across Computers" feature will store
copies of the user's Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets and other text-based
documents on Google's own servers, to enable searching from any one of the
user's computers. EFF urges consumers not to use this feature, because it
will make their personal data more vulnerable to subpoenas from the
government and possibly private litigants, while providing a convenient
one-stop-shop for hackers who've obtained a user's Google password.

"Coming on the heels of serious consumer concern about government snooping
into Google's search logs, it's shocking that Google expects its users to
now trust it with the contents of their personal computers," said EFF Staff
Attorney Kevin Bankston. "If you use the Search Across Computers feature and
don't configure Google Desktop very carefully-and most people won't-Google
will have copies of your tax returns, love letters, business records,
financial and medical files, and whatever other text-based documents the
Desktop software can index. The government could then demand these personal
files with only a subpoena rather than the search warrant it would need to
seize the same things from your home or business, and in many cases you
wouldn't even be notified in time to challenge it. Other litigants-your
spouse, your business partners or rivals, whoever-could also try to cut out
the middleman (you) and subpoena Google for your files."

The privacy problem arises because the Electronic Communication Privacy Act
of 1986, or ECPA, gives only limited privacy protection to emails and other
files that are stored with online service providers-much less privacy than
the legal protections for the same information when it's on your computer at
home. And even that lower level of legal protection could disappear if
Google uses your data for marketing purposes. Google says it is not yet
scanning the files it copies from your hard drive in order to serve targeted
advertising, but it hasn't ruled out the possibility, and Google's current
privacy policy appears to allow it.

"This Google product highlights a key privacy problem in the digital age,"
said Cindy Cohn, EFF's Legal Director. "Many Internet innovations involve
storing personal files on a service provider's computer, but under outdated
laws, consumers who want to use these new technologies have to surrender
their privacy rights. If Google wants consumers to trust it to store copies
of personal computer files, emails, search histories and chat logs, and
still 'not be evil,' it should stand with EFF and demand that Congress
update the privacy laws to better reflect life in the wired world."

For more on Google's data collection:
http://news.com.com/FAQ+When+Google+...66.html?tag=nl
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/ar..._roils_the_web
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DGEPGPHA61.DTL
http://news.com.com/%20Bill+would+fo...3-6036951.html

Contact:

Kevin Bankston
Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation


Posted at 11:04 AM

I've had Google for a while, and I haven't experianced any of those
types of problems. I can pretty well detect SPAM seeing that I don't
really get much mail from there anyhow. . and if I saw that I sent one
to myself, I wouldn't open it . I'd junk it.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"JohnH" wrote in message
news
Went to get some info on Gmail and came across the following thread in the
Gmail discussion group at Yahoo:

http://tinyurl.com/hofoe

Definitely gives me second thoughts about subscribing. I think I'll just
stick with Cox and Yahoo.

I also came across this line in the info section on Gmail:

"There are no pop-ups or untargeted banner ads in Gmail, only small text
ads. Ads and related information are relevant to your messages, so instead
of being obtrusive, they may even be useful for once."

In order to target the 'ads and related information' it would seem as
though something is paying more attention to messages than I would desire.

http://mail.google.com/mail/help/about.html

Any thoughts?



Gmail comes from the same company that gave us Google desktop, which carried
some major security risks. You have to be pretty flaky to use any product
from Google other than their basic search engine.

February 09, 2006
Google Copies Your Hard Drive - Government Smiles in Anticipation
Consumers Should Not Use New Google Desktop

San Francisco - Google today announced a new "feature" of its Google Desktop
software that greatly increases the risk to consumer privacy. If a consumer
chooses to use it, the new "Search Across Computers" feature will store
copies of the user's Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets and other text-based
documents on Google's own servers, to enable searching from any one of the
user's computers. EFF urges consumers not to use this feature, because it
will make their personal data more vulnerable to subpoenas from the
government and possibly private litigants, while providing a convenient
one-stop-shop for hackers who've obtained a user's Google password.

"Coming on the heels of serious consumer concern about government snooping
into Google's search logs, it's shocking that Google expects its users to
now trust it with the contents of their personal computers," said EFF Staff
Attorney Kevin Bankston. "If you use the Search Across Computers feature and
don't configure Google Desktop very carefully-and most people won't-Google
will have copies of your tax returns, love letters, business records,
financial and medical files, and whatever other text-based documents the
Desktop software can index. The government could then demand these personal
files with only a subpoena rather than the search warrant it would need to
seize the same things from your home or business, and in many cases you
wouldn't even be notified in time to challenge it. Other litigants-your
spouse, your business partners or rivals, whoever-could also try to cut out
the middleman (you) and subpoena Google for your files."

The privacy problem arises because the Electronic Communication Privacy Act
of 1986, or ECPA, gives only limited privacy protection to emails and other
files that are stored with online service providers-much less privacy than
the legal protections for the same information when it's on your computer at
home. And even that lower level of legal protection could disappear if
Google uses your data for marketing purposes. Google says it is not yet
scanning the files it copies from your hard drive in order to serve targeted
advertising, but it hasn't ruled out the possibility, and Google's current
privacy policy appears to allow it.

"This Google product highlights a key privacy problem in the digital age,"
said Cindy Cohn, EFF's Legal Director. "Many Internet innovations involve
storing personal files on a service provider's computer, but under outdated
laws, consumers who want to use these new technologies have to surrender
their privacy rights. If Google wants consumers to trust it to store copies
of personal computer files, emails, search histories and chat logs, and
still 'not be evil,' it should stand with EFF and demand that Congress
update the privacy laws to better reflect life in the wired world."

For more on Google's data collection:
http://news.com.com/FAQ+When+Google+...66.html?tag=nl
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/ar..._roils_the_web
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DGEPGPHA61.DTL
http://news.com.com/%20Bill+would+fo...3-6036951.html

Contact:

Kevin Bankston
Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation


Posted at 11:04 AM

wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had Google for a while, and I haven't experianced any of those
types of problems. I can pretty well detect SPAM seeing that I don't
really get much mail from there anyhow. . and if I saw that I sent one
to myself, I wouldn't open it . I'd junk it.


You've had Google WHAT? Which product are you referring to?

pardon me, "G-mail"


JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had Google for a while, and I haven't experianced any of those
types of problems. I can pretty well detect SPAM seeing that I don't
really get much mail from there anyhow. . and if I saw that I sent one
to myself, I wouldn't open it . I'd junk it.


You've had Google WHAT? Which product are you referring to?

wrote in message
ps.com...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had Google for a while, and I haven't experianced any of those
types of problems. I can pretty well detect SPAM seeing that I don't
really get much mail from there anyhow. . and if I saw that I sent one
to myself, I wouldn't open it . I'd junk it.


You've had Google WHAT? Which product are you referring to?



pardon me, "G-mail"



Well, I think it's odd that a for-profit company uses the content of your
email to generate income. All email is potentially subject to surveillance,
but Google's routine is odd, to say the least. I wonder how many people
don't even notice.

On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:16:54 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had Google for a while, and I haven't experianced any of those
types of problems. I can pretty well detect SPAM seeing that I don't
really get much mail from there anyhow. . and if I saw that I sent one
to myself, I wouldn't open it . I'd junk it.


You've had Google WHAT? Which product are you referring to?



pardon me, "G-mail"



Well, I think it's odd that a for-profit company uses the content of your
email to generate income. All email is potentially subject to surveillance,
but Google's routine is odd, to say the least. I wonder how many people
don't even notice.


That was the point of my original post. I agree with all the folks that say
email is subject to being intercepted, read, etc. But, I don't know of any
email providers who scan every message looking for key words which will be
used for targeted advertising (or for anything else the company wishes).

Thanks, but no thanks.
--
John H

******************************************
***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
******************************************

"JohnH" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:16:54 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

wrote in message
oups.com...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had Google for a while, and I haven't experianced any of those
types of problems. I can pretty well detect SPAM seeing that I don't
really get much mail from there anyhow. . and if I saw that I sent
one
to myself, I wouldn't open it . I'd junk it.


You've had Google WHAT? Which product are you referring to?



pardon me, "G-mail"



Well, I think it's odd that a for-profit company uses the content of your
email to generate income. All email is potentially subject to
surveillance,
but Google's routine is odd, to say the least. I wonder how many people
don't even notice.


That was the point of my original post. I agree with all the folks that
say
email is subject to being intercepted, read, etc. But, I don't know of any
email providers who scan every message looking for key words which will be
used for targeted advertising (or for anything else the company wishes).

Thanks, but no thanks.
--
John H

The whole thing makes me wonder why we ever did away with the pillory and
rotten vegetables as a form of public punishment.



--
"In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost
every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination." - Mark Twain

JohnH wrote:
On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:16:54 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

wrote in message
ps.com...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had Google for a while, and I haven't experianced any of those
types of problems. I can pretty well detect SPAM seeing that I don't
really get much mail from there anyhow. . and if I saw that I sent one
to myself, I wouldn't open it . I'd junk it.

You've had Google WHAT? Which product are you referring to?

pardon me, "G-mail"


Well, I think it's odd that a for-profit company uses the content of your
email to generate income. All email is potentially subject to surveillance,
but Google's routine is odd, to say the least. I wonder how many people
don't even notice.


That was the point of my original post. I agree with all the folks that say
email is subject to being intercepted, read, etc. But, I don't know of any
email providers who scan every message looking for key words which will be
used for targeted advertising (or for anything else the company wishes).

Thanks, but no thanks.
--
John H

******************************************
***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
******************************************
Try sending yourself some email to yahoo and hotmail with key words and
see if you dont see more of the same kind of ads.

Actually John, I've found G-mails SPAM filter to be pretty good. If
somebody reports spam to gmail, it's automatic spam, and gets thrown
into the spam file. My gmail spam file catch's anywhere from 5-20 SPAMS
a day, and will hold them there for 30 days before automatic deletion.
and yoyu can open up the SPAM file to see whats in there and will tell
you from whom it came. Just in case something got caught that you
didn't want to. I think it's kind of neat.

I haven't had any problems with it.


JohnH wrote:
On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:16:54 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had Google for a while, and I haven't experianced any of those
types of problems. I can pretty well detect SPAM seeing that I don't
really get much mail from there anyhow. . and if I saw that I sent one
to myself, I wouldn't open it . I'd junk it.


You've had Google WHAT? Which product are you referring to?



pardon me, "G-mail"



Well, I think it's odd that a for-profit company uses the content of your
email to generate income. All email is potentially subject to surveillance,
but Google's routine is odd, to say the least. I wonder how many people
don't even notice.


That was the point of my original post. I agree with all the folks that say
email is subject to being intercepted, read, etc. But, I don't know of any
email providers who scan every message looking for key words which will be
used for targeted advertising (or for anything else the company wishes).

Thanks, but no thanks.
--
John H

******************************************
***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
******************************************