Google's total information obsession

Anyone who worries about government snooping has not been paying much attention to Google and it's long term goal of "total information" about every single person on the planet. The Google founders are becoming wierdly creepy with their happy talk discussions of wanting to tell people "what job to take" and "what to do tomorrow."

Google apparently is not satisifed with making billions from advertising; they also want to be your nosy, domineering, and overbearing "friend" who has an opinion about everything you are doing.

The company continues to expand it reach, and the recent acquisition of online ad giant DoubleClick means the monstrous company is well on the way to complete vertical integration of the Web.

Lots of people like Google's "free" services, but as always, there is no free lunch. Google's "free" email service also means giving Google permission to read all your email to look for data that can be used to create customized ads for you. Write to a friend about a hiking trip, and ads from LL Bean and REI might start popping up on your screen. Or worse, write to someone about a medical condition, and microseconds later, Google has added that information to your dossier that it keeps on you, and you start getting targeted drug advertisements.

Google's online applications are even more risky. Use Google's online word processing service, and Google knows everything you have ever written with it.

Google should be free to pursue whatever corporate goals it wants, but Google users should know the price that is paid for the convenience.

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