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- What's the highest dollar price will Bitcoin reach in 2024? Posted on March 20th, 2024 | 68 comments
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Keep it. (Score:2, Insightful)
And Facebook too.
I guess I'm just not vain enough to believe that people give a crap what i'm thinking 15 times a day.
Re:People think google are different. (Score:5, Insightful)
One major difference between Google and facebook is that Google sells your eyeballs to advertisers, facebook sells your information.
Whether you think that makes a large ethical difference is up to you, but the practical implications are significant -- essentially, Google acts as a black box in between advertisers and users, which is a system I massively prefer. Facebook will literally sell your name and address. I think that this is a significant improvement.
Of course, the other point is the question of trust. Can people trust Google? Maybe. I do, but I'm very careful about it, and I believe a lot of other people are too. The moment they start locking down services or locking in users, or the moment I actually find them doing something 'evil' (and no, accidentally leaving Kismet on a default setting does not count) I'm leaving them completely. Facebook, however, I don't trust at all with anything. That's trickier, since I live in a different city from where I grew up and a lot of my friends still live, and frankly facebook is in common usage, but then it's a trade off. I definitely don't put anything on facebook that I wouldn't say on national TV.
Another reason Google is in my good books, at least, is because they look at the long term. They want more people browsing the web as a general business goal, so they develop an awesome browser -- not necessarily to win the browser wars, but to make all browsers better. Then they also make it open source. Then they build driverless cars. Then they provide the best free mapping system in the world. Then they add satellite / overhead imagery to it.
Google might not be perfect, but they're by far the best multinational corporation I've ever come across.
Re:Keep it. (Score:4, Insightful)
Depends. If it kills Facebook and replaces it with yet another proprietary communication system, then I don't really care. If it kills Facebook and replaces it with an interoperable federated system, then that's great. Google has done some good work in that area before. I shut down my ICQ / AIM transport a few months ago because the last person I still knew who used either network had got a Google Talk account, so I can talk to all of my former ICQ and AIM contacts with XMPP from my own server.
I see your point and I agree with it. Still, killing facebook and replacing it would still be a boon. Facebook has nothing like data liberation. [google.com] At this point facebook explicitly forbids importing your data (connections, pages, etc.) into any other service. Google does not. If and when something better then G+ comes along, it would be easier to switch from G+ than it is now from facebook.
Keep your hands off my email! (Score:3, Insightful)
I haven't really looked at G+, but my problem with this and Google Wave, is that it is too closely associated with my email.
I don't want people knowing I'm online whenever I'm checking my email. I don't want IM conversations recorded for all eternity. I don't want everyone I've ever emailed to now be my "GooglePlus" friend.
I treat email as a completely separate entity to IM. It's where there's no immense pressure for a timely reply, no acknowledgement to the other party that you got the email and ignored it, and I have the ability to think twice about what is written! It is my sanctuary to the pressure of work and home - in my job (and at home) I have to communicate with people all day! I like getting email, reading it, perhaps replying, all in my own time. I quite like the limitations that email has in terms of communication - it's a sweet spot for the way I think/write - not too formal, but not always in the mood!
I'll ignore Google+, and I'll be pissed off if Google decides to automatically add it to Gmail.
Re:Keep your hands off my email! (Score:5, Insightful)
#1 - You can set yourself to invisible, and read email in peace. I do it all the time. Google Talk is already integrated into Gmail, so not sure what you're complaining about might change? It's already there, lol! And it has been for quite a while.
#2 - You're probably going to be disappointed, because it is already integrated, just like the login is already uniform across all services.
"I quite like the limitations that email has in terms of communication" - You're a minority. I sympathize, but I learned a long time ago... as much as I hated MySpace, if I wanted to be visible in tech at all, I'd better learn to think as a perpetual 21 year old who always is into the latest thing and not go grumbling about IRC being the best protocol ever created and poo-pooing the demise of Usenet as a happening place to be.
Re:facebookg+ (Score:5, Insightful)
#1 - the biggie - IT'S NOT FACEBOOK!
#2 - circles - share stuff with people you've put into different circles rather than with everyone|friends|friends of friends.
#3 - circles again - view posts from all your circles or just one - say, all your slashdot friends.
#4 - privacy settings - a lot more control than failbook
#5 - already a much better interface. None of this "wall" crapola;.
Re:People think google are different. (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't get the technology community. It seems like google do what they want with you data they get away with it. Google+ doesn't do much more for your privacy than facebook or myspace. The other day people were up in arms about yahoo scanning emails but we all know google has been doing it for years, whats the difference?
This is where I see the difference between Facebook and Google (and folks are welcome to correct any misconceptions I have)
When I sign up for something on Facebook, it asks for permission to give all my information to whatever advertiser is sponsoring the widget (even if it's completely unnecessary for the game). In effect, they're selling my information (or inducing me to sell my information) to third-party advertisers.
When I sign up for something on Google, Google doesn't sell my details to the advertisers. Instead, it goes to the advertisers and says "you tell me who should see this ad, and we'll make sure those people are seeing it? 25-year old males who have an interest in technology and like the color orange? You got it".
I have far less objection to companies making money by giving me smart ads than I do to them selling my information wholesale.
Re:The world (Score:3, Insightful)
What people need instead is more time with real people.
Are you *insane*? The outside world is full of rapists, athiests and the unhealthy, who will corrupt your body and soul the moment you step outside your door! Stay inside and stay tuned to Fox News, or else risk Losing Everything You Hold Dear!
No Facebook, yes Google + (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:People think google are different. (Score:4, Insightful)
you have a google account...and presumably a gmail address with contacts, but you have a problem with storing more contact information on gmail?
How is it evil to store your contacts in the contacts section of a web service that you already subscribe to? They don't use that information for anything...not even advertising.
Or who are realistic about the trade... (Score:4, Insightful)
...or who are realistic about the trade off involved....