Can You Divorce Google?
By stevetheblogger, 10th Jul 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutNewsMedia
Is there a way for you to go online, without using, or being seen by Google? This is the question a Tom Henderson of Bloomington, Indiana asked himself after Google decided to update its privacy policy for all its products including “YouTube, Blogger and Gmail”
Googles Policiy
The new Google policy has already been criticized by EU officials for being too invasive to there users and when Mr Henderson asked himself “do I like the terms of service and am I willing to abide by Google's new policies in order to use its products? His answer was no,
Officially Google say that they don't sell users' personal information but as Mr Henderson was about to find out, if he wanted to divorce Google, it was not to be easy, so in 2009 Mr Henderson decided to give it a go.
The first thing he found out was he was not only using Google to view videos on YouTube, or for just using the Google search engine, he also realized that Google plants tracking cookies on all sites he visited. This enabled Google to send adverts to him that matched his likes and dislikes. In order to get around this he new that he would have to make major changes on how he used the Internet in all practicable ways.
The way ahead:
Day 1: Take inventory of everything he did on the Internet.
Day 2: Delete cookies from every site he had ever visited.
Day 3: Redirect his host files to another server
Day 4: Install tracking blockers in order to block Google
Day 5: Mobile phone maintenance in order to block Google
Day 6: Find replacements for everything that he used Google for in the past.
So once this was all done what did Mr Henderson Use?
For directions and maps he used a system called "MapQuest"
For when he wanted to search for something he used a platform called Duck Duck Go, a search engine designed to protect a users privacy. Once installed and all blockers were put in place Mr Henderson found that, yes he could Divorce Google, but at a great price.
Is Mr Henderson still divorced from Google? Apparently he is but no one can find him, so it is hard to tell.
stevetheblogger
My thanks to the BBC for bringing this story to my attention.
Pictures from Wikipedia.
Comments
10th Jul 2012 (#)
There are alternatives, but that is such a hard step to take. I may try to give it a go, or perhaps not.
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10th Jul 2012 (#)
Good title! Caught my attention and made me curious enough to read the article. Exactly what a title needs to do.
Good work.
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10th Jul 2012 (#)
Thank you guys for your kind comments. I don't think I would even attempt to do what this guy did. I have problems setting up my television let alone this.
Best Wishes
Steve
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11th Jul 2012 (#)
It seems from your article that one can divorce google but still befriend her to have your presence be felt on line.
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11th Jul 2012 (#)
Thank you Ramalingam
Yes it does in deed
Many Thanks
Steve
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11th Jul 2012 (#)
Thank you Ramalingam
Yes it does in deed
Many Thanks
Steve
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11th Jul 2012 (#)
Um it is a rather a cumbersome procedure to divorce Google ! Why not to make adjustments with her and have a happy life instead!
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12th Jul 2012 (#)
Awesome post Steve and a unique topic. The idea is that Google wants to organize your life, not just your information, says Oren Etzioni, a professor of computer science at the University of Washington who has consulted for the company on tech development. "In starting up services that haven't been at the core of their business, Google is experimenting to see if they can expand your everyday interaction with them," he says...as a matter of fact Google is getting on our nerves, there's no way we can avoid it..
thank you very Steve for bringing this aspect to our attention.
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