Google Is Not Part of My Life
I avoid Google products and services, which includes Android. Too much loss of privacy. Too much data mining, too much tracking, too much advertising.
I am curious that some people refuse to use social media because of the privacy and tracking concerns yet cover their ears and shout, “La la, la!” when using Google products and services.
Google is an advertising company. Data mining and tracking is at the core of this company, modus operandi, and raison d'etre.
Like Windows 10, the Google search engine is not a free service. The cost of using the search engine is data mining and tracking.
Likewise with Gmail.
Likewise with Android. From the beginning Android was designed as a data mining and tracking conduit. That the kernel is a modified Linux kernel is a classic red herring and ignores the fact that everything on top of that modified kernel is designed for data mining and tracking.
Likewise for Chromebooks. Just another vehicle for tracking people.
Expect more of the same with Fuchsia.
I use other search engines. Some time ago I stopped using Google Maps because of the bane of the web excrement required to use the site. I do not use Gmail, Google Docs, or Google Drive. For at least the last decade I have blocked Google cookies. I do not use Chrome. I have no Android products. I block several Google URLs, including fonts.googleapis.com. I use the Decentraleyes Firefox add-on to limit exposure to Google APIs.
I am not naive to believe that I block all Google attempts to track me in some sort of manner. For example, certain RSS feeds that I subscribe use Google services such as feedburner.
The limits of my Google exposure? Rarely I use Google translation services, but only when I am almost desperate for specific information. Occasionally I view Youtube videos through an external video player rather than a browser.
I am not a purist. My approach to life is much that happens in human interaction are shades of gray. Little in life is simple black and white. That said, there are areas of life I prefer not to enter.
Google is not part of my life.
Posted: Category: Commentary, Usability Tagged: General
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