I assumed that by NOT clicking on Google Buzz which creates a public link of all your e-mail clients so that they can follow you kind of like twitter, I would not be signed up for the service. However, after reading some comments attached to an article about the negative aspects of Buzz, I discovered that just by having a gmail e-mail account, Buzz and Chat are turned ON by default without my permission. To turn these things off, go to the bottom of your gmail inbox, scroll to the very bottom of the page. Click on very small text links turn off chat, turn off buzz. Google motto do no evil is bullshit. They should have these things as opt in, not automatic. I would advise anyone who has a gmail account to do this ASAP unless you could care less someone that you may have e-mailed in the past can now see all your e-mail contacts and who you are e-mailing, and what you are doing.
Google IS evil. Whether by design or not. This company is doing as much harm if not more, than good. Their mapping of the world complete with cameras and the recording of your searches are only a taste of what^they have in store for us, I try to not use any of their services, they should be boycotted, it's a terrible threat to freedom. Their Googleads network is a blackbox with no transparency whatsoever , it's just unbelievable they are able to operate it that way since they have a defacto monopoly now. One day I believe we will come to know that price gouging and other questionable practices were the policy at Google, there is no other way they are able to make that kind of money. They are also allowed to steal legally, with Youtube, Youtube would essentially be worth a fraction of what it is today if all the copyrighted material was removed. But when you are as big as Google you are allowed to steal and get away with it.
Analyzing your emails (for advertising purposes only, of course) is no longer good enough for Google. Google wants your DNS lookups http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/ Google plans to operate own fiber network to get your full IP traffic http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/think-big-with-gig-our-experimental.html Even worse, Mozilla Foundation is almost "wholly owned subsidiary" of Google http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Foundation#Financing Now, what does that mean...
I absolutely 1000% agree. Although I must admit, it's nice being able to see/hear music or video from almost any possible imaginable source for free. Maybe all these other evil things are just the price we pay for that and ... the benefits of powerful free web search.
This is no different than the nonsense that goes on at Microsoft, Intel, etc. Except google seems better at it.
So meaning even if you didn't click the buzz thin, they can automatically follow you or what? Can I just turn off the Buzz and leave the Chat on? I do need the chat as I use it to chat with some clients.
another possible concern is to keep in mind some email headers give up your ip address. while that does not give up your exact home address it can give your location. the ip address location can also be the provider's location ( ex: aol ) you use for the email, but someone should know if this is true or not if privacy is a concern. someone might want to be aware of an ip address reveal in the header if they do not want the receiver to know their approximate location. then there is always google stalker for those paranoid people who want to know where their spouse is 24/7 ( thankful this did not exist in my youthful dating days ) http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html
Frank Zappa said it best: You will obey me while I lead you And eat the garbage that I feed you Until the day that we don't need you Don't got for help...no one will heed you Your mind is totally controlled It has been stuffed into my mold And you will do as you are told Until the rights to you are sold