Google... Its over for me

[xKophsx]

I took this decision long time ago, like 2 years ago. First i knew how they privacy stuff was about and i didn't want to be part of it.
Also i was getting like 50 spam emails everyday, i have gotten in 2 years in hotmail like 7 maybe, yeah in 2 yearss! and everyday i was getting like 50 in gmail so another reason why i said bye, and of course because i dont like google.

but Im more glad i did that seeing how they have never cared about privacy.
now im ok with Hotmail and I love Alias stuff, and of course skydrive and office webapps. and last update was a nice update for hotmail.

and I like the UI.
and if i use Tracking Protection I wont see any ad. of course i dont care about ads, and they are easy to close.

i dont know i like Hotmail better and it will be more useful once Win8 is ready. but of course its already useful for WP and XBOX/GFWL.

 

[lumic]

The Google suite looks much better and is simply nicer to use on the desktop. I much prefer Gmail to Hotmail (apart from the awkward loading times, this could change with a Metro overhaul), there's no alternative to YouTube and Google still gives me the results I want better than Bing. I adopted Chrome while everyone was still raving about Firefox (though I'm braving out IE9 now due to the better font smoothing).

Sure, I might get worked up about policy changes. At the end of the day, I know "don't be evil" is BS and I will continue using Google services until there is a viable alternative with widespread adoption.

 

[Big Supes]

For those people who somehow avoided signing up with gmail (when Youtube was taken over) - how did you go about it?

Google kinda has me by the balls with Youtube, so I'm willing to open an account, but not a gmail account. . .

Below is the page you're referred to when attempting to sign up with Youtube.

 

[IamVortigaunt]

I'm curious about how Microsoft's policies and practices compare to Google's when it comes to online services. For example, does MS scan your email? Is there a good comparison somewhere?

Sent from my HTC Trophy using Board Express

 

[Big Supes]

MS don't scan emails.

Sent from my HD7 T9292 using Board Express

 

[palandri]

I'm curious about how Microsoft's policies and practices compare to Google's when it comes to online services. For example, does MS scan your email? Is there a good comparison somewhere?

Sent from my HTC Trophy using Board Express

That's a good question. While i totally understand why people are upset with Google. I am not sure the alternatives are that much better.

 

[palandri]

MS don't scan emails.

Sent from my HD7 T9292 using Board Express

LOL! Are you sure? Aren't there submarines that grab on to transcontinental internet fiber for the puposes of spying on others? Do we really have privacy on the internet?

 

[Big Supes]

LOL! Are you sure? Aren't there submarines that grab on to transcontinental internet fiber for the puposes of spying on others? Do we really have privacy on the internet?

When it comes to our mail, MS don't scan emails. Straight from the horses mouth.

 

[1jaxstate1]

Gmail is my main email. Didn't want to even start using Hotmail, but was forced to. I've been using Chrome for years, its the best browser fir windows7. I've never been a fan of Firefox, I'd rather.use IE.

The Google suite looks much better and is simply nicer to use on the desktop. I much prefer Gmail to Hotmail (apart from the awkward loading times, this could change with a Metro overhaul), there's no alternative to YouTube and Google still gives me the results I want better than Bing. I adopted Chrome while everyone was still raving about Firefox (though I'm braving out IE9 now due to the better font smoothing).

Sent from my Galaxy S II

 

[palandri]

Look at all the additional 3rd party cookies we receive off wpcentral:

google-analytics.net
cloudfront.net
chartbeat.com
quantserve.com
netshelter.net

What do they do?

 

[Big Supes]

Gmail is my main email. Didn't want to even start using Hotmail, but was forced to. I've been using Chrome for years, its the best browser fir windows7. I've never been a fan of Firefox, I'd rather.use IE.




Sent from my Galaxy S II

This whole "forced to sign up with Hotmail/Gmail" argument, IMO, is very different in each case. For example, if I bought Android, I would naturally want a gmail account to take use of the 'brand' and all of it's services. Saying "I was forced to sign up with Hotmail" when buying a "Windows" Phone doesn't make any sense to me. "Forced by common sense" quite possibly?

Regarding Google's Gmail account requirement for Youtube, being "forced" really strikes at the heart of the situation. In my case, I had my Youtube account, then Google came along and 'forced' me to sign up with Gmail in order to keep using it. Why can't I use my Hotmail account for Youtube? It's merely a video broadcasting website..... OOHHHH, I get it... you want to 'force' me into having multiple Google accounts so you can collectively collect all of my data and sell it on. Well, guess what? GFY Google.







...... AND BREATHE!

 

[1jaxstate1]

Common sense isn't very common. Go try and start a dev account. I haven't seen anyone say they had to have a Hotmail accounnt to use a WP7. Eh.

Sent from my Galaxy S II

 

[jalb]

I closed all my Google accounts last night too Dave.

Only one i ever used really was YouTube.

I actually feel a lot better now I've dumped Google, strange.

The one thing stopping me is google docs. I wish there was an easy way to transfer all your docs to sky drive.

 

[mhans311]

With apple you give up control. With google you give up privacy. With Microsoft you give up a bit of convenience and functionality. Every company has pros and cons.

If you want to use YouTube google makes you sign up with google because they own YouTube. Just like if you want to use any Microsoft services you have to sign up with them. Makes sense to me.


Sent from my Trophy using Board Express

 

[Big Supes]

With apple you give up control. With google you give up privacy. With Microsoft you give up a bit of convenience and functionality. Every company has pros and cons.

If you want to use YouTube google makes you sign up with google because they own YouTube. Just like if you want to use any Microsoft services you have to sign up with them. Makes sense to me.


Sent from my Trophy using Board Express

I don't have to sign up to Hotmail to install Windows, use Bing, Office, etc. This would be like MS kicking everyone (who doesn't have a Hotmail account) out of their Skype accounts and forcing them to open a Hotmail account. It makes zero sense to me.

 

[dragonide]

I already switched to bing some time ago ....

The only thing I still use is YouTube, that won't be easy to replace

 

[Residing]

This whole "forced to sign up with Hotmail/Gmail" argument, IMO, is very different in each case. For example, if I bought Android, I would naturally want a gmail account to take use of the 'brand' and all of it's services. Saying "I was forced to sign up with Hotmail" when buying a "Windows" Phone doesn't make any sense to me. "Forced by common sense" quite possibly?

Regarding Google's Gmail account requirement for Youtube, being "forced" really strikes at the heart of the situation. In my case, I had my Youtube account, then Google came along and 'forced' me to sign up with Gmail in order to keep using it. Why can't I use my Hotmail account for Youtube? It's merely a video broadcasting website..... OOHHHH, I get it... you want to 'force' me into having multiple Google accounts so you can collectively collect all of my data and sell it on. Well, guess what? GFY Google.







...... AND BREATHE!

@Big Supes...So that I'm clear with regards to your encounter: You already had a YouTube account, but then Google notified you that you had to 'adopt' their other services (i.e. Google+, etc.)?

I have a YouTube account, and a GVoice number (that I give out on occasion but hardly use), but I have not been notifed by Google to sign up for their other services. If they do notify me, then i will terminate these two services. I do NOT want Google+ or Gmail, or anything else Google.

 

[Gawain]

Well Google went and did it they have added the straw that broke the camel's back at least for me. I have closed out all my G-stuff deleted all contacts and emails. I have a coupe of people I email using Gmail so I have to keep the account opened if I could get those guys off that I wouldn't ever use Google again. Why!?

Google is watching every step you take

I signed my new licensing agreement yesterday just like all Google users will have to do allowing Google to categorize all my activities. Why am I not comfortable with this? Mostly because I dont have the option to opt out. Would I opt out probably not I dont really care what they are doing with my information in the end it might even benefit me but I do want the option. What do you guys say are you okay with Google tracking you? Do you think you should have the option to pass on them tracking you?

As a Microsoft enthusiast I have all my stuff in Bing, Live and Hotmail anyways so it no loss to me. I dont really use Google anyways do you? Give me your thoughts on this everyone am I over reacting?

I lurk around here most of the time. I think you're overreacting for the following reasons:

1. Google's new policies barely bring it to parity with Facebook. If you're on Facebook, it doesn't much matter.
2. Unless you use some type of anonymous-blocking web-browser, Google Analytics, along with about 2 dozen other tracking cookies record your browser activity/telemetry (Explorer, Chrome, Opera, even Firefox are all built to allow these tools to operate).
3. If you have a cell phone and enable any type of GPS locator services, ad services will eventually tie in to some carrier program which will also "link" various services to you and your accounts.
4. Just about every online/media/connected device or service does the same thing. Yahoo!, MSN Live, AOL, cellular carrier, et al...

I don't necessarily blame you for your reaction, but this activity that Google is integrating doesn't really separate them from the pack. Remember all the hooplah over CarrierIQ? That service did *less* than what all these other activities do and one blog/media twist starts a whole sh!tstorm.

Reality, there is no big conspiracy to enable a track on every individual out there by evil corporations for purposes of serving some obscure government master. Reality is this: if you did a search on Google for chinese restaurants in San Francisco and used your gmail account to invite some friends for dinner, Google is going to tally that statistic in some grand database to sell ad space to all the chinese restaurants in town because "someone" likes chinese. Not because you were in your living room streaming Family Guy clips on Youtube and they activated your camera to see you were eating Chow Mein and they focused on the take out receipt hanging on outside of the bag...catch my drift?

It comes down to money. If they are able to target demographics for their clients for the purposes of selling ad space for products you already buy and use there isn't much new happening here. The fact that it links your Google+ with your Gmail, with Google searches shouldn't really surprise anyone should it (h*ll, I thought it already did)? Look at all the Facebook integration over the past 12 months...****, my Ghostify says there are 5 tracking cookies on this page I'm typing on alone...

So, in the end, I'm not bashing your concerns for privacy. I'm simply throwing my two-cents worth of perspective out there. If you're on the grid in any way, it doesn't matter what Google does...

 

[Dave Blake]

@Gawain I like what you have to say and you are right in some ways and in some ways you are not. I am not well enough informed to support a solid counterpoint to my objections to what you are saying so I will save that for another day and thread. Thanks again for your comments you have some good points. As to over reacting in my case not really I didn't use goggle much anyways so I will barely miss their services.

 

[willied]

@Big Supes...So that I'm clear with regards to your encounter: You already had a YouTube account, but then Google notified you that you had to 'adopt' their other services (i.e. Google+, etc.)?

What he's saying is that you have to have a Google account to make/have a Youtube account even if you signed up for Youtube before Google bought it.