A new little feature, the recently upgraded Google Toolbar, now allows for instant translation, spell-checking, and instant image search. I’m a fan.
What about Google’s privacy policies? Any opinions out there? From the little reading I did, I do not feel violated by their policies, but I’d be curious to hear from someone who has thought this through (who is also not paranoid or angry.)
I am irritated by their Windows-only programming. I almost feel like they’re trying to become Microsoft only with better software.
So the new toolbar sounds really exciting but I wouldn’t know.
Abigail, have you seen this?
Yay for Mac, and yay for capitalism.
Though, PCs are superior :)
Google’s unofficial motto is good and all. However, one has to be a little cynical just over the fact of how much incredible power they have over your personal info.
1. Gmail. ‘Nuff said.
2. Toolbar. According to google-watch.com, the toolbar installs whatever it wants unobtrusively, even despite firewalls. So, Google basically has a backdoor into your computer, should they want to use it.
3. Meticulous monitoring of your searches. While I doubt you’re typing your credit card number or SSN into Google, it is possible to derive ‘private’ information from large amounts of seemingly innocuous public info, like whoever it was recently doing with a couple thousand Air Force personnel accounts.
One of the many things that the church hasn’t done very well is articulate a good understanding of mental illness and how we can deal with it. This is something I’m working on in my own community. CCEF has a lot of great resources, articles, etc: http://www.ccef.org/