[ale] google docs

[Richard Bronosky]

Nothing is truly free. You have to look for the money trail with all
free services. Few of us have the means to live an unsubsidized life.
I know I certainly do not. For that reason those who provide me with
"free" services that I enjoy are granted the right to make money off
of my patronage on my terms. I keep a close eye on how my info is
being used and change my behavior when something makes me uneasy.

I know that much of the technology I appreciate today is subsidized
with ad revenue. I'm fine with that. When Google shows me ads, I want
them to be the best most relevant ads possible. I want them to know
that men my age are doing the things I do. (I'd love to trick them
into thinking that more us of do it, not hide so it looks like there
are less of us.) I am going to be displayed ads on the net. I choose
to accept that and to engage in the system.

I do not like certain advertisers and advertising companies. I refuse
to use NetFlix because I do not approve of the pop under advertising
methods they use. Do I wish I "could" use NetFlix? Do I "suffer" as a
result of my moral objection? Yes and yes, but that is the stand I
take. I despise MSFT and everything they stand for. For that reason I
block ads, maps, etc. that come from MSFT, "Live", bing, etc. I also
take pride in clicking every single MSFT ad that I see. I love the
idea that MSFT has to pay Google for an ad I click in Gmail!

The point to all of this is, you are going to either have a public
profile, or you are not. With the nature of the internet today it is
EXTREMELY difficult to not have a public profile. You should weigh the
situation carefully. Choose where you _want_ to stand. Decide how to
position yourself there. Reevaluate often. But, to make reactionary
decisions incrementally is almost certain to only result in making
sacrifices without advancing you toward your goal.

On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 5:24 PM,  <brian at polibyte.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:24:11 -0500, drifter <drifter at oppositelock.org>
> wrote:
>> My son tried to talk me into creating an account on Google Docs.
>>
>> So I started down the path and my first stumble was Google's need for my
>
>> birth date.  There can be no legitimate need for that data.
>> Then I started reading the Terms Of Service.
>>
>> Buried within were these two paragraphs:
>>
>> 11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in
> Content
>> which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By
>> submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a
> perpetual,
>> irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to
>> reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly
>
>> display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on
> or
>> through, the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling
>> Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be
> revoked
>> for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those
> Services.
>
> That's not in the Terms of Service for Google Docs.
>
> Section 11.1 of the Terms of Service governing Google Docs is replaced in
> its entirety by:
>
> "You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content
> which you submit, post or display on or through, the Service. By
> submitting, posting or displaying the Content you give Google a worldwide,
> royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify,
> translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any
> Content which you submit, post or display on or through the Service for the
> sole purpose of enabling Google to provide you with the Service in
> accordance with its Privacy Policy."
>
> See http://www.google.com/google-d-s/addlterms.html
>
> All the best,
> Brian Pitts
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-- 
.!# RichardBronosky #!.