Re: [projectvrm] Google's attempt to make a safer ad medium

[Guy Higgins < >]

Some thoughts:

- “User intent ‘in the moment’” is still spying.  All that does (it seems
to me) is transfer the longitudinal collection of data to a third party
with Google being the sweeper and the thrid party being the collector.
- "Published content" ― right now, Google offers this without asking for
money.  Seems to me that if they start charging for published content,
people (not everyone, but many, maybe most) will go elsewhere
- “Data gathered from other than users” ― this is largely commodity data
and it is really hard to compete in commodity markets, other than on price
― and this stuff is free everywhere

So that leaves Google asking, “In the absence of user data, what do we
sell?”  You cannot make money by providing free stuff ― not even in volumn.

Guy

On 6/10/15, 23:24 , "Don Marti" 
<
 >
 wrote:

>Conventional wisdom on the "Google has no choice but
>to be creepy" problem:
>
>  
>https://aralbalkan.com/notes/apple-vs-google-on-privacy-a-tale-of-absolute
>-competitive-advantage/
>
>It's not as bad as all that, though.
>
>Google has not just personal info to work with,
>but also...
>
> * published content
>
> * user intent "in the moment" -- the text being
>   searched for or an individual voice command
>
> * data gathered from sources other than users or the
>   web (weather, traffic, financial markets...)
>
>Google could compete on privacy -- relying on
>competitive advantage in natural language processing,
>gathering public data, and computer science.
>
>A post-creepy Google wouldn't be a dead Google, but
>a relatively stronger Google (as companies that do
>depend more on PII end up suffering more)
>
>
>begin Guy Higgins quotation of Wed, Jun 10, 2015 at 10:04:38AM -0600:
>> 
>> Google is helping you protect yourself from ³bad² people, but obviously
>>not
>> from the ³good² guys � aka Google.
>> 
>> Guy
>> 
>> From:  Katherine Warman Kern 
>> <
 >
>> Date:  Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 5:28
>> To:  Project VRM 
>> <
 >
>> Subject:  [projectvrm] Google's attempt to make a safer ad medium
>> 
>> What the?
>> 
>> Begin forwarded message:
>> 
>> > From: comradity 
>> > <
 >
>> > Date: June 10, 2015 at 6:49:08 AM EDT
>> > To: Project VRM 
>> > <
 >
>> > Subject: Fwd: Your account settings in one place at My Account
>> > 
>> > What the?
>> > 
>> > Katherine Warman Kern
>> > 
>> > Begin forwarded message:
>> > 
>> >> From: Google 
>> >> <
 >
>> >> Date: June 10, 2015 at 3:59:19 AM EDT
>> >> To: 
>> >> 
 
>> >> Subject: Your account settings in one place at My Account
>> >> Reply-To: Google 
>> >> <
 >
>> >> 
>> >>      Your account settings in one place at My Account
>> >>              
>> >>            
>> >>     
>> >>  
>> >>   
>> >>    
>> >> Controls to protect and secure your Google Account
>> >>   
>> >> Hello,
>> >> 
>> >>  
>> >> We want you to know that you can manage your privacy and security
>>settings in
>> >> one place, My Account
>> >> 
>><https://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/p/MRezSucYysbghu4jUBx_x2GsyELaIebu0w
>>uG3L
>> >> -VvHiK2g-yunlknkHwlmmw4AMrh1eB2cHriCXRMMyt97OudawRibefUNEAZA==> .
>> >>  
>> >>  
>> >>     
>> >>     VISIT MY ACCOUNT
>> >> 
>><https://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/p/Y98TNL5dtrvFPxFXseejbY73joUgLX5nCy
>>ng4O
>> >> fvvZCnqUPU2NYPKV0kT79LOGXxrXNbiBzgKra07_9SU6rJ2RJbrljieg==>
>> >>   
>> >>    
>> >> My Account helps you manage your Google Account settings. For
>>example, you
>> >> can use Account History to manage or edit your activity on Google,
>>such as
>> >> your search queries and the places you have been. With Ads Settings,
>>you can
>> >> tell Google what kinds of ads you would like to see and not see �
>>and you can
>> >> control ads based on your interests.
>> >> 
>> >>  
>> >> Additional tools and features let you:
>> >>   
>> >>  
>> >>    Check your key privacy settings by taking the   Privacy Checkup
>> >> 
>><https://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/p/z6j8VJqLULtM63ag5eKASNP0GVxiPW24Ps
>>CRgz
>> >> 
>>_VZQBgHuOz2--m51uohLu0XBwUQ84YMWmBfehrnZqbhZ8GokW_-8Y9URyBDL1BnLrwn9IytjM
>>mz9I
>> >> 6cSGaooM=>  
>> >>    
>> >>    Secure your account with a recovery phone number
>> >>     
>> >>    Control other account preferences, such as language and
>>accessibility
>> >> options 
>> >>  
>> >> You can adjust these settings and more whenever you want at My
>>Account
>> >> 
>><https://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/p/WycD7RaKEpNWH-81aXbdrTMAJ5XN09LKyr
>>QqH2
>> >> tE3fIPw_JHDeNpAcHVQxqvwx-emkvCz2t7u2WLw5Wf6DU1sbthp0mKR1jAnnk=> .
>> >>  
>> >>  
>> >>  
>> >> Sincerely, 
>> >> The Google Accounts team
>> >>    
>> >>    
>> >>  This email can't receive replies. For more information, visit the
>>Google
>> >> Accounts Help Center
>> >> 
>><https://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/p/VZZGUtxfFf0o80CthmxiidWPTY5QkI1bqX
>>YGxy
>> >> 
>>S-3wUowqFEhHF3kFWlXiUiXLJ7ysIQHqWHT9NMhM19Vl6y8JWIGDvSc3yI2UtKt8xs0tMBUMR
>>Uqo_
>> >> VJaDy7D3ZyA==> .
>> >>  
>> >>  Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043
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>> >>  You received this mandatory email service announcement to update
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>> >>              
>> >>     
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>> 
>
>-- 
>Don Marti         
>http://zgp.org/~dmarti/
>