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(rt) Even the most docile and “we’re so excited to be a part of Google’s dream yadda yadda” industry favor pimping sites are beginning to voice at least some mild concerns about where Google’s latest gizmo Web Accelerator may actually be heading. (All quotes as are except for embedded links, editorial omissions flagged as such.)

Loren Baker

Google beware, this is going to set off some bells and whistles with privacy advocates. Imagine this, according to the Google “Google Web Accelerator receives much of the same kind of information you currently send to your ISP when you surf the Web.” Do you know how much information your ISP knows about your web surfing behavior? Just about everything possible.

The only difference between your ISP and Google knowing everything about your web surfing behavior and surfing history is that you’ve signed a privacy and non-disclosure agreement with one company and the other is the Internet’s largest online advertising empire.

Source: ↗ www.searchenginejournal.com …

Phil

All the surfing you do they’ll see, supposedly without being able to view secure stuff like your banking data. I mentioned it to a friend of mine, who knows very little about the net and her reply was instant “There’s no way that I’d install that!” I have to confess that I agree with her. I’m really not keen on what Google is trying to do here, and I think it’s a step (or three) too far.

Source: ↗ www.philb.com …

seo scoop

This product needs to be squashed immediately.

Source: ↗ www.seo-scoop.com …

Mike

That’s an awful lot of data that Google now gets access to. Combined with Google’s desktop search and autolink feature, expect plenty of hand-wringing about what Google might do with all that info — though, again, no one is forcing people to use these technologies.

Source: ↗ techdirt.com …

bt

one very interesting side effect. Using the Google Web Accelerator with the MS Firewall Clinet allows me to bypass Websense and acceess blocked sites from inside the corporate firewall.

Either tool by itself does not do this, but together, everything is reachable.

Source: ↗ techdirt.com …

lecithin

First, they collect your search information. Next they collected your email. Now they collect your destination. You put it all together, that is quite a bit of information.

What is next?

Very Smart..Very Scary…

Source: ↗ slashdot.org …

Atryn

they’ll just put thing onto your calendar and make you do things in the future!!! And when you go back to your email to figure our what happened you’ll see you sent an email RSVP for that event… And if you search it, you’ll get a result with your name on the attendee list!

Now try and prove you aren’t a terrorist if they say you are…

Source: ↗ slashdot.org …

ottothecrow

Until they start trying to combine browsing habits into one.

“Based on your recent browsing habits, Google would like to suggest ↗ MidgetsHavingSexWithFerretsInSpace.com …”

All I wanted was a smaller computer, a pet toy, and some homework help….GOOOOOOOGLEEEEEEEEEe

Source: ↗ slashdot.org …

Class Act Dynamo

There’s one thing we must consider. Let’s give them full benefit of the doubt now. They are aggregating this information for the most non-evil purposes that exist. The problem is, what if the Google culture changes five or ten years from now. What if somehow the founders are forced out and the Google is run by people with nefarious intentions. Worse, what if Google corp. falls on hard times, gets desperate, and sees selling information as a quick fix when they are in a pickle. That would be my big worry.

Source: ↗ slashdot.org …

I have to say that I understand why there are so many people focused on a Google browser and IM. It is the secret hope that the company that took two years to develop Gmail and kept it in interminable beta status, that could not develop its own blogging technology, that came up with a pathetic closed-caption video search service, that is being outperformed on Web 2.0 by a bookstore, has some secret Ace up its sleeve. Google is blessed with huge brainpower, vast amounts of computing resources, a decent pile of money, good looks and the wellwishing of a billion Internet users, and in return it gives us a Web Accelerator? Come on, a Web Accelerator? From the company that said it benefits from the growth of broadband? Should Google not fix Blogger and Orkut? Should it not sort out its RSS and API strategy? Should it not deliver some serious mobile services?

Source: ↗ aqute.typepad.com …

By way of contrast, here’s a pro-Google site trying to defame expected criticism in the usual braindead zero-argument-all-invective propaganda manner:

Mark

The usual suspects are already screaming about the privacy implications of Google Web Accelerator. Be prepared for a firestorm of protest in the coming days.

Source: ↗ www.googletutor.com …

Admin

Google is an amazing search engine, so it hurts me to start hatin’ on them, though it does seem to be the popular thing to do these days.

But when they release things like the Google Web Accelerator you’ve got to wonder, especially with the increasing paranoia that Google is tracking your every online move with things like the Google Toolbar and My Search History.
[…]
Seriously, I love ‘em, and use ‘em for 90% of my searches. They’re almost like a Big Brother to me ; -)

Source: ↗ www.esoos.com …

Aaron Wall

To me it just looks like an excuse for Google to try to collect more data.

Source: ↗ www.seobook.com …

Nick W.

Well, it’ll take a few days, maybe weeks to hit mainstream, but negative opinions are already rife about the new accelerator app, and Google in general. Presumably only time will tell, but one thing is for sure, these issues, and their PR implications get just a little closer to the mainstream with each “Beta” and the public will not always see Google in the same light they do now, as the webs saviour.

With Web Accelerator, Googles journey to the Dark Side may already be complete, and the transition from everyone’s favorite search engine, to the new Microsoft like evil mega corp is at best a matter only of time….

Source: ↗ www.threadwatch.org …

claus

What Google needs to realize, is that there is a delicate balance, or trade-off.

Their bread and butter (the sites they spider) will only allow the extra traffic that their bot generates as far as the publishers percieve it’s of value to their users. A good publisher will place more emphasis on users than on any business partner - if one partner damages the relationship with users, it’s time to find another.

Source: ↗ www.threadwatch.org …

jimbeetle

G keeps aiming at its foot, lopping off a toe at a time as it stumbles along trying to define itself.

It’s a hodgepodge of 20% projects with no clear path, where engineers make business — And ethical! — decisions. It’s a culture that either ignores others’ mistakes or is just too damned arrogant to learn from them, leading to unresponsiveness, non-transparency, an overall lack of communication.

Source: ↗ www.searchenginejournal.com …

This is a follow up to:
↗ The Google Web Accelerator Fiasco

You read our original take here:
↗ Google – The Coming Out of a Datascraper Spook

And here are some IPs to watch out for:
↗ New Google Proxy IP Range for Web Accelerator Detected

[Update 2005-05-06]
And here’s what to do about it:
↗ fantomTip:
How To Block Google’s Web Accelerator
↗ fantomTip:
How To Block Google’s Web Accelerator – Update

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