NYCPHP Meetup

[inforequest]

Jon Baer jonbaer-at-jonbaer.net |nyphp 04/2004| wrote:

> Seems like there is alway something out there that rains in on the
> parade :-)
>
> http://gmail-is-too-creepy.com
>
> - - Jon


Daniel Brandt (author of the page you cited) has a very long history of 
anti-Google "advocacy". Google him and you will see his bias, and that 
he is a very prolific anti-Google writer.
My comments steer clear of agreeing or disagreeing with Mr. Brandt. I 
just feel it is important to know the source of your information.

If you are interested in GMail and privacy, you should read how Tim 
O'Reilly gets it wrong, too : http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/4707

Now since little ole' me I just went on record saying Tim O'Reilly is 
wrong (sound of lighting bolt striking me dead), let me highlight that 
this is a might complex issue. While I believe Mr. O'Reilly got it all 
wrong when he wrote those 4 items in the first half of his article ( 
privacy being no big deal, Gmail not being worse than ISPs and hotmail, 
etc),  I also note that he is an expert technologist with deep insight 
into how technology advances. The second part of his article very 
clearly demonstrates the source of his blindness to the evil that is 
Gmail - he is passionate about technology, acutely aware of the 
potential for advancement by leaps and bounds from where we are 
seemingly stuck these days, and aparently enamored with the way in which 
Google seems to be able to make leaps (as they have done with Gmail) 
while others cannot. O'Reilly wants and needs to see us advance to the 
next stage, and is exhuberant about the possibilities brought on by the 
Googleplex. Gmail just may take us to that very, very exciting next 
place....

At what cost? To the consummate technologist, is any cost too great? I 
think many people are willing to sacrifice a great deal to play in the 
future space.

Ditto for genetic research, stem cell research, robotics and artificial 
intelligence, and every other potential Pandora's box we humans like to 
dance around.

-=john andrews