Gmail Makes Other Netmail Companies Cry...

Published on April 18, 2005 By greywar In Internet

On April 1 Gmail posted a little April Fool's joke called the "Infinity +1" storage solution. It was supposed to allow unlimited storage for all users. Of course this was just for launghs put in reality Gmail did in fact double it's already massive 1GB of free storage to 2GB+ and it increases every second as they add more space. Observe :

That is an astonishing number even for a pay service much less a free one. Can Yahoo, Hotmail, etc... even hope to compete with this? Google's business acumen leaves me stunned.

Comments (Page 5)

Jafo

on Apr 19, 2005

Here's an example of privacy invasion [an equivalent].

When you apply for, and receive a building permit from the local council that fact is on public record.

The data is collected and forwarded to advertisers who then can spam you with 'buy our timber/sinks/taps/paint/et al'.

You cannot 'opt out'.

kona0197

on Apr 19, 2005

Jafo it seems Barney is affecting this thread!

Bichur

on Apr 19, 2005

If they are looking at your mail (scan, parse, tiptoe, whatever) what do they with the files people upload for storage?

Just curious.

For the paranoid (or borderline) Link

greywar

on Apr 20, 2005

you check your email look at the right hand side of the screen

exactly, that type of ad is not a pop-up (one that spawns some damn window that I am obligated to close out of). I don't even notice the damn things excepting the ones which make me laugh.

You cannot 'opt out'.

Umm yes, you can. You don't use their service. It is that simple.

PurrBall

on Apr 20, 2005

a pop-up

Its just text 'related to the message.' Some times that text is hysterical. We're talking about getting a new table, and then is shows up saying 'get free table cleaner' Not on the subject, dudes.....

greywar

on Apr 20, 2005

Some times that text is hysterical.

I have indeed gotten some belly laughs from them.

Jafo

on Apr 20, 2005

You cannot 'opt out'

greywar ....reread my post. If you want a building permit...you cannot opt out of receiving unsolicited advertising as a consequence.

Zoomba

on Apr 20, 2005

The wonders of gmail advertising explained from a slightly less paranod/"The sky is falling" perspective:

1. Google accepts advertisers on their Ad service
2. Google creates a list of keywords that applies to that particular ad, using whatever really smart formulas they have for this stuff
3. Google parses any content passing between its servers and the users screen using automated tools
4. Your web search results/displayed email is accompanied by ads determined relevant based on keyword filtering.

There is no gathering of information from what is in your email. There is no passing along your email or information to a third party. No human being in fact is involved in the process. At best, they collect statistics on how many times keywords are used, and then how often a keyword generates an ad that recieves a click-through. This information is likely compiled into some mass report that uses averages and such and NO identifying data.

All internal to Google, no human being involved (hence no true comprehension...) just a bunch of formulas churning over raw text that passes through them and spitting out ads based on defined keywords.

You think your purchasing data isn't collected and sold by your credit card company? Or that your phone use trends aren't analyzed by your phone company to offer you a different service? Are you worried about Google tracking your search habits? You can develop a pretty cool profile on a person just based on what they search for online.

Your phone call analogy doesn't apply here. One method is invasive, the other is not. The phone example depends on someone listening and analyzing the contents of your conversation, and then later intruding on you to waste your time with their offer. Google places (sometimes) relevant ads to the side of the screen that are easy to ignore (I honestly don't even notice them anymore). The proper comparison with the phone example would be to say that as soon as you said "arthritis", a little advertisement would come across the display on your phone, not in any way intruding on your conversation.

GMail is probably the least of the offenders we deal with every day when it comes to privacy. You have far more to worry about from your credit card company, your grocery store, your bank, or any other institution you obtain services from. I know you want to think there is some deep dark conspiracy in the Google offices where they are secretly planning to steal your first born child, but you have nothing to back up the idea aside from some pretty crazy claims.

I guess it's easy to target Google while ignoring all the other "invasions of privacy" you allow in your day to day life because Google is something you can completely and safely opt out of. It's easy to rail against something that has no actual impact on your life... harder to when it has become an integral part since the only way to not come off as a hypocrite would be to cancel service/accounts/whatever. And we all know how hard it is to give up something once you have it, or if its something that has become essential to life in modern society.

Jafo

on Apr 20, 2005

I tend to also opt out of responding to gmail sourced emails.....

Affects more than just me.

The only gmail I reply to is that relating to Wincustomize.com....because as site admin I am obliged to.

I'm not targetting Google....I'm targetting the methodology of Gmail...and how people are willing to distinguish between a human or a robot gatherer of information. [FYI....counting keywords is in fact information gathering, believe it or not].

Dammit...the recipient of the information is ultimately a human....just follow the six stages of separation....etc

Jafo

on Apr 20, 2005

You have far more to worry about from your credit card company, your grocery store, your bank, or any other institution you obtain services from.

None of those actively [or subversively] participate in the overt/covert interception of intellectual communications for the financial advancement of a third party....or any other reason...

Zoomba

on Apr 20, 2005

They do sell your information to third parties quite frequently. They can track your purchases, where and when you travel, they gather a ton of data about you that they can then analyze and sell to outside companies. They work with "partner" businesses. Once I had one credit card, I was suddenly bombarded with other credit card offers. When I moved, I had zero junk mail until I opened a new bank account in the area, suddenly it was all flooding in again.

TexasJoe

on Apr 20, 2005

Jafo, do you believe in the Global Information Conspiracy, otherwise known as 'the Beast'?
(no offense meant)

greywar

on Apr 20, 2005

If you want a building permit...

Jafo - Now you are comparing Google to a function of municipal government? Bulding permits are legislated. You have to have them by law. Google is a free market product of a business that you are in no way required to have. There are a million different alternatives (multitudes of them free as well). Apples and oranges hello?

TexasJoe

on Apr 20, 2005

though Echelon has a more substantiated existence...

greywar

on Apr 20, 2005

None of those actively [or subversively] participate in the overt/covert interception of intellectual communications for the financial advancement of a third party....or any other reason...

Wow thats pretty naive Jafo. Your buying demographics and habits are elements of the most valuable data-set on the planet and the credit companies routinely sell it, your address, and phone number to 3rd parties. Unless you have the coveted Mother Teresa Visa of course.

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