Eliminating GOOGLE as search function

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Great thread. Has the potential to be epic.

Just in case anyone thinks that Google search puts you at some sort of increased risk, just keep in mind that there are so many other ways the government can track your activities that Google is the least of your worries.

It is totally amazing how easy it is to figure out things about just about anyone via the internet. Even the most "secure" of all of us probably aren't that protected. You might not post your real name here. Chances are that you are on other forums with the same user name, chances are that in a thread here your buddy who does post his real name has a conversation about you and gives your first name and mentions where he lives, then a bit more digging....

I'm not an internet genius, but if I can do it, I don't think the government is going to have much trouble tracking you down, even through completely legal channels.
 
The only real disadvantage I see is if Homebrewing one day becomes illegal. Then the government has a huge database of people who probably have no plans to quit! :mug:
 
Edcculus said:
The only real disadvantage I see is if Homebrewing one day becomes illegal. Then the government has a huge database of people who probably have no plans to quit! :mug:
Click to expand...

And seeing as how pot is illegal and there are plenty of forums about that, I say that we are pretty far down the list if the government starts enforcing drug and alcohol laws on a big scale.
 
The big question for me is if your so concerned about Google searches being given to the government, why are you online in the first place? Most ISP's will work with government through legal channels with a warrant if they suspect your doing something illegal. Your ISPs logs are what you should worry about...
 
Edcculus said:
The only real disadvantage I see is if Homebrewing one day becomes illegal. Then the government has a huge database of people who probably have no plans to quit! :mug:
Click to expand...

They can take my fermenter out of my cold dead arms......
 
These days it seems the gov is more interested in meth homebrewers than us.

Can't say that I blame them given the risk to both maker, user and neighbors.

Now if I decided to brew for all of my neighbor then I think my fermenters would be risked.

Not making fun of the condition, but I wonder how many people post their personal info on this site: http://www.psychforums.com/paranoid-personality/

Just pondering.

Ok out of curiosity I went to the site I listed. WOW! The debate forum here is absolutely cheery in comparison.:drunk:

One poster I think has OCD as she has to post random comments multiple times.
 
My confusion? Why do you think the information your type into GOOGLE'S product that YOU choose to use is somehow supposed to be private?

Or, why do you think that the website you CHOOSE to use is somehow obligated to spend its time and resources to secure your ramblings from the government?

Google provides a service... you choose to use it or not.
Homebrewtalk provides a service... you choose to use it or not.
 
If Google is selling me out to the NSA, I'm UBER f*cked then... I have an Android phone, religiously use Gmail, Buzz, Talk, Voice, Maps, and I'm sure other things I'm forgetting about... They know where I am at all times, what I'm doing, and probably WHY I'm doing it (better than I know why at this point). And I'm OK with it, because I signed up for it.

At the moment, I trust Google and their "Do no evil" motto.
 
The thing that concerns me most about Google is the new technology they are working on. Within just a matter of weeks they will have tin foil piercing capabilities. Their satellites will be able to see straight through my foil hat and read my brain.

In all seriousness though, if you are worried about Google, then you should be equally worried about using the internet at all. Even if Google over step the mark, they are simply the biggest company doing it. take away Google, and you lose the best search engine and create a bigger market for every other internet company out there, many of which have much less integrity.
 
This'll keep them googles out!
3817084850_ec6ffcfbf2.jpg
 
This is quite a reasonable concern. Calling out the OP for being paranoid is just plain dumb.

And to the "if you aren't doing anything wrong" crowd-- there are thousands of historical examples of people who "weren't doing anything wrong" yet were persecuted for their actions.
 
Most anything you search for online can be obtained legally from your local public library or bookstore (if you live in a really conservative area).
 
I'm supposed to worry about Google selling/giving away my info to the Government folks?

Sorry, NSA, CIA, FBI, ABC, XYZ wants to know what has been searched for from my IP address, I really doubt that they have to ask/pay for it.
 
This is OT but is that a woman or a man? Looks a little like Jeff Daniels in drag. Maybe Google hired him to throw us all off.
 
I got three pages into this thread and was gunna make the comment.... "someone needs to change the tinfoil the their hat."

beat me to it...

If you are worried about organizations on the net collecting info on what you do online, google is prolly the least of your worries...

me thinks, looking at homebrewing, a bit of golfing, P25 astro digital radio, and how to get my 60's motorola console radio to play records correctly so I can swill homebrew while listening to some classic vinyl is an issue with anybody... i think I am cool.. have at it feds.
 
It's funny when this subject is broached, all the disparate naysayers emerge from the woodwork like gang-busters.

There's the 'ain't got nothin' to hide' crowd.
The 'what have you got to hide' crowd.
The 'are you paranoid or somethin' crowd.

All nervously mocking the one who stands up and expresses concern against the status quo.
 
I'm not concerned about a bunch of interns in a Google streetview van carelessly picking up open traffic while driving and changing channels every 5 seconds.
 
The fact that they did (or do) is not as important (at this point) as to why.

And there are those of us who are curious about this and those who are not.
 
I love The Mr. Google. In fact... I just named my newborn after him.

Well... almost.

Okay, not almost but... yeah.
 
ZooBrew said:
It's funny when this subject is broached, all the disparate naysayers emerge from the woodwork like gang-busters.

There's the 'ain't got nothin' to hide' crowd.
The 'what have you got to hide' crowd.
The 'are you paranoid or somethin' crowd.

All nervously mocking the one who stands up and expresses concern against the status quo.
Click to expand...

Seriously, if the fact that Google is collecting tons of information on you (which enhance the quality of their search results, by the way) disturbs you, just get off the Internet, cause you have NO idea what all the other websites you visit daily are collecting...

If you think that you're protected because you're using some type of super security settings and what not: guess who developed them? The government...

Oh and by using Google, I'm guessing you're into Zoos and live in Oregon... (am I cool or what?)
 
You can control what data websites collect, if you want to.

The government made all privacy software? Interesting. Not.

Theres no reason to bash someone who voiced their opinion about something, on a, *gasp*, message board. How about we lock the entire board, and just use it for research, since practically every brewing related question has already been asked?
 
Not to worry. They jumped on me when I started this thread awhile back and when I ridiculed a couple of them, I got sent to the corner for a couple days. It's OK to ridicule me but not likewise.
 
ZooBrew said:
It's funny when this subject is broached, all the disparate naysayers emerge from the woodwork like gang-busters.

There's the 'ain't got nothin' to hide' crowd.
The 'what have you got to hide' crowd.
The 'are you paranoid or somethin' crowd.

All nervously mocking the one who stands up and expresses concern against the status quo.
Click to expand...


You have to ask yourself what exactly you are accomplishing even if google is swapped out for some other search engine FOR THIS WEBSITE. Exactly what are you searching for on homebrewtalk.com that you actually give a rat's ass if anyone else knows? How to build an electric HERMS? What fermentation temperatures work best for WLP500? That's scary stuff, man. You'd better be darn sure the government doesn't get their hands on that information!
 
weirdboy said:
You have to ask yourself what exactly you are accomplishing even if google is swapped out for some other search engine FOR THIS WEBSITE. Exactly what are you searching for on homebrewtalk.com that you actually give a rat's ass if anyone else knows? How to build an electric HERMS? What fermentation temperatures work best for WLP500? That's scary stuff, man. You'd better be darn sure the government doesn't get their hands on that information!
Click to expand...

That's what gets me. The county knows where I go because the bus pass logs me and out when I choose not to drive. When I drive, my fast pass logs me going over toll bridges. The grocery store has that nice key tag they scan to give me sale prices, and it also logs everything I buy so they can give me targeted coupons when I check out. Amazon.com knows everything I read and buy on their site. Books I don't buy are tracked by my librarian. My bank, regulated by the big scary government, knows EVERYTHING I buy and if I pay cash, they know where I withdrew the cash from their cash machines. When I buy cold medicine, I have to show my ID and the purchase gets reported to the state in case I decide to brew up some meth someday. Plus a million other ways I'm tracked, categorized and logged.

Why should I be worred that the geeks at Google know I'm looking for a good imperial stout recipe?
 
Some of the stuff mentioned do not share info with the gov. Especially the libraries. They are very strict on keeping information private.

Google is said to be working with the NSA. Which may allow the gov. to look through anyone's info without warrants. Which could be similar to ATT
 
Still doesn't explain why I should worry the NSA knows I want a good imperial stout recipe.

And who do you think operates the library? Some non-profit orginization? Most of them are run by County or City governments.
 
Some of us are interested in this and some aren't.

For the 'why should I be worried' crowd- don't.
 
ZooBrew said:
Some of us are interested in this and some aren't.

For the 'why should I be worried' crowd- don't.
Click to expand...

No, I want you to answer my question. Let's suppose they DO switch to another search engine. Does that eliminate government snooping on your web queries here on HBT? I would contend it does absolutely nothing to help your position, when you consider that programs like the (now gone) carnivore and NarusInsight will STILL have a copy of whatever you do on the web, regardless of which search engine you use.


Do think the administrators here on HBT are going to deny any official warrants to view log files from this site? I'll be if the FBI says "show us your records" they are still going to get your IP address and search queries.

On the list of actual useful and effective things you can do to ensure your own privacy, switching the search engine on HBT has to be pretty close to the bottom.
 
"You really need to be worried about this!"
"why?"
"Well, if you put it that way, don't worry about it!"

lol
 
(in response to weirdboy) I merely proffered facts in evidence.

If you research this topic (maybe using your Google whatever) you might answer your question. Why you would rely on me to, shows that you have not and/or do not understand the broader implications inherent.

However, just so other readers don't visualize you holding the brown end of the stick, let's throw out a little morsel for thought:

Remember that Life Insurance policy that you've been paying on all these years? Remember that box you checked in the application that said you didn't drink any alcoholic beverages? Well the local grocery store said you've been buying a 12 pack of beer every week. Now, you've died of an unrelated liver aliment and your wife and kids are embroiled in a lawsuit against that Insurance company in court for a denied claim of a measly hundred grand (and I'm on the jury).

Still holding that stick?
 
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