If Google disappeared tomorrow
I’ve just been reading David Petherick‘s post “Imagine there’s no Google” and it’s scared me a little. When the Internet was new we didn’t really think about the fact that all of our information was dotted around lots of different places, we remembered all of our different logins and passwords because we had to. We searched using Yahoo!, but it was a search so we didn’t need to keep it and our web portals (like My Yahoo or MSN) were fine for keeping our links and our personal emails.
But our web use has changed, most of us access the Internet and many have at least one web connected device in our house. It’s not just the geeks anymore, the growth of social media such as Facebook and Twitter has helped this, along with the way that email has been embraced by so many people. Of course the problems with Royal Mail have helped email’s cause, get your message directly to someone quickly, efficiently and know whether or not it has arrived within seconds? Of course!
I have been one of those people who has embraced the growth of the Internet and I love the connectivity it gives me. With my Laptop in the Lounge, my desktop in the bedroom, and of course the games console that’s attached to the TV I can access the web from anywhere in my home. Add to that my G1 and I’ve got the world’s knowledge in my hand all the time. And what do I use to keep on top of it? Google of course!
You see, the thing for me is that Google know exactly what it is that I need, and they tie it all together in one easy to use package. I’m currently typing this on Google’s Chrome browser, it’s clean, fast and simple – just what I’ve come to expect from Google products. At the same time I have my Google sidebar running (it’s part of theGoogle Desktop programme) which can check my GMail, Google Calendar, Google Reader and link me to my Google Docs. When I load up Chrome I get to see my iGoogle page with all the widgets that I find useful.
And this is before we’ve got into Picasa, Orkut, Blogger, Maps, Earth and Adsense. Yes, I am fully aware that Google are using me to improve their product, and I know that their product isn’t a search engine or any of the other delivery systems that they use. Their product is advertisement space.
They use my clicks and my history to target ads to me, when I recently sent an email to my partner about a B&B when we go to visit my cousin in Lancashire there beside my email was targeted ads for Hotels in Preston. If I hadn’t already done the search then I would have just been able to click on that link.
People think this is creepy, they think that there is someone at Google watching everything that they do online. That’s just not possible, you’d need one person to watch everyone who was online to be able to do that, and even Google can’t afford that many staff! And if someone at Google was able to separate my sad and boring life from the rest of the vast data stream that’s flowing through their servers every second of every day then they’re welcome to it, there’s nothing exciting there at all, I promise!
I know that Google’s products aren’t always the best option on the market (they are, after all, provided free) but they have one huge thing going for them, they integrate well with each other and I know what I’m getting, something clean, fast and simple. Designed to make my online life easy.
Letter to Starbucks
Every morning when I get the bus into work I stop for a Starbucks, it’s a nice little treat to set me up for the day! Now I know lots of people use their blogs for copying complaint letters to show the world their dissatisfaction so I’m taking a leaf out of their book:
But it’s not to complain!
I visit the Neville Street store in Newcastle and it’s a great little coffee shop. Yes I know that Starbucks is over-priced for what it is but, to be honest, I don’t care. The staff there are friendly, welcoming and always have a smile. They can have a laugh and a joke and are genuinely interested in people. So I had to send this letter to the Area Manager.
She hasn’t received it yet as it only got posted this morning – so you’re getting a preview!
So, if you’re visiting Newcastle and want somewhere to kill an hour or two, or you want to meet up with a couple of friends then just head down to the Central Station and pop in.
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Here’s the letter:
Dear Starbucks Area Manager for Newcastle I’m a regular customer of your Neville Street store and I really feel that I need to tell you about the fantastic job all of the staff do. Of all the stores in Newcastle this is the most welcoming, comfortable and relaxing. In part this is down to the location, the open, windowed aspect of the store makes it seem spacious, although the fact that you haven’t crammed lots of seats in helps too! But I think the thing that really singles out Neville Street is the staff. I hope you know what stars you have working there! I could wax lyrical about each and every one of them but I realise that you’re busy so I’d just like to single out Christine, Adam and Ali. These three in particular always have a smile and a cheery hello whether it be at 7am or 7pm, their knowledge of the products is fantastic and they (along with all the others) are the main reason that I come back time and again. It’s great to see such fantastic teamwork and excellent customer service, and it’s exactly this that encourages loyalty, so I just wanted to let you know what a credit the team at Neville Street are to the whole of Starbucks. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I’d like to wish you and the partners in Neville Street all the best. Sincerely EthanGoogle Street View – My Take
This Independent on Sunday article talks about (read: scaremongers) the ‘privacy concerns’ around Google Street View. It seems from the comments on the page that I’m not the only person who’s confused with this.
Firstly I really don’t understand the privacy issues involved that people keep talking about. Google simply drove around a number of public streets around the UK and took a load of still shots. This was about six months ago. Anyone could do it. But because it’s Google everyone jumps on the “evil huge corporations are taking over the world” bandwagon.
I’m a Google fan. The products they produce are useful, fun, easy to use and help to make my online life easier. I can access my Google Mail account and Google Calendar from my T-Mobile G1 and my iGoogle page keeps all of my fun and useful apps in one place. If I want to have a look for something entertaining to watch I can visit YouTube and then go to my Blogger account to discuss it in detail. Of course if I’m really desperate I suppose I can also use it to search, but that’s only at a push! ;-P In short they deliver everything I ask of them. They have a clearPrivacy Policy and have never (to my knowledge) broken this with me.
Compare this with the UK Government who have decided, against my wishes, to introduce an identity card that contains around 50 pieces of data about me. I wasn’t asked to agree to this. I wasn’t given the option of using a different organisation for my identity needs. I (like every other person who lives in the UK) have been told that this will happen. The card will contain my fingerprints and iris details (you know – the things I can’t change) and will be looked after by the same government that keeps people’s benefit details safe as well as laptops containing personal details. Yes, that’s just one laptop, but it seems that the plural is correct
I don’t mean this to be a soapbox, but I really think that, if people are going to cry out against privacy issues, they should cry out against actual infringements before they scream and shout and stamp their feet about a company taking some photos.
And yes, my house is on street viewer, my car’s parked outside my house and do you know what? I don’t care!
