Well… man. Let me start by saying that I guess I'm a bit of a cynic because I just assume that everyone is data-mining the crap out of every move I make on the internet so one company's efforts aren't any more dubious than another's. I didn't realize that Google had committed actually crimes or that it blatantly lied about it's product and the Safari debacle. I have to admit that I haven't been following what was happening closely. Oh sure, I did the obligatory adjustments to my Google and YouTube history, but that was more of a reaction to the subliminal messages various tech sites had placed in my head through their warnings of changes at Google. I should have looked into it more. I also didn't know about their positioning their products and services above more relevant results… probably because it really didn't make any difference to me. I have an organic built-in spam filter that runs in the background in my brain-pan whenever I search the web. I know what I'm looking for and I generally don't get distracted by less-helpful noise.
But honestly, I don't see what Google is doing as any more or less 'evil' as anyone else. Perhaps more desperate, although I doubt they would admit it. They certainly are fighting to stay relevant and I certainly don't see Google+ as a killer app or an answer to their information access problem. I have a Google+ account and haven't done a damn thing with it. Even with their attempts to mimic the original exclusive nature of Facebook with limited invites (at least that's how I saw it). I never felt like getting mine was like finding a golden ticket. Facebook was/is enough work, and it's where I keep in touch with people I normally would get to talk to. I consider daily status updates a welcome alternative to getting the multipage family newsletters at the holidays. There's no need to add another layer to my social networking. Maybe in the future as a professional page. It might be nice to have my work that separate from Facebook. Or maybe not. Maybe clients wouldn't be comfortable with Google's recent practices. Hmmm...
I've been hearing the little rumors floating around - some a bit hyperbolic, but interesting - about a Facebook buyout of Google… or that Facebook is going to become the new 'world wide web'. Rumors that it's partnerships and integrations are overtures of a planned web take-over that would see Facebook properties as an interface layer that works much in the same way as the web does now for the infotubes. I once heard similar rumors about Google. I guess only time will tell. Skynet anyone?
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