The Day Internet Privacy Died: October 26th, 2010.

[Jabberwock xeno]

On October 26th, 2010, Internet privacy died.

Friend of many, it led a long and meaningful life. It allowed people to express their opinions without fear of social repercussions, and permitting others to keep their likes and wants private.

It leaves behind a grieving spouse, Mr. Internet, and 4 children.

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Joking aside, that was the day Google introduced, no, THRUST location based searches unto our fingers.

I had opened up Google that day, searching for news, when I noticed a new item on the sidebar: location.

I went to turn it, not wanting it to only give me local news, to find there was no button to disable it.
I then went to help, to find, I quote:

"The customization of search results based on location is an important component of a consistent, high-quality search experience. Therefore, we haven't provided a way to turn off location customization."

That was it, I was done with Google. (Though I would still use chrome, I had decided.) I resigned to Bing, only to find the same shackles.

What happened? What of days when you could search for anything, anywhere?

Where searching for pizza, you got actual information on pizza, not the parlor down the street?

When looking for software, you ACTUALLY found software, not commercial crap, to buy for overpriced, DRM infested packs.

When a PHONE NUMBER was not a requirement to have an email account?

Hell, when you looked for PORN, not for an email address, credit card, age, horoscope, blood type and ethnic background!

What should we do? What CAN we do?

 

[pyrosaw]

Nothing. The Internet has already been to stuffed with useless crap, we cannot retreat. Except for that porn buisness. We can fix that.

 

[El Poncho]

I didn't notice any of this.

Says everything really.

 

[RatRace123]

Well, no one has busted down my door for the pornography ring nothing, so I think I'm safe.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

How long has your internet connection been connected to your home address? Doi, forever?

Hell, it used to be connected to phone numbers. This is old news. They know where you live, they always have. There's no such thing as privacy.

 

[Living Contradiction]

Do what I did. Change your location to something that has nothing to do with where you are. I tried to modify it to Zanzibar, but apparently it'll only take locations within your country. I settled for 20500. Maybe Google will start wondering why the White House suddenly has a keen interest in meatloaf recipes.

 

[SturmDolch]

Maybe Google will start wondering why the White House suddenly has a keen interest in meatloaf recipes.

That sounds like a Monty Python sketch...

"We are the United States of Meatloaf and we will not stand down until the gravy is salted and the potatoes are mashed!"

 

[ProtoChimp]

Oh man I've just been watching A LOT of porn, I mean, um, er, oh fuck i9t I was watching porn. Am I going to get crucified now.

 

[Oilerfan92]

Internet providers can know whatever they want about what i look at on the Internet. If I watch porn so what ? ( I don't)

As long as they don't go around telling people I know personally then it's fine.

 

[TheLaofKazi]

How long has your internet connection been connected to your home address? Doi, forever?

Hell, it used to be connected to phone numbers. This is old news. They know where you live, they always have. There's no such thing as privacy.

This.

The only thing that's kind of annoying is now a bunch of local shit comes up first so I have to scroll down more to get to non-local things.

I mean, are they trying to make things more convenient or something? If I wanted something local to my area I would just search, for example, "Gamestop *insert location here*.

 

[Jeysejak]

Ehhh, privacy's still kinda the same, at least they're not demanding that you post you full name, address and phone number to them (although there's paperwork trying to get past goverments demanding just that).

I figure i'm fine as long as i don't touch underage porn, and don't "steal" data.

Also, TheLaofKazi makes a good point, i'd rather just search "_____ my area" since i have to do that anyway (google has never found me a location of a store i want unless i search spcifically for it, and i doubt it's going to change anytime soon)

 

[Double A]

Haven't they been doing this on a bunch of sites for a while? I remember seeing on ED "HAWT GIRLS IN NC!!!!!!1111111!!!1!" or some other such hogwash.

Also, phone numbers aren't required for gmail. They want you to use them for whatever reason (Ok, my email was hacked, so I totally want to give them access to my phone too!) but I don't.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

I already knew about how ISPs are tracked...

It's just that Google is so blantently doing it.

It's like they are mocking us!

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

Dude you can still find the general stuff, it's just that the localised things are before it. It really isn't a big deal, in fact I welcome it. A few changes to your Google settings and you're done.

 

[tomtom94]

Making a big deal out of nothing much?

In fact...surely utilising your location to find local businesses is a HELPFUL feature?

 

[Woodsey]

You know your ISP records everything you've done on the net for the past year or something?

What's the problem? This is nothing new, and the local search function thing isn't even an issue.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

You know your ISP records everything you've done on the net for the past year or something?

What's the problem? This is nothing new, and the local search function thing isn't even an issue.

as I said, it's just that now it's right in front f our faces and we have done nothing about it.

Also, to Minerva at b.net, I am the same person.

 

[Woodsey]

You know your ISP records everything you've done on the net for the past year or something?

What's the problem? This is nothing new, and the local search function thing isn't even an issue.

as I said, it's just that now it's right in front f our faces and we have done nothing about it.

Also, to Minerva at b.net, I am the same person.

How is it? They're basing search results on your IP location. So what?

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

You know your ISP records everything you've done on the net for the past year or something?

What's the problem? This is nothing new, and the local search function thing isn't even an issue.

as I said, it's just that now it's right in front f our faces and we have done nothing about it.

Also, to Minerva at b.net, I am the same person.

How is it? They're basing search results on your IP location. So what?

The issue is that they FORCE that feature on us, and that they flaunt it on their homepage, and we have done nothing to stop it.

I suppose I AM being paranoid, but next thing you know, our TV will be localized, not just by local channels, but by CNN, or discovery channel.

Sooner or later, the internet will be entirely localized, and under the control of whatever area we live in.

I DO NOT want that. The internet is the last method for (more or less) anonymous communication and free speech, where we could say our minds without fear of social repruccusions.