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Google Compute is a distributed program that runs on willing people's computers and uploads its results to Google. It's like SETI at Home, if you've come across that one.
I've never agreed to allow Google to use my machine for that or any similar purpose, I've never turned an option on for it, and when I've been asked about it on a Google form, I've always declined. But it's suddenly been turned on behind my back. I wasn't even aware that the programming for it was on my machine, but it is - and it's running!
Google is using my computer to run their programs without my knowledge or agreement - and I'm mad!
just wondering, do you have the google toolbar with or without the advanced features installed?
rgds
just short - to stop the new feature of the google toolbar:
just click on the double helix icon in the google toolbar and select the stop computing option.
hope this helps
jazzx
[toolbar.google.com...]
...and that all G toolbars will get it eventually. Perhaps sopmebody else has accepted the invitation (the form) when using your computer?
Also, I found that I have the Google Compute stuff on the hard drive, although I've no idea if it was put there with the Toolbar installation even when I'd declined to join the program - I don't know how long it's been there.
claus. I remember being offered the option of joining the program from way back, but I declined. Google Compute suddenly started to access the Internet within the last week. I haven't even looked at the Options in that period of time. It became turned on without my knowledge or consent and I wonder how many other people's computers are being used by Google without their knowledge or consent.
Also, claus, I am alone here, so nobody uses the computer but me. If it had been turned on by someone on this computer, it must have been me - which it wasn't.
I realize that it could have been a Google bug rather than intentional, but when a company uses my computer without my permission or knowledge it makes me very angry. Whether it was turned on intentionally or not, I can't imagine that I'm the only that it's happened to. I've emailed Google about it, and I'm waiting for a response.
That way, they will only get to "steal" your cycles for a few minutes a month.
BTW, I just checked and Google Compute is still off on my toolbar. And my PR is still about the same as it was in December.
from my firewall logs i can tell that as for my version the toolbar never made an attemt to connect to the internet to do any toolbar updates. no incoming traffic as well...
to have the advanced features enabled does only mean that you allow your browser to send your search behaviour to google >>click statistics, etc.
exactly - that's the point. you did agree to it when you installed the toolbar and were asked if you want to be able to use the advanced feautures.
if you wouldn have agreed to it - you wouldn't be able havin' the pagerank feature in use.
hope this helps
PR and compute has nothing to do with each other. I have been using compute for so long in several machines, and i haven't see it run w/o you downloading and enabling it.
i agree absolutely.
in my last post i was just refering to the overall action of the toolbar and its requirements.
Also, I found that I have the Google Compute stuff on the hard drive, although I've no idea if it was put there with the Toolbar installation even when I'd declined to join the program - I don't know how long it's been there.
To determine the installation date of a program, right click one of its files and choose properties. The creation date of the file should be the date the program was installed. You can also check the creation date of directories.
Kaled.
Google is using my computer to run their programs without my knowledge or agreement - and I'm mad!
Nope. It is not currently bundled with Google Toolbar. To get Compute, you HAVE to go and download it from Google Labs.
The Compute files were installed in the 25th November last year. I've had the Toolbar a lot longer than that, and I don't recall doing anything that would install Compute last Novemeber. But it hasn't been running since last November. It only started to try and access the Internet a little less than a week ago, and I definitely didn't do anything with the Toolbar to turn it on, or fill in any Google forms. It's been turned on very recently without my knowing. The button hasn't even been displayed. Maybe it's also been turned on on a lot of people's machine without them knowing.
A lot of people don't pay attention to wording and hit the wrong button.
Very true. It is also true that some questions are phrased so badly you have to take pot-luck when pressing a button even after carefully reading the question several times. On one online account, I have to press continue when I want to log off.
Kaled.
