Personalized Search Now Default

SEO and Privacy forever changed

[incrediBILL]

Google Blog [googleblog.blogspot.com]

Today we're helping people get better search results by extending Personalized Search to signed-out users worldwide

That's a staggering statement meaning that every computer accessing Google is now being personalized, signed in or not, so any desktop, laptop or kiosk will start tracking everything everyone does and you won't be able to access the same search results from any two machines.

The possible impact to all is staggering.

[Reno]

Using a different noun other than "Pope" WOULD DO EXACTLY THAT!

Don't discount the power of the Vatican my friend -- they have their agents everywhere!

;)

[Reno]

Require a window or page to appear whenever a site tries to plant a tracking cookie for any reason.

For the record, there are freeware programs that work pretty much exactly as you described. I installed one many years ago but I must be candid -- it got to be a real pain after awhile because there are SO MANY cookies coming at you ALL the time. Some sites had 5 or more, for their counter, multiple ad servers, etc. I loved the idea but hated the reality of continually having to approve everything as I went from page to page. But, as you rightly said, it is in fact an option to be considered -- just not a very pleasant one.

.......................

[signor_john]

it got to be a real pain after awhile because there are SO MANY cookies coming at you ALL the time.

Yes, the number of cookies that get planted these days is phenomenal. Still, if the warning had a "[ ] Don't show this message again" option, as browser warning messages often do, users who didn't care about cookies could opt out of future warnings with a single mouse click. And at least they'd have been made aware of tracking files (a better term for laymen than "cookies") instead of having to discover them by clicking on a tiny "Privacy Policy" link in a page footer somewhere.

[HuskyPup]

Require a window or page to appear whenever a site tries to plant a tracking cookie for any reason.

This has always been a great feature in Opera and very easy to switch on and off. My default browser is Opera however I use Firefox for those sites which insist on a cookie when I use them, once finished I go straight back to Opera.

After a while it becomes totally second nature...just like typing bing.com instead:-)

[Beachboy]

Google has just opened itself up to attack by competitors by making itself less valuable as the provider of "best, most relevant" info on the web.

If you're listening, Google (and you sure as heck should be listening right now), YOU NEED TO PROVIDE A SIMPLE & OBVIOUS WAY for users to SWITCH OFF personalization. I believe Tedster is right on target: That you can program something doesn't mean that you should.

[carguy84]

Wow, I thought I'd be able to give this personalized search a go, but it's really pissing me off. I had to spend an hour searching for AT&T Wireless account information on the web, now every thing I search for comes back with mobile related results... I really don't care about mobile phones when I'm looking for pricing on a remote control. Thanks anyway. Now I have to search and see how I turn this off...

Ahh there it is.

bing.com

[TRex]

I've been doing some rough testing (logged in one one computer, out on another, through a proxy, getting someone else to do the search in another location etc) and one thing I have found so far is that the personalized results seem to be happening MUCH more on Google.com than on Google.ca regardless of being logged in or not or even being in the US or Canada. The Canadian searches only had 1 listing in the top 10 changed (for all search locations & variations) whereas the US searches only had one result (the #1 result) remain consistent for all search variation. Haven't checked any other countries to see their difference.

[doughayman]

To me, it seems, that Google is doing the same thing that my local cable company is doing - they are recording info from each and every user, they are going to coalesce it, and use it for their advantage only. Like my cable company, they may very well turn this data accumulation into a separate business, where they sell the demographic user data to companies that might be interested in it.

My cable company is developing a head-end-based DVR database to accomplish just that. I really think Google is looking to do the same.

And, by the way, I'm sure 99 % of all users won't even realize that Personalization is turned on by default. It's really only those who make their living on the Internet, that care about this infringement.

[signor_john]

I'm sure 99 % of all users won't even realize that Personalization is turned on by default. It's really only those who make their living on the Internet, that care about this infringement.

Why would that be? Self-interest, perhaps? Given the number of tracking cookies that I see in my browser, I'd guess that most people who make a living on the Internet would rather impinge on my privacy than protect it. I don't plant tracking cookies myself (my site doesn't even have a way to serve cookies), but my ad networks do, my affiliate partners do, and for all I know, maybe my hosting service does.

Who invented the cookie, anyway? That person has a lot to answer for. :-)

[doughayman]

LOL ! I forgot to end my statement, with a ":)" ! I just talked to my attorney about this, and he said that Google's precedent will allow me to re-sell any Credit Card # 's that I capture on my https screens, for profit. Another residual business has been born !

I wonder if J. F. Cookie is getting any residuals from Google, for his patented technology :)