Google Wants More People Logged In

[engine]

Google Wants More People Logged In [techcrunch.com]

Schmidt’s response essentially is that the Google’s search algorithm will absorb more realtime and social data over time: “With respect to social and realtime, we use complex signals to do ranking. Over time we will add realtime and social cues.” Some of this comes in the form of direct data feeds, such as Google gets from Twitter. But to really be social, search needs to be personalized to each individual’s own social stream.

Schmidt acknowledges as much: “We are quite convinced that produces a better search result for people who choose to give us that information. We want people to be more logged into Google.”

In other words, Google will give you better search results if you share your social data with them.

I tend not to log in as I don't really want to share everything all of the time.

I really would like Google to stop trying to second guess my search requirements.

[tedster]

I work the same way. I don't want a personalized search result, I just want a GOOD search result. In fact, I really don't want search results to be are skewed by my online "social graph". Talk about inaccurately representing my interests!

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

I really would like Google to stop trying to second guess my search requirements.

I totally agree. It's as if they think none of us are capable of using the bloody thing as it stands!

[indyank]

I totally agree with the sentiments expressed here...I don't understand google's love with personalization...The primary reason i go to search engines is to see things other than what i get to see in my social circle...I want to see the outside world...that is what internet is all about...i don't want to limit myself to what i see or share within in a group...
Twitter or facebook exists for a reason and search engines exst for another reason...they ought to present unbiased universal results...social algorithms will never help to produce unbiased results...

Google is trying to mix the search engine and social engine and I don't see any benefit for the end user...if google personalizes my results and shows results from my social circle, why should i visit a search engine, as i already get that information through twitter or facebook...

The problem with big corporates is they think too big rather than keeping things simple...Google shouldn't forget that they grew so big because they used to keep things simple...it is funny that they now want to implement what everyone else does...

Today there is twitter and facebook, a few years down the line there could be something else and do you want to compete with all of them with a single product? It doesn't make sense...

[netmeg]

It makes my head hurt to think what my social graph probably looks like. And personalization apparently means that I'm going to be followed around the web by a giant glazed donut (one of those local coupon sites) for the rest of my life. Because I see it everywhere I go.

How is this a better user experience? I don't get it.

I try to avoid being logged into one of my 20 or 25 Google accounts (mostly for clients) as much as possible. I don't need more glazed donuts or Russian women in my life.

[tedster]

I accidentally made a search while logged into a client account - still gives me nightmares!

[wildbest]

The primary reason i go to search engines is to see things other than what i get to see in my social circle...I want to see the outside world...

Google doesn't want you in the outside world. You are the perfect target (for ads) if you are in your own world! They are not a search engine anymore. Now they are suggestion engine deriving suggestion list out of your social circle plus localized results. With the advance of HTML5 and geolocation they will know your GPS coordinates in real time.

[Propools]

If we were to all only get served search results based upon our previous search & social lingerings, then it's a status quo position.
It's a position that has a presumption that you're line of logic, growth, maturity, etc. will never change.
We all change our emotions, feelings, positions on things, our tastes, etc.
I have children and would rather not have their logic skewed by Schmidt’s position.
As we know that a lot of youth have accounts and are utilizing the internet, what does Schmidt’s response say in regard to how developing minds work?

[HuskyPup]

We want people to be more logged into Google.

Am I the only person who nevers logs into Google except to check my AdSense account on Firefox and then logs out?

All my regular stuff I use Opera with cookies off, sometimes K-Meleon or Chrome but I never let them access any Google account.

Am I paranoid? :-)

[LostOne]

"Am I the only person who nevers logs into Google except to check my AdSense account on Firefox and then logs out?"

Nope. I don't even click the SERP listings when searching all the time. If the url is short enough and not truncated I'll copy and paste. Trying my best to have non personalized results, but not sure if it's working.

[BarryStCyr]

I want to be anonymous. I don't want to be tracked, stored, punched or aggregated.

[FranticFish]

The primary reason i go to search engines is to see things other than what i get to see in my social circle...I want to see the outside world

I agree so much with this, but perhaps I'm in a minority. If I think my friends know a great gardener, I'll ask them. If I don't I'll use a search engine. If I've used a search engine it means my friends can't help. I DON'T want to see results based on my social circle or user behaviour. I want to see outside my box. I want to see what the rest of the world is doing. I don't want personalisation. I like surprises.

[aakk9999]

Google does not care about minority such as people on this board. For every one here who is careful not to be logged on when searching - there are 10,000 who are completely unaware, and a good percentage of them do not make distinction between sponsored links and organic search results. Every now and then you can see something being written about concerns of Google and privacy in mainstream newspapers, but it is not enough so most people are too ignorant to understand the consequences.

Most of the projects Google did (gmail, maps, google checkout, etc) is to gather the data, to draw people in. They do not care about users to "serve them best results", they care to learn about users so that they can manipulate a user to results they want to serve.

If one would be using all their services (from mobile to google checkout, email, etc) then they would probably be not far off knowing of how much disposable income person has, let alone shopping habits. They are turning into some futuristic AI machine - and they are doing it cleverly little by little - because if they did some of these things they are doing now 6-7 years ago, people would freak out and nobody would use Google. But doing it little by little - they get people to adjust, then they go for more.

[ron15]

I never search while logged in. I access my webmaster accounts and log out. I tend to use Bing but if I search with Google I am never logged in. I wonder if anyone within Google is getting the message that they are creepy, and people are starting to notice.

[g1smd]

Agree with all that has been said. I use a search engine to find information that I am not getting through other means. If Google wants to simply serve up what I have already got from Twitter the blogs I read and so on, then there is no reason for me to ever use them again.

[skibum]

Yep, except for the occasional navigational search if I'm to lazy to type the URL in the browser, then search is to find something NEW. Bet Gmail keeps the most people logged in which is one reason I still pay for another account and only use Gmail for really big files. Google should have frozen in time a couple years ago and then everything would be just dandy.

[zett]

Google Wants More People Logged In

No surprise here. If I were Schmidt, I'd say the same, because they need not only to keep/increase their user base, but they need to sharpen the user profiles so they can haunt the user with targeted (or not so targeted) ads all day long.

But people are beginning to wake up and to realize that what is in Google's best interest is NOT in their best interest. All the news about self-driving robots and solar power plants won't help that.

(I noticed that in Germany Google has recently started print ads for their search engine. Yes, print ads! In mainstream magazines. Quite expensive. The negative PR about Streetview and other privacy "issues" seems to have made a dent in their logs. Ha!)

[atom42]

I agree with all of this.

For me - the whole idea of search is that I'm looking for something new. I don't want to be served a listing in the top three results just because I found it on the 5th page the week before.

As for social influencing search - this definitely gives my social network much more credit than I'm willing too. Generally, my friends are a fairly flaky group of reprobates who's opinions I probably don't seek out that much. If I did want their opinion, I would ask them. I don't though, so I go to a search engine - when for once in my life, I want to be in independent control.

[henry0]

As per aakk9999

Google does not care about minority such as people on this board. For every one here who is careful not to be logged on when searching - there are 10,000 who are completely unaware, and a good percentage of them do not make distinction between sponsored links and organic search results.

It says it all, so true!
I'll just change 10K by a Gazillion :)

[John_Lee]

"I'll just change 10K by a Gazillion :)"...haha...total dominance of Google

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

I want default results, Eric, sorry.

[wildbest]

For every one here who is careful not to be logged on when searching - there are 10,000 who are completely unaware, and a good percentage of them do not make distinction between sponsored links and organic search results.

That is not true. For if it was, Schmidt won't be asking people to be more logged into Google!?

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

More people need to clear their web history and cookies regularly, not worry about making sure you're logged in to share data.

[glitterball]

Totally agree with the sentiments being expressed here.

When Google changed Google News so that being logged in was required for custom news sections (it used to be a cookie), I installed Google Chrome just for Google News and I don't use it for anything else.
I really don't want to be logged in all the time.

[Swanny007]

It's because of creepy things like this that I've switched to Bing. I use Bing 90% of the time, Yahoo 9% and Goofle the other 1% (when I'm checking rankings).

I don't want personalized, tracked results. But 99% of the population doesn't care and we are the minority so it makes no difference to them... time to check out Bing if you don't like what Schidt is doing...

You do realize that Goofle can track you somewhat even if you're logged out and/or blocking cookies, right? They can track your IP and likely your user agent to build a profile on you anyway.

And if you don't want to be profiled, also don't have Chrome installed...

[tedster]

I wouldn't underestimate Bing's drive in this direction, either - or Facebook's or Twitter's, or... Personalization is all the rage these days (especially for advertising). It's just that everyone's attention is all over Google right now.

I'm beginning to think that Eric Schmidt is NOT putting his foot in his mouth over and over. His repeated and disturbing comments about privacy may be part of an intentionally constructed "social engineering" campaign.

[edited by: tedster at 5:18 pm (utc) on Oct 16, 2010]

[wildbest]

I installed Google Chrome just for Google News and I don't use it for anything else.

Yep, I find myself using IE, FF, Opera and Chrome all for different purposes. Chrome is exclusively used to manage Google's services like adwords and adsense.

[ken_b]

I never intentionally search via Google while signed in to a G account. Still it happens, usually while I'm checking my AdSense stats or Google analytics stuff. It annoys me when I do that.

I usually have javascript turned off and cookies disallowed.

I normally use the cookie "exception" function for WW and 1 other site while I'm on those sites.

I do use Bing much more, but I have no illusions about where they'd go with this stuff if and when they choose to.

I sort of think of it as using the least invasive reasonably effective service available at the moment.

[Swanny007]

I'm beginning to think that Eric Schmidt is NOT putting his foot in his mouth over and over. His repeated and disturbing comments about privacy may be part of an intentionally constructed "social engineering" campaign.

I hadn't thought of that before, that's quite possible. If he says "crazy" stuff now, then by the time they implement things, it will be like "Oh, I heard that before, I'm surprised it took them so long to implement XYZ" ;-)

...I do use Bing much more, but I have no illusions about where they'd go with this stuff if and when they choose to...

The reason I think it's OK to search with Bing most of the time is that they don't have me connected to a variety of other things. Like AdWords, AdSense, Analytics, GMail, etc.

Although Bing might try to personalize my searches at some point, at least they don't have such a big profile of me and what I do online. Right now all they have is my search history. They don't have my bank account info, home address, cell phone number, etc. that Google has.

Perhaps the best solution for now is to use startpage.com - No tracking whatsoever and you can still have those goofle results that you like ;-)

[loner]

... His repeated and disturbing comments about privacy may be part of an intentionally constructed "social engineering" campaign.

I think Eric drinks alone.

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