I started thinking about it (finally) when I heard that Google was doing away with local storage and promoting cloud only storage for their new OS Chrome OS!
Now, for those who woke up after a late night slosh fest, Google has announced a spanking new OS (well its actually a smartly repackaged Ubuntu) that has only the browser for an interface. Blazing fast, highly interactive and the other usual Googly stuff.
Now, coming back to the case in point. Cloud storage. I just am not in on the idea of storing everything of mine on the cloud. Hey, I need some space that i'd like to call my own without big brother watching! Well, if you are one of those types, let me say that I'd at least like to think that no one is watching what is in my personal space.
The concept of cloud storage for personal data is against the very idea of personal space though Google would claim the highest levels of security. I just dont buy it. Hey, call me old fashioned, but thats me. I'm sure am not alone.
Then I downloaded their distro and tried it out. Well, you boot up and there it is, the chrome browser in all its glory. Thats it!
It feels strange for a moment given that we are used to watching the desktop gizmos pop up one after the other with long whirs of the disks. That apart, the browser on the kernel is all there is to Chrome OS!
The so called apps are essentially links to Gmail, yahoo mail, hotmail, Google docs, picassa web, blogspot, hulu and other websites. Nothing 'new' here.
Thats when it hits you. My fears losing my private space is already null and void.
I have already lost it. Google already has my vitals! Line hook and sinker!
They know me through my emails, my tagged pictures, they know my private activities through my use of gps enabled google maps on my mobile, they know what my personal tastes are based on all the searches! they know my family and friends and their whole network through orkut and picassa, they know my business and financial details by automatically parsing unprotected attachments in my emails that they store as docs! They know my political standpoint from my blogs! such as this one! They also eavesdrop on my chat and store it for me! They know my appointments and schedule from my calendar usage! They know where I live from all the map searches i have made!
The only thing they may (and thats one mighty MAY! )not know already is my bank balance. Otherwise I'm afraid I've been had! I'm afraid we have all been had! The world has been effectively entrapped by this giant who we all fervently hope is noble.
I cannot help but think whether Google is the skynet / Matrix in making. Will it soon over throw its own bosses and take over the world?
If my paranoia is just that, paranoia, and Google is actually an angel in corporate garbs, Its still a nuclear bomb!
I shudder to think what if all that data falls into the wrong hands? What if a smart terrorist hacks into Google and starts making use of all the data.
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