Thread: Have we all been Googled

It's been a while since I've used anything else, rarely in some Airport or Hotel the free PC has had Bing set.

This morning I looked at the stats , of course there is varying data but all show not just dominance but overwhelming +70% plus in nearly all places outside China.

This must be rare there are certain products like fine wine Vegemite Sri Racha sauce even that have unique features, whereas Google scrapes and delivers data, Search U-tube Maps , of course heavy investment, will Bing catch up or failing Yahoo I doubt it?

https://searchenginewatch.com/2016/0...earch-engines/

Building into the chrome toolbar and default on Android devices must have helped, despite all the Hype Apple and Linux are a tiny market.

I have no exciting secrets, other where's my lost Citibank card and all the odd sox , however the sheer amount of data on everyone is huge.
If we all sincerely believe those with access will never sell, abuse, lose or misuse the data it's all hunky dory.

Read to day that all new cars in EU will have a compulsary sim card i.e tracking device we can see how big brother has arrived.

Is it just me or would it be healthier to have rival competing engines, who may have to contend over our privacy, accuracy of results etc.Or will it more likely be premium pay for privacy less ads /tracking etc model.

If a chrome user (now the most popular browser despite most machines pre installed with windows offerings)
You can immediatley see your many searches in History button.

Some concerns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Google
"Criticism of Google includes aggressive and contrived tax avoidance, misuse and manipulation of search results, its use of others' intellectual property, concerns that its compilation of data may violate people's privacy, censorship of search results and content, and the energy consumption of its servers as well as concerns over traditional business issues such as monopoly, restraint of trade, antitrust, idea borrowing, and being an "Ideological Echo Chamber".Alphabet Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products,^[1] and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program.^[2][3]
Google's stated mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful";^[4] this mission, and the means used to accomplish it, have raised concerns among the company's critics. Much of the criticism pertains to issues that have not yet been addressed by cyber law.

All in all I think Google one of the greatest innovations of my lifetime.

If the junta Mossad or CIA want to know what tv I watch not bothered, even if specially rendered away form th in-laws ala Chico to Khon Kaen be a change of scene, apart from our pin numbers who cares.

As a keen historian, traveller and Geographer I had many reference tomes, Atlases, reference works Who's Who', Kompass Business index Kellys,Yellow Pages Directory Phone Books on subscription until around 2000. A complete set of UK OS maps which cost around price of a car at the time but were invalubale to pinpoint destinations and paid for themselves attending map auctions and viewings.

Of course while It's nice to have a few as souvenirs all this is available by Google on tap instantly free usually up to date. While I no longer need for work google is great for leisure and travel planning.

You young shaver must imagine a trip to a new country with different script like Japan in 1970s, Read a guidebook, go in person to a travel agent, pribaly 2 trips to an embassy , shots, travellers cheques,pay a deposit, see a brochure of a hotel, buy a phrasebook or hire an interpreter wait for a taxi pre Uber etc,

Of course it was possible, I made it from Spain to the border of Tibet with just some cash a passport a few jabs and good luck, but such a plan can be done with a credit card /or paypal etc in minutes kayak uber visa online on an app etc.So technology is our servant and all those redundant can retrain for what we need to day or if self sufficient have more leisure to correct each other here

Have a great day, remember if you google yerself too often you'll go blind

NOT SENT FROM MY IPHONE