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E-BUSINESS: Beware the Privacy Pitfalls of 'Useful Free Tools' ; Improved Customer Service = Sage CRM MME

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 February 2006, 06:00 CST

By CHRIS TOMLINSON

How would you like your tax return, medical and financial records turning up on Google?

I know, I've got nothing to hide either, but I still wouldn't want the public to access the files on my PC. This is why I don't intend to install Google's news desktop search tool.

The Google tool bar was bad enough, monitoring and recording all users' search activity. This was the first of Google's "useful free tools".

Admittedly Google Desktop 3, as it's known, might be useful for those who litter their computers with junk. It indexes and allows you to search, Google style, the contents of your computer.

Unfortunately, unless you configure it very carefully, which most people don't, it allows others to do the same using its 'Search Across Computers' feature.

But what's wrong with filing things properly in the first place?

If you create documents you feel you may want to retrieve, is it so difficult to make appropriately named folders and save them there? Now we have all got 70GB hard drive no one seems to do any PC house keeping anymore.

If you can't find stuff in your 6GB e-mail in-box, can I acquaint you with a couple of "useful free tools" already installed on your computer: the "Save As" and the "Delete" menu options.

But I digress. The real horror story is that the Google stores your documents on their own server in order to facilitate their search across computers feature!

Google assures us that it will only keep personal data on its servers for 30 days and say they plan to encrypt all data transferred from users' hard drives and restrict access.

For those unfamiliar with the meaning of the word 'plan' in an IT context, it means 'forgot to include in the first release' or 'after- thought'.

The new search across computers will make a range of files, including web histories, Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Powerpoint presentations as well as PDF files and text files in the My Documents folder searchable from other computers.

There are few concessions made to privacy. The contents of secure web pages are excluded from the list. Users who log on using their Google password can find data on files they've worked on regardless of which PC they used to produce them.

But even protected by passwords, do we really want Google to have copies of our files?

The US Department of Justice is already trying to force Google to hand over search logs so it can find out what people are searching for' so far Google has refused.

But why take the risk that they will capitulate?

Why not do things the old fashioned way and file important documents and e-mails in logical hierarchical directory structures.

Or print then out and put them in your filing cabinet, far from Google and your Government's prying eyes.

Chris is managing director of Internet consultancy WAA WebXpress. This and other unedited articles can be found at www.webxpress.com. E-mail chris@webxpress.com

Source: Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)

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