3 ms·

I don't own a tinfoil hat but that was pretty creepy. The idea of this corporation portraying itself as some sort of buddy who will be by my side as I go throug

I don't own a tinfoil hat but that was pretty creepy. The idea of this corporation portraying itself as some sort of buddy who will be by my side as I go through life... To me it comes across as a mixture of arrogance and over familiarity. Google wants to know us better so they can serve more targeted ads. That desire is not reciprocal. Not for me at least. Its like it never crossed their mind that people may not be as pleased as they are at the idea of an ad network being their best buddy.

potatolicious 17y ago
> "The idea of this corporation portraying itself as some sort of buddy who will be by my side as I go through life..." But often they are. Example: I grew up watching James Bond movies - I still watch James Bond movies, and there will probably be many more Bond movies between now and when I die. It's a known quantity - despite whatever different directors have done to the franchise, it's a mainstay and recognizable part of my existence. In some ways, it is a buddy that will be by my side as I go through life. Now, I can be cynical about it and see Bond as merely a corporate, franchised brand being foisted upon me as the unsuspecting consumer... But I choose to see Bond as something genuine people have put genuine care into creating for my consumption. It's not nearly so bad if you put it that way, eh? I don't think Google is entirely off its rocker trying to portray itself as my "buddy" - because it is. It knows everything I've ever wondered about, either publicly or privately, and so far anyway its products respond to my needs much better than any of its competitors (GMaps vs. MapQuest, for example).