4 ms·

Anyone else starting to get sick of this guy? I still like Google all around, but the privacy comments were insane.... And the Buzz thing really pissed me off.

Anyone else starting to get sick of this guy? I still like Google all around, but the privacy comments were insane.... And the Buzz thing really pissed me off. They are damaging their brand with him being the face of Google. It OK for Google to make mistakes (or what people might perceive as privacy infractions), but at least sound apologetic when you do... Least you could do.

radu_floricica 17y ago
I read a lot of controversial Schmidt quotes, but when I occasionally get to the context they're much more benign. It could be that the guy is simply a prime target for this kind of thing.
mattm 17y ago
Didn't the "privacy" quote also come from the Guardian? Could there be some kind of bias here you think? Nowhere in his full quotes did he blame users for being confused. "I would say that we did not understand how to communicate Google Buzz and its privacy," he said. "There was a lot of confusion when it came out on Tuesday, and people thought that somehow we were publishing their email addresses and private information, which was not true." "I think it was our fault that we did not communicate that fact very well, but the important thing is that no really bad stuff happens in the sense that nobody's personal information was disclosed." Be careful not to take news reporting - especially headlines - as fact.
- SamsonHB 17y ago
  In that context, you're right doesn't sound as menacing. That said "that somehow we were publishing their email addresses and private information, which was not true." seems like sort actually untrue, indeed. Maybe they weren't displaying emails. But they certainly showed the names of my contacts and pictures. I looked at a contacts computer who had the defaul settings, and could see some of my profile. I guess my point is they should have gone of the side of privacy and caution, but they needed to err on the side of huge social networks (and displaying info helps those build) to sell this product to the public. I just think they made a selfish corporate decision. At least they are trying to remedy it.

radu_floricica 17y ago

I read a lot of controversial Schmidt quotes, but when I occasionally get to the context they're much more benign. It could be that the guy is simply a prime target for this kind of thing.

mattm 17y ago

Didn't the "privacy" quote also come from the Guardian? Could there be some kind of bias here you think? Nowhere in his full quotes did he blame users for being confused. "I would say that we did not understand how to communicate Google Buzz and its privacy," he said. "There was a lot of confusion when it came out on Tuesday, and people thought that somehow we were publishing their email addresses and private information, which was not true." "I think it was our fault that we did not communicate that fact very well, but the important thing is that no really bad stuff happens in the sense that nobody's personal information was disclosed." Be careful not to take news reporting - especially headlines - as fact.

SamsonHB 17y ago
In that context, you're right doesn't sound as menacing. That said "that somehow we were publishing their email addresses and private information, which was not true." seems like sort actually untrue, indeed. Maybe they weren't displaying emails. But they certainly showed the names of my contacts and pictures. I looked at a contacts computer who had the defaul settings, and could see some of my profile. I guess my point is they should have gone of the side of privacy and caution, but they needed to err on the side of huge social networks (and displaying info helps those build) to sell this product to the public. I just think they made a selfish corporate decision. At least they are trying to remedy it.