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AOL preceded Google by a large margin, and was much, much worse for the Internet. Google has its problems, but it has been by far a net positive.
by redthrowaway 15y ago
AOL preceded Google by a large margin, and was much, much worse for the Internet. Google has its problems, but it has been by far a net positive.
- talentdeficit 15y agogoogle have slowly been rebuilding AOL's walled garden for five years now. if anything, they're jealous apple and facebook beat them to it
- redthrowaway 15y agoYou can't simply name Google a walled garden and expect the moniker to reflect reality. Android apps can be acquired anywhere, and most Google services allow you to export your data. Compare that to needing to jailbreak an iPhone to download an app Apple doesn't like, or the complete inability to get your data from facebook. Google might not be FSF open, but it's far better than those it criticizes.
- Xuzz 15y agoLike this, you mean? https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=116481065103985 https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=116481065103985 It's certainly not a complete copy of everything referencing you in their database, and it only includes information you entered (not friends' details), but it does exist.
- intended 15y agoDoesn't FB keep shadow information as well? Information onpeople who,likely exists, but aren't on FB yet? So how do those people get their info out?
- taligent 15y agoFACT: Facebook allows you to get all your data. Google+ doesn't.
- magicalist 15y agoAs at least two other comments have responded to you https://www.google.com/takeout https://www.google.com/takeout
- bluethrowaway 15y agoAOL predates the modern commercial internet. Heck, the first HTTP spec came out 8 or so years after the company started and in the same year they named themselves America Online. Picking on them for not grokking the internet is a bit facile for my liking.
- redthrowaway 15y agoI'm not picking on them; I'm saying their approach to the Internet was similar to Apple's, and the antithesis of Google's. Also, while they may have predated the web (not Internet), they still acted in direct opposition to it.
- bluethrowaway 15y agoThey did predate the modern commercial internet. Commercial ISPs didn't appear till the late 80s (at best) and AOL started in ~81. In that context they're a weak example to cite.
- redthrowaway 15y agoDid you a thallus create an account just to respond to me? I didn't think our exchange was so contentious as to merit a new account.