4 ms·

It's annoying when people with some degree of influence casually spew misinformed nonsense: Google wanting iOS users to be able to sign in — if not be downrigh

by yanw 14y ago

It's annoying when people with some degree of influence casually spew misinformed nonsense: Google wanting iOS users to be able to sign in — if not be downright encouraged to sign in — to their Google account, that’s easy to understand. That’s how Google makes money, by selling ads that target us based on the information they collect as we use their services. You agree to send anonymous data to Google for the location targeting and improved accuracy bit, you sign-in to sync bookmarks and search history. Also one wouldn't have needed to sign into every Google app separately if iOS allowed Google the same OS-wide account integration that Facebook and Twitter have.

voxmatt 14y ago
I legitimately think I've misunderstood your comment, because I'm not following. As I understand it, the anonymous data collection allows Google to improve the maps, gather aggregate user data, etc., but is "anonymous." If you sign into a Google account, then they can track individual usage and better target ads. There's nothing particularly nefarious about this; Google does this with all their services, that's their business. Right?
- yanw 14y ago
  Location data is anonymous regardless if you login afterward or not: http://support.google.com/gmm/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&topic=1617283&hlrm=nl&ctx=topic&answer=81874 http://support.google.com/gmm/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&top...
  - cube13 14y ago
    Searches, starred locations, etc. are not, though. Arguably, those are more important than location data.
    - yanw 14y ago
      Yes, but they are also not as sensitive as location data and are very useful features.
      - josephlord 14y ago
        Who says that they aren't as sensitive? Where I am going to can be just a sensitive as where I am and where I might be thinking about going could be even more sensitive. The feature may be useful and I'm not saying that it shouldn't be offered but I believe that your assertion that they aren't as sensitive is NOT universally true.
cube13 14y ago
One of the first screens you get to after installing the Google Maps app on iOS is the login for your Google account. Gruber's description doesn't seem that far off, considering that.
- jws 14y ago
  Let's see… • App Store, top charts, google maps, install… • Give apple password with sufficient privileges attach to destroy my business in order to download free app. (Yes, off topic, but there it is.) • Open app. • Screen 1, accept TOS without reading. Ignore privacy policy. Agree to send anonymous location data to make their traffic stuff work. Tell phone I want them to share that data openly in exchange for me providing it freely, but the phone is not listening. • Screen 2, GIANT BLUE SIGN IN BUTTON. Tiny, faint skip button hidden in upper right corner. I'll wager $20 to people with eye trackers that the upper right corner is the last corner to be processed on that screen, since you finger just acted on the bottom center. No word on what they will do with my info if I sign in, but it will share my searches and bookmarks between my computer and phone. (I'll skip and see what I have to do to provoke it again.) • Screen 3, Popup to allow Google Apps access to location data in the phone. Of course, that would be silly otherwise. (Apple requires this.) • Screen 4, I'm in! It found me. The map is dancing a little as the location refines. • Screen 5, There is a little outline of a person. Street view? I like street view. Touch. Nope, profile. GIANT BLUE SIGN IN BUTTON. (I'll back out.) • Screen 6, Try a search. It is google after all and POI is bad where I am in apple maps. See if google knows that hospital is gone. Before I can even type… map replaced with GIANT BLUE SIGN IN BUTTON. Also note: Google shows a hospital where there is none and hasn't been for a long time. I've been grousing about Apple doing this, but Google is apparently no better. • Screen 7, There is a little forked road icon I don't understand, touch… it is routing… GIANT BLUE SIGN IN BUTTON. • Screen 8, Try the paper airplane icon in the lower left. Oblique 3d view. Turn that back off. Something must be broken, no sign in button. • Screen 9-12, try the slide out element in the bottom right. Traffic, satellite work, don't require sign in. No Public Transit information in my region? WTF? There is. It will even give me routes. I have no idea what's going on with that layer. Final score: Before finding anything, you will be asked to log in twice. Before minimally exploring the UI you will be asked four times. Several of these appear that your only choice is to sign in, or cancel the task. (You can plow on through, but that isn't unambiguously obvious by the page design.) But I'm glad I have it. It means I can go back to Manhattan sometime and confidently use the subways. (as long as I route plan before going down the hole).

by yanw 14y ago

voxmatt 14y ago

I legitimately think I've misunderstood your comment, because I'm not following. As I understand it, the anonymous data collection allows Google to improve the maps, gather aggregate user data, etc., but is "anonymous." If you sign into a Google account, then they can track individual usage and better target ads. There's nothing particularly nefarious about this; Google does this with all their services, that's their business. Right?

yanw 14y ago
Location data is anonymous regardless if you login afterward or not: http://support.google.com/gmm/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&topic=1617283&hlrm=nl&ctx=topic&answer=81874 http://support.google.com/gmm/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&top...
- cube13 14y ago
  Searches, starred locations, etc. are not, though. Arguably, those are more important than location data.
  - yanw 14y ago
    Yes, but they are also not as sensitive as location data and are very useful features.
    - josephlord 14y ago
      Who says that they aren't as sensitive? Where I am going to can be just a sensitive as where I am and where I might be thinking about going could be even more sensitive. The feature may be useful and I'm not saying that it shouldn't be offered but I believe that your assertion that they aren't as sensitive is NOT universally true.

cube13 14y ago

One of the first screens you get to after installing the Google Maps app on iOS is the login for your Google account. Gruber's description doesn't seem that far off, considering that.

jws 14y ago
Let's see… • App Store, top charts, google maps, install… • Give apple password with sufficient privileges attach to destroy my business in order to download free app. (Yes, off topic, but there it is.) • Open app. • Screen 1, accept TOS without reading. Ignore privacy policy. Agree to send anonymous location data to make their traffic stuff work. Tell phone I want them to share that data openly in exchange for me providing it freely, but the phone is not listening. • Screen 2, GIANT BLUE SIGN IN BUTTON. Tiny, faint skip button hidden in upper right corner. I'll wager $20 to people with eye trackers that the upper right corner is the last corner to be processed on that screen, since you finger just acted on the bottom center. No word on what they will do with my info if I sign in, but it will share my searches and bookmarks between my computer and phone. (I'll skip and see what I have to do to provoke it again.) • Screen 3, Popup to allow Google Apps access to location data in the phone. Of course, that would be silly otherwise. (Apple requires this.) • Screen 4, I'm in! It found me. The map is dancing a little as the location refines. • Screen 5, There is a little outline of a person. Street view? I like street view. Touch. Nope, profile. GIANT BLUE SIGN IN BUTTON. (I'll back out.) • Screen 6, Try a search. It is google after all and POI is bad where I am in apple maps. See if google knows that hospital is gone. Before I can even type… map replaced with GIANT BLUE SIGN IN BUTTON. Also note: Google shows a hospital where there is none and hasn't been for a long time. I've been grousing about Apple doing this, but Google is apparently no better. • Screen 7, There is a little forked road icon I don't understand, touch… it is routing… GIANT BLUE SIGN IN BUTTON. • Screen 8, Try the paper airplane icon in the lower left. Oblique 3d view. Turn that back off. Something must be broken, no sign in button. • Screen 9-12, try the slide out element in the bottom right. Traffic, satellite work, don't require sign in. No Public Transit information in my region? WTF? There is. It will even give me routes. I have no idea what's going on with that layer. Final score: Before finding anything, you will be asked to log in twice. Before minimally exploring the UI you will be asked four times. Several of these appear that your only choice is to sign in, or cancel the task. (You can plow on through, but that isn't unambiguously obvious by the page design.) But I'm glad I have it. It means I can go back to Manhattan sometime and confidently use the subways. (as long as I route plan before going down the hole).