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I'm sorry but I am imagining the whole article without reading it, and thinking of all the platitudes and assurances about things that they really have no contr

I'm sorry but I am imagining the whole article without reading it, and thinking of all the platitudes and assurances about things that they really have no control over... How about an honest acquisition blog post? "We are cashing out. We hope that they won't flush us down the drain. We are part of Google's unstoppable march towards tracking and logging all human activity as we approach the technological singularity, which Google is quickly approaching, if the NSA do not beat them to it." How about something like that for a change? Edit: Ok, I read it. Yes, it was the blog post I was imagining.

kenrikm 13y ago
I think the biggest takeaway regardless of what their blog post say is that Privacy Policies can (and will) be changed down the line.
runjake 13y ago
I mean this without any snark, but you can't really cash out without playing the game, and then meeting the requirements of the cash out agreement. I'm sure it's in the agreement somewhere that Fadell must essentially assure existing Nest customers -- regardless of what's going to really happen. From Fadell's post: Our privacy policy clearly limits the use of customer information to providing and improving Nest’s products and services. We’ve always taken privacy seriously and this will not change. This is a useless statement. Once Google owns it, they could perceive that "improving" your Nest experience is to hook it up to Google+, or insert/parse your Google Calendar for silly events, or serve you customized ads based on how frequently you move past the IR sensor, or the temps you prefer, or something silly like that. Page can do whatever the hell he wants with Nest. And with him paying $3.2B for it, I imagine he has some ideas already.
- raganwald 13y ago
  I'm sure it's in the agreement somewhere that Fadell must essentially assure existing Nest customers -- regardless of what's going to really happen. And more importantly, reassure potential Nest customers that it's still a great idea to buy a Nest.
- sliverstorm 13y ago
  Right, that's such a weasel statement. It jumps right out at me- there's just about nothing they couldn't justify under terms like that with a little visit to the Spin Doctor's office.
  - yapcguy 13y ago
    It's nowhere near as bad or ridiculous as what David Friedberg, ex-Googler, and CEO of the Climate Corporation wrote when he revealed that he had sold the company to it's very own archenemy... Monsanto. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/11/why-the-climate-corporation-sold-itself-to-monsanto.html http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/11/why-t... Will be quite interesting to see how many programmers and scientists jump ship over the next year. Might explain the sudden recruitment drive.
    - cma 13y ago
      Or Al climate-change Gore selling Current.TV to a major oil producer.

kenrikm 13y ago

I think the biggest takeaway regardless of what their blog post say is that Privacy Policies can (and will) be changed down the line.

runjake 13y ago

I mean this without any snark, but you can't really cash out without playing the game, and then meeting the requirements of the cash out agreement. I'm sure it's in the agreement somewhere that Fadell must essentially assure existing Nest customers -- regardless of what's going to really happen. From Fadell's post: Our privacy policy clearly limits the use of customer information to providing and improving Nest’s products and services. We’ve always taken privacy seriously and this will not change. This is a useless statement. Once Google owns it, they could perceive that "improving" your Nest experience is to hook it up to Google+, or insert/parse your Google Calendar for silly events, or serve you customized ads based on how frequently you move past the IR sensor, or the temps you prefer, or something silly like that. Page can do whatever the hell he wants with Nest. And with him paying $3.2B for it, I imagine he has some ideas already.

raganwald 13y ago
I'm sure it's in the agreement somewhere that Fadell must essentially assure existing Nest customers -- regardless of what's going to really happen. And more importantly, reassure potential Nest customers that it's still a great idea to buy a Nest.
sliverstorm 13y ago
Right, that's such a weasel statement. It jumps right out at me- there's just about nothing they couldn't justify under terms like that with a little visit to the Spin Doctor's office.
- yapcguy 13y ago
  It's nowhere near as bad or ridiculous as what David Friedberg, ex-Googler, and CEO of the Climate Corporation wrote when he revealed that he had sold the company to it's very own archenemy... Monsanto. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/11/why-the-climate-corporation-sold-itself-to-monsanto.html http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/11/why-t... Will be quite interesting to see how many programmers and scientists jump ship over the next year. Might explain the sudden recruitment drive.
  - cma 13y ago
    Or Al climate-change Gore selling Current.TV to a major oil producer.