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I know we're meant to be freaked out by this but I think it would actually be pretty cool to have data for tens of thousands of search results stretching back a

I know we're meant to be freaked out by this but I think it would actually be pretty cool to have data for tens of thousands of search results stretching back a decade or so. With a bit of analysis you could get some cool insights into past interests, their dynamics over time etc.

ksk 12y ago
Could you give some examples of these cool insights?
mischanix 12y ago
Yes, to me, this and the location history are just plain awesome automatic logging that I get for free. That said, it's only free to me because I already value my privacy on the internet at $0. I especially like having a graph that tells me I need to sleep more regularly [1] and I also like having location history that tells me I'm a very boring person in the real world (and that my phone's GPS is wildly inaccurate). [1] http://i.imgur.com/c6cUGrY.png http://i.imgur.com/c6cUGrY.png
- JoshTriplett 12y ago
  > my privacy on the internet Location history isn't "your privacy on the Internet", it's "your privacy".
  - mischanix 12y ago
    No, because I am aware that my phone connects to the internet. If I want to exclude the internet from my whereabouts, I can just go without my phone.
normloman 12y ago
I'm not sacraficing my privacy so Google can get some "cool insight into past interests."
- jebus989 12y ago
  Ha, no you crunch the numbers, you get the insights. Google does so whether you opt-in or not. Something I'd like to do (someone else asked for an e.g.) is look back at programming language searches, as they'll nearly always have the lang in the query. I'd be able to see when I started learning e.g. python and had to google everything, when I picked up other languages, how those searches decreased (or increased) as I learned more. Lots of interesting stuff.
  - normloman 12y ago
    If I understand your argument, you're saying Google will collect this information anyway, and at least by keeping web history on, you can do some analysis on your own browsing habits. I'm aware that Google is collecting and storing this our search history, even after disabling web history. That's why I think Google shouldn't be collecting this information at all. I have no problem with collecting your own search history, storing it locally, and analyzing it (though I doubt it would produce any groundbreaking insights). I just think it's safer if you store it yourself.
pandatigox 12y ago
I admit that this auto logging stuff is really cool, but at the same time, I feel queasy about using Google for the logging. If you really wanted to log, couldn't you install a proxy?

ksk 12y ago

Could you give some examples of these cool insights?

mischanix 12y ago

Yes, to me, this and the location history are just plain awesome automatic logging that I get for free. That said, it's only free to me because I already value my privacy on the internet at $0. I especially like having a graph that tells me I need to sleep more regularly [1] and I also like having location history that tells me I'm a very boring person in the real world (and that my phone's GPS is wildly inaccurate). [1] http://i.imgur.com/c6cUGrY.png http://i.imgur.com/c6cUGrY.png

JoshTriplett 12y ago
> my privacy on the internet Location history isn't "your privacy on the Internet", it's "your privacy".
- mischanix 12y ago
  No, because I am aware that my phone connects to the internet. If I want to exclude the internet from my whereabouts, I can just go without my phone.

normloman 12y ago

I'm not sacraficing my privacy so Google can get some "cool insight into past interests."

jebus989 12y ago
Ha, no you crunch the numbers, you get the insights. Google does so whether you opt-in or not. Something I'd like to do (someone else asked for an e.g.) is look back at programming language searches, as they'll nearly always have the lang in the query. I'd be able to see when I started learning e.g. python and had to google everything, when I picked up other languages, how those searches decreased (or increased) as I learned more. Lots of interesting stuff.
- normloman 12y ago
  If I understand your argument, you're saying Google will collect this information anyway, and at least by keeping web history on, you can do some analysis on your own browsing habits. I'm aware that Google is collecting and storing this our search history, even after disabling web history. That's why I think Google shouldn't be collecting this information at all. I have no problem with collecting your own search history, storing it locally, and analyzing it (though I doubt it would produce any groundbreaking insights). I just think it's safer if you store it yourself.

pandatigox 12y ago

I admit that this auto logging stuff is really cool, but at the same time, I feel queasy about using Google for the logging. If you really wanted to log, couldn't you install a proxy?