If you use Google Mail it might be a good time to bail out.

[mansfield]

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/08/...ntcmp=features

If you are a user of GMail for things hobby related it might be time to reconsider. No this wouldn't exactly give away the farm but it could help someone put pieces together if they were really looking.

Something to consider anyway. A bit of paranoia in what we do isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[exoticdanceweardealer]

You know, it is getting obnoxious that major internet application service provider companies are just giving away tons and tons of private information. If posting 411 lookups on Google wasn't bad enough, facebook shares cell phone numbers of people on the friends list with mobile devices.

That's really unfortunate that now we have to be concerned about companies sharing our emails in the search result pages.

Email should be considered like snail mail, completely personal.

[Guest051315-2]

I think you're misunderstanding this search service ... It doesn't search EVERYONE"S gmail email and display results (that would be a serious privacy violation). It will search YOUR OWN gmail and show pertinent email results from your OWN mailbox using the Google account you are logged into at the time of the search.

[mansfield]

It will search YOUR OWN gmail and show pertinent email results from your OWN mailbox using the Google account you are logged into at the time of the search.

No one said otherwise. But, they do not have a good track record as far as privacy issues go. If you believe that this isn't just a first step then feel free to use the service.

This has implications for some even if it never goes any further. If your SO gets access to your PC this now leaves one more tie-in to the hobby life. She Googles "body wash" and an email from your favorite provider pops up on the screen. Who knows? Sure you shoudln't be logged in etc, but it's just one more hook that could help piece together a puzzle.

Like I say, do what you want but a little paranoia and research are not bad things.

[Guest051315-2]

I'm not worried about it. People, just use your heads ... log out ... don't opt in to stuff like this.

In my view worry is just payment made on a debt that may never come due.

But thanks for the info. Some may have the need to know. And it's awesome that you're helping look out for your fellow hobbyists.

[Say What]

Good find, Mansfield! I agree with you. If my SO searches for 'stockings' or 'heels' one of my emails might just pop up.

Hopefully, logging out of a user account will prevent this from happening. My guess is that I would have to be logged on for something in my email to show up in the sidebar, but who knows?

On a similar note, make sure you turn off your iCloud and Location Services options on your iPhone when you hobby...learned this one the hard way!

"Honey, I thought you were supposed to be in Austin?"

"I was."

"Well, your phone was in Dallas!"

[Guest051315-2]

The iPhone location stuff is a great tip. I have Find My Friends on my iPhone and my wife can look me up anytime. I turn it off when I hobby.

But I have a job that can take me all over town, so I have a pretty decent excuse to be anywhere.

[Duke of G]

How in the hell are people NOT logging off their hobby accounts when not sitting at their machine? That's just lunacy. Hell, I also never log in from a regular browser, only from incognito mode in Chrome. Even then, regular checks and history cleansing should be par for the secrecy course if you are hobbying on the sly.

As smysterman pointed out: this is a Faux News spin on the technology. Google has been serving up ads in gmail based on your gmail content for years. And as for the privacy concerns, very few services are really about privacy protection, and google, microsoft and yahoo are certainly not out to provide you a free service out of the goodness of their hearts - they want data.

[mansfield]

Google has been serving up ads in gmail based on your gmail content for years.

If you specifically signed up for it, there will come a time most likely when it's not optional.

That, and the FTC has been on them repeatedly for not being the most fair dealing company out there. Again, use them if you want, just be informed. Many here trust literally their lives to technology in this hobby. You want to make sure you understand it all.


http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/09/g...n-ftc-cookies/

http://www.networkworld.com/communit...rs-google-plus

The fact that the article happened to pop up in Fox has nothing to do with it. Does it make you feel better to see it on CBS's website somehow?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_1...s+-+Tech+Talk)

Just thought it was something some folks might not run across. Should have known there would be nothing but arguments posting it here.

A lot of people don't want the hassle of trying to worry about account settings ect, just a free email account that gives some anonymity. I have nothing personal against Google but for someone wanting ease of use with no worries they don't seem to be a good company to use and this could complicate things further.

Didn't post this intending to start a technology debate, simply something for hobbiests to be aware of to maybe stay out of divorce court

[Guest051315-2]

Well, I wasn't arguing. I just misinterpreted your understanding. And I said thanks for looking out for your fellow hobbyists ...

[OldGrump]

I may need to check the settings. I get Gmail notifications of my Google Voice calls.

I don't use Gmail for hobby, but I do use GV.

Google will play a prominent role in the next New World Order.

Damn, I'm out of tin foil.

[Guest051315-2]

Originally Posted by OldGrump

Damn, I'm out of tin foil.

Too funny.

I use GV as well. Love it for texting and call screening. I also love that if I uninstall the app from my iPhone it's just gone and no more texts or calls will come through. Gives you the ability to just walk away ... Love that. Can also get a new # pretty easily. Good deal.

[TinMan]

God, I hope my wife doesn't google "trannie midgets". I'll be really fucked then.

[Cunnilinguists]

Use Hushmail.com unless you are spoofing your ISP with a VPN and a completely separate identity.

[bounty]

Originally Posted by mansfield

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/08/...ntcmp=features

If you are a user of GMail for things hobby related it might be time to reconsider. No this wouldn't exactly give away the farm but it could help someone put pieces together if they were really looking.

Something to consider anyway. A bit of paranoia in what we do isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Well known fact is Google reads your GMail emails - only alternatives are Hotmail or Outlook.com. They don't and won't ever ready your emails, its in their privacy policy.