I’ve finally had it with Google Desktop and deleted it from my machine. I’m also thinking of killing Google Talk. Why? Because the company is spying on me and at the same time screwing up my computer with inferior software.
I think Google has finally done it and become the new evil Microsoft – and I’m jumping ship before it manages Windows domination. What’s ironic is that I’m certain Microsoft is behind a big part of it.
I finally decided to kill Google Desktop half-an-hour ago after I had installed the latest Microsoft patches for Windows, Word, Excel and god knows what else. Clearly the Beast of Redmond is monkeying around with Windows settings and I strongly suspect carrying out under-the-covers warfare against Google.
After I installed the patches, all the messages that my security software prompted me over were to do with Google Desktop. And they were a worrying bunch.
- Google Desktop is trying to install a library that starts every time you start your computer
- Google Desktop is trying to access the Trusted Zone
- Google Desktop is attempting to log keystrokes, record the websites you visit…
And more. And all this from a program that is ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE LETTING ME SEARCH MY HARD DRIVE. Google has loaded its Desktop software with spyware. The temptation from Google’s perspective must be huge – after all the whole point of Google Desktop is that it has to be running all the time in order to index what’s on your machine and what’s being added.
As we know from Google’s behaviour in China, it has given up on morals – like all huge companies do sooner or later – so I don’t doubt for a second that it is happy to spy on my hard disk. It already spies on emails through Gmail. The argument is already won in Mountain View. But sad as it may seem, it was two other factors that are behind my decision to kill off Google Desktop:
- It doesn’t work well with Windows – it screws everything up, makes it run slowly and keeps conflicting with other elements
- It isn’t as good as Copernic – which doesn’t spy on me and is so much better at searching my hard disk
Wrt the first point, I strongly suspect that Microsoft is using its hold over the Windows operating system to disrupt Google Desktop’s functioning. Either Google software is terrible or Microsoft is purposefully breaking it. It is always Google Desktop that has trouble shutting down, and whenever I turned Desktop off, suddenly my machine acts like it has stretched its legs and drunk a double espresso.
As for the second point, Copernic is a specialist search company and it shows. The program runs quietly, it’s not spying on me, but most importantly its search works better and it offers loads of features that Google Desktop doesn’t – like previews, precise file search, on-the-fly searching, and so on.
The more I think about it, the more I don’t understand why I downloaded Google Desktop in the first place. In recent months, I have been going to Copernic more and more – even though Google Desktop was already in the Google Web browser window I have open.
And the same goes for Google Talk. I’m not using it. I’m using AIM or Yahoo for messaging, and Skype for talking. Why? Because they work better. Google really has become the new Microsoft – producing worse software than its competitors because it knows that people will choose it anyway.
I’m tempted to delete Google Talk right now. And I’m even considering moving away from Gmail out of principle, because even though Gmail works wonderfully, I’m not sure I want anything but the bare minimum interaction with this company.
Update 17 Oct: And lo! Gmail has been really poor for two days now. Very slow. Some emails are taking 10 minutes to show up when they were previously instantaneous, and Google Groups messages have been arriving a day late. This may well have something to do with the collapse of Google’s Blogger servers a few days ago. The polish is coming off Google with surprising speed.
hey
October 14, 2006 at 3:52 pmyou are paranoid
Kieren
October 14, 2006 at 4:09 pmLOL. Is that your considered opinion?
Anyway, there’s no need for paranoia. Google does scan your machine for what you type in and sends that information back. That’s just a fact. It will of course explain that it doesn’t use this information for any wrongdoing and you are anonymous etc etc – but it won’t deny it is collecting the information.
But if you want to see one example of when this information has proved to be highly damaging – what about when AOL’s chief technology officer was forced to resign over the posting of search information on the Net? It was in August. Here’s one story on it: http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192300597
Gmail is even worse. I have personal knowledge of one case where Google was sub-poenaed over a Gmail account – and supplied all the details of emails received and sent months after they had been deleted by the user. They were still on Google’s machines and those emails were produced. Gmail also reads all emails in order to generate the accompanying ads. These are just facts.
It’s just that it suddenly occurred to me today why on earth should I been supplying this company with such information when I don’t even use its software and when it is screwing up my machine.
Am I paranoid about Microsoft adjusting settings to disrupt others’ products. Not in the slightest – it’s done it countless times before. That’s why everyone has to deal with Microsoft.
The stock answer that software companies always give (see AOL ad naseuam) when their products do all sort of privacy breaking things is: well consumers have a choice, they can always chose a different product.
This is actually a corrupt argument in alot of situations but in this case, Copernic is a much better product and it doesn’t spy on me so that’s exactly what I have done – made a choice.
Kieren
Ed
October 14, 2006 at 7:36 pmI cannot believe that google is installing a key logger on your PC. This must be a false positive. Yes, you know it records the websites you visit, thats one of its features (which I believe you can turn off?). I agree with your points about Google Talk – it really isn’t that good, considering it has to compete with software like MSN Messenger. I imagine theres a new version in the works.
Of course, you could just get a Mac and get iChat and Spotlight that would replace both applications!
Neil
October 14, 2006 at 8:39 pmOr move to linux, and choose from several different applications that perform similar functions. Install them all for free, see which you prefer. They won’t try to interfere with each other or any part of your system, as they’re not developed by competitors who wouldn’t hesitate to help imprison Chinese dissidents in their search for advantage over the other.
Over time one (or more) will become standard apps, gaining in features and performance as it does, not because one developer has won a competition against the other, but because the best features from both have been adopted by it, and its own faults ironed out. All the while you can (in theory…) be examining the source code of them all to make sure your app isn’t sending your National Insurance number to SPECTRE.
Here endeth the lesson…
(I’ll get back to working out why gimp isn’t as good as photoshop now)
Kieren
October 14, 2006 at 9:09 pmHey Neil, Ed
Well, yes, that decision is creeping up on me. I have to buy a new laptop and I was waiting until Vista. But the more I think about it, I’m tempted to buy a Mac Book Pro – because I could still install Windows and/or Linux on it.
I think I may have had it with Windows. The problem is that I now know it so well, there is a massive sense of intertia. Plus of course as part of my work it is always useful to be using the OS that the majority of readers use. And there is always the possibility that Vista will deal with all the Windows issues that drive me nuts.
Fortunately I don’t have to make the decision at the moment because I simply can’t afford a new laptop. My Sex.com trip has maxed me out.
I wonder if anyone has set up a “how to wean yourself off Windows” site 🙂
Kieren
China Law Blog
October 15, 2006 at 4:04 amTry X1 (at x1.com or through Yahoo). It’s better than Google Desktop in any event.
Flotsam
October 15, 2006 at 6:56 amI’ve tested all the freebie desktop search apps and Copernic won hands down.
As for weaning yourself off of Winduhs, I started using open source apps that worked on both Winduhs and Linux to make the transition easier. And there’s always Wine for those that there is no Linux equivalent.
Neil
October 15, 2006 at 7:02 amHi Kieren,
There’s a superb book called “Just Say No to Microsoft” – the authors website isn’t quite as good good as the book, but: http://www.tonybove.com/getoffmicrosoft/home.html
or, try microsoft.toddverbeek.com/
As to needing a new laptop, could that just be because of buggy, bloated, memory-hungry MS apps? It’ll probably speed up hugely running something like simplymepis linux…
Using Google Maps makes you a terrorist.A Web site that -- Centplus Tech
October 15, 2006 at 7:59 am[…] I ve killed Google Desktop. Is Google Talk next?I ve finally had it with Google Desktop and deleted it from my machine. I m also thinking of killing Google Talk. Why? Because the company is spying on me and at the same time screwing up my computer with inferior software. … […]
Skippy
October 17, 2006 at 4:18 pmPerhaps these guys would be insterested in your experiences with Google Talk. 🙂
nicolas
December 4, 2006 at 3:26 pmGive a try to exalead desktop search :o)
http://desktop.exalead.com/desktop/exaleadonedesktop-free-edition.exe
HW Chris
December 4, 2006 at 7:49 pmI have used gtalk since the day it launched. However, I have never used or installed Gdesktop. I have never had any problems with it.