"Just Google It"

Earlier today I was sitting around watching a movie, The Ugly Truth, with my roommates when one of them asked how many movies Gerard Butler was in.  None of us knew.  So what do you think my first response was, “I’ll Google it?”  Of course, after all isn’t that what we always do?  It reminded me of a story I heard about Google called, Confessions of a Google Employee posted on the On the Media website.  The beginning of the video talks about what Google was like before it was a very, exactly how I used it and before it had 28,000 employees.  How could something that started out in a friend’s garage turn into a billion dollar company?  I think it is because Google is easy and convenient for its users.  If I spell something wrong, Google gives me a “did you mean…” link that helps me redirect my thought or question.  In fact, not only is Google a search engine, but you can find maps of places and even set up an email account.  Does it ever concern you that Google knows too much about you?

I truly believe I am one of only a few internet users who actually like the idea of cookies.  Cookies let me search or find information that I would not have found had my computer not remembered me looking at something similar.  In the video, author Douglas Edwards, emphasizes how Google does not read users’ emails and that if information is tracked it is only for the benefit of the user.  Although the company does not read your email, it does however state in its privacy policy that a person’s information may be used by the company.  Either way, it does not change my opinion on the internet. 

I think Google has done a great job and I support the video that Edwards created.  I think it puts a lot of users’ mind at ease knowing their email is somewhat safe.