Slashdot Your Rights Online Story | Anti-Google Video Runs In Times Square.
Consumer Watchdog really dropped the ball on this one. The analogy in their (potentially creepy) advertisement fails on a level that hurts their cause. Supposedly, Google is handing out ice cream and requesting full body scans in return? What Google provides isn’t akin to fucking buying ice cream, those stupid S.O.B.s seem to feel like just because they can make an analogy it’s correct.
Warning: logic up ahead!
Ice cream cannot be compared to the search capabilities and other apps Google provides. Unless you are in the business of dealing with ice cream (whether selling, re-selling, or providing them to a game show so they can dump it on a contestant’s head) ice cream will never be a vital component. What Google provides are search, analytic, and collaboration tools (among others) that are the lifeblood for some companies (who provide support) and the backbone of others (even the U.S. government).
By comparing that to ice cream they make themselves look like silly little shits. I apologize for my rudeness but this pisses me off.
I completely understand and agree that tracking is invasive by nature. I want you to understand that I’m not simply backing Google because I’m in love with them or getting paid off; IANAL, but the manner in which this advert portrays Google is unfair and will not hold up should it be presented to a court.
I personally don’t think that a “Don’t Track Me” list will work. How many people have heard, been witness to, or a victim of unsolicited phone calls after putting themselves on a “Do Not Call” list? I’m not going to argue much about that, though. My real beef is with the advert.
Updated 2010-09-04: Looks like I ticked off somebody with some power because as of 11:50AM on Saturday, August 4th, 2010, my comment no longer shows up by default (even when my default is set to show all). I didn’t even get some kind of warning.
The title includes “Take 2″ because it seems that my words offended someone and were forcibly removed from the conversation. Hopefully that was only because of my foul language and not due to foul play by somebody else. I really wanted to see replies to my comment but that can’t happen when it outright gets deleted without so much of a notice, can it? I made this post the night before, and basically archived it on my blog [pjfontillas.com] at the same time last night so thankfully I can repost it (with the expletives edited out).
Tags: /., advertisement, consumer watchdog, google, slashdot