Adam Fields (weblog)

This blog is largely deprecated, but is being preserved here for historical interest. Check out my index page at adamfields.com for more up to date info. My main trade is technology strategy, process/project management, and performance optimization consulting, with a focus on enterprise and open source CMS and related technologies. More information. I write periodic long pieces here, shorter stuff goes on twitter or app.net.

10/15/2004

Please don’t install Google Desktop

Filed under: — adam @ 11:54 pm

Google has repeatedly, across all of their recent product launches, failed to properly address privacy and security concerns.

“Don’t be evil” doesn’t cut it.

Google Desktop privacy branded ‘unacceptable’ | The Register

On top of that, there’s a larger issue at hand which has not been properly addressed. There is a difference between network content and desktop content. There is a security/privacy difference (who do I want to see this?), a latency difference (how long does it take to see this?), and a control difference (will I always be able to see this, in this form?), at the very least. Treating network content and desktop content as the same thing is a leaky abstraction at best. Blurring the line without properly addressing these differences is an invitation to disaster. But sure, it’s easier than teaching people what the differences are.


Comments are closed.

Powered by WordPress