Quitting Gmail

[Comet]

Google has been keeping record for a long time. When Gmail came, they said that they'll search the content of your email so that they can serve you better with the advertisements.
Also, since 2005, Google keeps track of your searches and tries to bring what you need most. Like, if you search for Apple, based on your interests it will either show Apple Company and Products links or Apple fruit related pages links.

 

[WhiteKnight1]

Google has been keeping record for a long time. When Gmail came, they said that they'll search the content of your email so that they can serve you better with the advertisements. Also, since 2005, Google keeps track of your searches and tries to bring what you need most. Like, if you search for Apple, based on your interests it will either show Apple Company and Products links or Apple fruit related pages links.

Where? They could not do that here in the U.S.

 

[gubbi]

Try opening a gmail account now ...

I don't get asked for my phone number. I just created two accounts. May be its region specific.?

 

[BJlaowai]

Not sure about twitter cos I don't use it, but I use facebook to keep in touch with friends in china. Where did you hear the news that facebook is blocked?

yes.. Facebook is blocked in China. So is youtube, twitter, all non-chinese blog sites, many news sites..

 

[BJlaowai]

I have friends from China and as per them FB is not blocked but heavily controlled, all links to outside websites as well as apps on FB are monitored by the Government. They haven’t yet found a way to control tweets or wall post but im sure something is on its way.

I dont know about your friends in China, but my Internet Service Provider (one of the most popular one, All ISPs are state owned) certainly bloacks FB.
I have to keep looking for web proxy servers to access my account.

 

[HariSeldon]

Chinese brothers:

It is pretty obvious now, that Google cooperates closely with the U.S intelligence agencies. The manner it quit the Chinese mainland and its absurd hacking accusation (mostly like conducted by the CIA) raises too many security questions. Know that Google keeps a permanent copy of almost everything and I suspect that the U.S government has access to it. Due to this grave security and privacy concern, I have disassociated myself with Gmail.

conworldus and other members... It does not matter if you use GM or not...they know your preference.....You think you can logout from GM and google will not know your preference or using it behind the proxy is safe....think again... think hard

Have you ever wondered from where they are minting that money? After all they are just a search eng?

Well you know the ans ans I will be just repeating the obvious. One word "AdSense". Even PDF is using adsense, so if you are here you are helping them.

I don't have data with me but my personal exp tell me that out of 10 sites you go, 8 is running adsense.
Which means by visiting those sites you are telling google ur preference. If you think you can be smart by hidding ur IP, hard luck. They will use the profiling to outguess you. After all how many personality traits are there to define ~6 billion ppl. Guessing what you interested in if you have just surfed PAKDEF, Dawn and RiazHaq blog (;-) ) wouldn't be difficult for them. They might not pinpoint but they will make very educated guess.

I guess lot of members here will be knowing this because of there CS background.

I don't hate them but I fear that today they resemble more like "Benevolent dictator".

 

[below_freezing]

im a total idiot at computers, can you explain to me google's tracking more?

i use it in my studies sometimes, but don't want the americans finding out when i google for sarin gas manufacturing process.

 

[HariSeldon]

im a total idiot at computers, can you explain to me google's tracking more?

i use it in my studies sometimes, but don't want the americans finding out when i google for sarin gas manufacturing process.

If you are behind the proxy they might not know your IP. (I am not gd in JS? Can somebody help me here? Can we get the IP from JS?)

But even if they will not know your ip, they will look-up prefrences of ppl who searched for "sarin gas" previously and based on that, they will guess what you are interested in. Also your own surfing history will be added to there data. (This given that site you r visiting uses adsense.)

And then If you think Cookies are for eating than this give them one more tool for gathering data.

 

[scuthan]

Chinese brothers:

It is pretty obvious now, that Google cooperates closely with the U.S intelligence agencies. The manner it quit the Chinese mainland and its absurd hacking accusation (mostly like conducted by the CIA) raises too many security questions. Know that Google keeps a permanent copy of almost everything and I suspect that the U.S government has access to it. Due to this grave security and privacy concern, I have disassociated myself with Gmail.

Don't bother to suspect it. US govts record every e-mail going in or out of the states. Besides, they have access to your privacy information from your internet service provider according to patriot act. also there are backdoors in your windows system. All the america-based e-mail services are the same. it doesn't make differences which one you use.

i use gmail as my major one. hope Google won't do something stupid in the future again.

 

[below_freezing]

hmm, i see, i see...

thanks for the info. seems like the US government monitors their citizens like criminals.

 

[Adwitiya]

Google is the best

The complete google suite included mail, calenadar, reader, picasa, maps, orkut all with a single account makes it awesome to use. the gmail mobile application is far far better than any other application. Now its been almost a year since i have been using google aps on my phone. simply awesome specially google maps. far better than nokia maps.

even now u can synchronize your phonebook with the gmail contacts as well as your phone calendar. so i end up giving entries in either gmail or phone it updates automatically everywhere. same is the case with outlook

 

[Chanakyaa]

Btw, a few competitive options exist :
inbox.com
mail.zoho.com
gmx.com

 

[Spring Onion]

Really? Cell phone number?

I have ~3 Gmail accounts, and I have never been asked for my cell phone number.

Are you sure it was Gmail by Google? And not another phising site?

And compete with Google? Worldwide?
Try.

They have put some new features and its one of these features. They lure you into puting your cell number and say you can have greater access to gmail features through your cell.


So better refuse the greater access and dont put your number

 

[Adwitiya]

They have put some new features and its one of these features. They lure you into puting your cell number and say you can have greater access to gmail features through your cell.


So better refuse the greater access and dont put your number

Actually they started this facility in order to reduce the fake ids. they ask you to put your phone no for mobile services in order to send you a link for download or to use it directly over mobile. You always have an option to type the URL in the mobile browser directly.

 

[chinapakistan]

I dont use Gmail, but I bought the BAIDU stock several month ago. It is very delicious now.