It's so simple to be wise.  Just think of something stupid to say, and then don't say it.     Sam Levenson (1911-1980)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Are YOU Being Googled?

This from the New York Times online:
There is a new common symptom of the flu, in addition to the usual aches, coughs, fevers and sore throats. Turns out a lot of ailing Americans enter phrases like “flu symptoms” into Google and other search engines before they call their doctors.

That simple act, multiplied across millions of keyboards in homes around the country, has given rise to a new early warning system for fast-spreading flu outbreaks, called Google Flu Trends.  (Read the rest of the article here).

All good and well, but doesn't it make you wonder what else they're tracking, without our knowledge?  Our Blogger blogs, among other things...

תהיו בריאים -- Keep healthy this winter.

Keep the balance,

ALN

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

but doesn't it make you wonder what else they're tracking, without our knowledge?
Yes, but how are we to know?

ProfK said...

Assume it is happening and act accordingly. ISPs have thousands of things they can/may be tracking about you, most of them for purposes of offering you services based on your usage. Every time you visit a website you may come away with a tracking cookie embedded by an advertiser. It's one reason why the government was so gung ho here to get access to ISP databases, purportedly so they could keep close watch on potential/actual terrorists and all their Internet activities.