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View Full Version : A question aboug google desktop



RabbitWho
September 15th, 2009, 10:22 PM
I'm sure this must have been posted before, but I can't find it if it has.

So here is my question: Google said that they would never ever access information on my PC without my permission in the T and C. But would it be physically possible for them to do so? The "without my permission" line suggests to me.. "we can but we won't".
They said the indexing is done within a folder in my own computer. If the wanted to read it would they be able to?
This is not to discuss would they, or could they legally, but could they, for example, to save my life.


Even if they could: I think it's worth it considering how amazing the search function is. Faster than the terminal find, faster and more thorough than the GUI search feature... just.. wonderful.
But I'd like to know.



Edit: *about.. not aboug.. but aboug is a wonderful word.

speedwell68
September 15th, 2009, 10:26 PM
I'm sure this must have been posted before, but I can't find it if it has.

So here is my question: Google said that they would never ever access information on my PC without my permission in the T and C. But would it be physically possible for them to do so? The "without my permission" line suggests to me.. "we can but we won't".
They said the indexing is done within a folder in my own computer. If the wanted to read it would they be able to?
This is not to discuss would they, or could they legally, but could they, for example, to save my life.


Even if they could: I think it's worth it considering how amazing the search function is. Faster than the terminal find, faster and more thorough than the GUI search feature... just.. wonderful.
But I'd like to know.



Edit: *about.. not aboug.. but aboug is a wonderful word.

I honestly have no idea. But you can search your computer in just the same way using Gnome-Do, which most certainly won't compromise your personal privacy.

Namtabmai
September 15th, 2009, 10:30 PM
Could they? Quite possibly.

It's a closed source app running on your computer, it could be doing almost anything.

But if it was, I'm sure someone would have found out by now.

RabbitWho
September 15th, 2009, 10:48 PM
I honestly have no idea. But you can search your computer in just the same way using Gnome-Do, which most certainly won't compromise your personal privacy.

I tried it, it doesn't find anything, say I want to find the song "Here Today", it's in my music folder, I type it in it doesn't show up. I type in the letter H in google desktop and instantly get a list of files beginning with H, I put in "here" and I have a list of files with the word here in it. With Do I need to know the exact name of the file and it needs to be a certain type of file.

Say I want to find G parted in Google desktop, i can type in g, parted, gparted, partition or editor. And I'll get it on a list or on its own.

TheLions
September 15th, 2009, 10:56 PM
I'm sure this must have been posted before, but I can't find it if it has.

So here is my question: Google said that they would never ever access information on my PC without my permission in the T and C. But would it be physically possible for them to do so? The "without my permission" line suggests to me.. "we can but we won't".
They said the indexing is done within a folder in my own computer. If the wanted to read it would they be able to?
This is not to discuss would they, or could they legally, but could they, for example, to save my life.


Even if they could: I think it's worth it considering how amazing the search function is. Faster than the terminal find, faster and more thorough than the GUI search feature... just.. wonderful.
But I'd like to know.



Edit: *about.. not aboug.. but aboug is a wonderful word.

I had installed GD in U8.10 and my after month of usage my PC was crawling and lagging.
My suggestion is: don't install Google Desktop...

RabbitWho
September 15th, 2009, 10:58 PM
I had installed GD in U8.10 and my after month of usage my PC was crawling and lagging.
My suggestion is: don't install Google Desktop...

Really? That's interesting. And when you installed it it sped up again? I haven't noticed any lag.

TheLions
September 16th, 2009, 09:50 AM
And when i removed GD lagging gone...

I suppose that my HDD is slow so adding indexing slows it even more...

purgatori
September 16th, 2009, 12:04 PM
Any application you install can potentially upload information stored on your computer to a remote location; Google Desktop is no different in this regard.

t0p
September 16th, 2009, 12:27 PM
I know the OP said she isn't asking about the legal or moral situation: but I thought I'd mention this anyway. Most EULAs and Service Agreements contain a clause saying the company in question (Google in this example) can change the terms of the agreement whenever they like, often without notice. So it doesn't really matter that Google said they wouldn't access your computer without your permission. They can (probably) do anything they like.

I'm disappointed that the OP says she doesn't mind if Google do access her computer behind her back. She values convenience above privacy. Shame!

speedwell68
September 16th, 2009, 01:24 PM
I tried it, it doesn't find anything, say I want to find the song "Here Today", it's in my music folder, I type it in it doesn't show up. I type in the letter H in google desktop and instantly get a list of files beginning with H, I put in "here" and I have a list of files with the word here in it. With Do I need to know the exact name of the file and it needs to be a certain type of file.

Say I want to find G parted in Google desktop, i can type in g, parted, gparted, partition or editor. And I'll get it on a list or on its own.

You have of course enabled the relevant search plugins in Gnome-Do?

RabbitWho
September 16th, 2009, 05:53 PM
I'm disappointed that the OP says she doesn't mind if Google do access her computer behind her back. She values convenience above privacy. Shame!

In principal; no, in practice, right now on this computer; yes. If the program was obligatory i'd have a problem with it, but I'm not doing anything private or illegal at the moment. So why not?


You have of course enabled the relevant search plugins in Gnome-Do?
Yes of course.. and speaking of lag.. I can't even uninstall the damn thing because now other programs "depend on it" (Gnome do, not Google Desktop)

caue.rego
October 19th, 2009, 03:00 AM
What? GDS not working properly? You either have a bloated OS installed or is just having really bad luck. Google Desktop Searches the computer with great ease, once the index is completed!

Try again, for your own good.

It is not as good as OSX Spotlight, or Gnome Deskbar-applet, or even Microsoft's-new-options-to-do-similar-things-which-I-don't-know-the-name, for searching certain system things, but it's still the greatest for finding relevant data on your computer files or even some personal files on the google cloud.