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Google for Privacy Conscious (no actually, just cheap) Users
Yesterday, Dave W. posted a link to this article by Viswanath Gondi about Google's use of a non-expiring (or at lthe very least a very-long-lasting) cookie: Google for Privacy Conscious Users. This is a tactic that all the major search engines use, apparently, and Gondi's main point seems to be that Google claims that it's required in order to set your preferences even though that's not necessarily true. His main point boils down to this:
...google’s cookie expires in 2038 and tracks the cookie ID, IP address, the time and date, search terms, and browser configuration. Google has to leave its arm twisting strategy of making everyone enable cookies and embrace the policy of giving what the users want. In order to give a majority of the users the best experience, google doesn't’t have to spoil the experiences of privacy conscious users. This small change can make everybody happy.
I know my reaction is probably not a popular opinion in the privacy circles of the Net, but why do people keep forgetting that Google is a business? And, as a business that needs to make money to survive, cookies are something that they feel is required. As a matter of fact, having access to the information above is probably one of the main reasons why their search works so well. They look at what people are doing on their site and they make changes accordingly. Sounds like smart business practices to me.
This is not a question of "giving users what they want." Users want everything! I want to be able to go to Amazon and pick out stuff without paying. I want Apple to send me the next Rev of OSX for free. At Medscape, people want to get to our valuable content without registering. To get something of value, you need to give up something of value. Whether that's money or some personal information is up to the particular business model, but don't ask for a free lunch. There is none.
8:33:05 AM 
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