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Net Activists Skeptical of Google Float
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Net Activists Skeptical of Google Float
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I realize that Google's incredible success has placed it in a position where it could, if it desired, wreak havoc on the internet, or on individual privacy, or do any of a number of other kinds of damage. And I realize that the fact that so far Google has been an incredibly good citizen (though it's gotta be worth something) is no guarantee of future behavior.
But this article is ridiculous! First of all, it attempts in some odd way to conflate two UTTERLY UNRELATED issues. Whether or not Google's cookie policy is a problem has NOTHING to do with whether it is going to offer a public auction of shares. In fact, I would say that any privacy advocate who WAS worried about their cookie policy ought to PREFER that Google become a publicly held company (with accordant transparency and public accountability regulations) than that it remain private. And as for the manner of their going public... I imagine that you've heard any number of stories about how the IPO system is mostly a scam for permitting certain insiders to leech out vast amounts of profit (sometimes more than what the company makes via the IPO). Offering shares directly to the public via an auction is a MORE FAIR way to conduct an IPO (just what I would expect from Google).
And as for the cookie complaint, this is entirely overblown. First, and most importantly, Google *does not require the use of cookies*. Let me state that again: Google *does not require the use of cookies*. They're perfectly willing to serve up searches to people who won't uniquely identify themselves. The only thing is, if you won't tell them who you are, then they won't customize features like your preferred language and preferred search settings. Well... what exactly were you expecting them to do? If they *required* a cookie of all users, then I'd begin to worry, but for now, that's not the case.
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Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be
lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.
- Isaac Asimov
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