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Google Patent for User Targeted Search Results
lorenbake writes "Scoble is one of many to report that Google has filed a patent for user targeted, or attention targeted, search results which will change the ranking of Google's organic results per each individual user based upon that user's search behavior, location, sites visited, and even 'typing behavior'. How could Google build such user profiles to serve customized organic (non-paid) results to? Tracking via their network of desktop apps, advertising, Gmail, and other network services."
Do no evil. Unless you have shareholders?
~S
Before this goes all big brother...
I just want to say that I hove no problem with targeted advertising at all. If there is a way that does not impose on my personal freedoms to selectiviely show me things that I might be interested in purchasing it is not only ok but much preffered to the massive spamvertisement campaigns that go on now.
-- The morphemes of your disquisition are ascertainable, but they have eschewed an ambit of transpicuous exposition.
All I want...is the ability to easily opt out.
... includes yours.
Oh, was that my outside voice?
Let's face it, the only economic reason for a company to build and host a bunch of unrelated applications is to link together advertising and user profiles. Why else would a search engine be talking about providing free WiFi service? So they can track users' locations and deliver location-targeted ads.
---- "If we have to go on with these damned quantum jumps, then I'm sorry that I ever got involved" - Erwin Schrodinger
On some seaches you perform you see a "personalized results (BETA)" message. I didn't really have a chance to determine whether the results are better, other than that it ranks the sites you visited before higher.
Makes perfect sense for google to track which links i click on - essentially i'm filtering out the type results I don't want, so if the search algorithm can learn from that and produce more relevant results, then great!
Privacy isn't such an issue on this considering Google already has this information on a per user level - this probably doesn't raise any additional privacy concerns.
Drag n' Drop DVD Recommendations
lol, i agree
-Dan
Google is not necessarily evil for doing taking out a patent. We live in a world of IP and patents. They probably have to do this for protection.
However, if Google starts using this patent to thwart their competition then they'll be making a mockery of their own do-no-evil slogan.
These are actions Google has actually taken:
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Helped Chinese authorities to censor their subjects' Internet access.
(http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.asp
Selectively approved and refused ads, based on political content.
(http://www.unknownnews.net/google.html)
(http://www.thenation.com/doc/20040830/reilly)
Permanently collected search history for everyone who has ever used their site.
(http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacypolicy.html
(http://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/161500535)
Permanently collected/indexed the email history and content of all gmail users, for marketing and law-enforcement use.
(http://mail.google.com/mail/help/privacy.html)
Filed obvious software patents.
(Refer to this slashdot story.)
For me, when people's actions directly contradict their words, I reduce my trust in them accordingly. Google can keep claiming to "do no evil," but the words are becoming more and more empty.
"How is it evil? It could be evil because its very powerful but in the right hands.. it could be good for everyone."
There's a simple way to tell if someone is likely to abuse power. When someone collects power over you, and states that it's for a purpose which doesn't require that power, you are being misled.