Google +1: Screenshot and Details

An anonymous reader noted that a screenshot has leaked showing Google's response to the Facebook 'Like' button that is used to track your every movement throughout the web. It's called Google +1. The product is not announced or launched, nor is the updated toolbar also discussed in the story.

Comments

Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[digitaldc]

zzzzzzz

Re:Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[truthsearch]

Based on the TFA it looks like it's just on Google properties, so even more zzzzz.

Re:Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[JackieBrown]

I want a dislike button

Re:Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[beakerMeep]

This. Google's search results were *so* much more useful when you could "ban" the spam like experts-exchange and all the other link farming crap.

Along that same line of thinking: it would really be awesome would be able to both whitelist and blacklist sites.
 
Say I have 10 or 20 or so favorite code related sites I like to search. I enter in a few terms and Google only searches *my* sites. This could be really useful and to me is distinctly different than a star/bookmark.

Re:Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[Anonymous Coward]

Screw that. I want a Vorpal Google +5 for me.

Re:Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[mrjb]

Multiple sites does not seem to be supported, but you *can* add "site:yourfavoritecodingsite.com" to a Google query to search just that site. I guess you can just write a small script that does this for each of your favorite code related sites, use that script to enter your search queries, and hey, presto.

Re:Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[vegiVamp]

In the same vein, -site: removes a given site.

Re:Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[davester666]

It's the window/tab close button on your browser.

Re:Wow! It's Google's 'like' button!

[Idiomatick]

It felt so good hitting the x for expert-sexchange :/ they took that away from me.

If you want to whitelist only a few sites and do the same set all the time you could just stick some javascript into a favourite...

Code button:
javascript:q=document.getSelection();if(!q){void(q=prompt('Looking%20for:',''))};if(q)location.href='http://www.google.com/search?&q=site%3Asuperuser.com+OR+site%3Astackoverflow.com+OR+site%3Aslashdot.com+'+q

Substitute sites as you want. (Just make a shortcut or favourite and plug in the code where it says url...)

yay

[circletimessquare]

you don't have to feed all of your data to the beast called facebook anymore

you can feed it to the beast called google

you can still dutifully log all of the pointless insipid details of your life to a vast database for tracking and advertising purposes, just like before, but under a new corporate master

yay

Re:yay

[Demonslayer1337]

Yes but for some reason I much prefer this corporate master rather than the likes of Facebook.

But that's just my opinion not to start a /. riot I hope.

Re:yay

[gmuslera]

Probably Google cared a bit more when they blew it up in the start of Buzz that had a privacy problem, than Facebook, that when they disclose something, they just redefine privacy as something you don't need to have or have something dangerous to hide. And still is to be seen privacy regarding popular "apps" providers.

In any case, when is released we could have reasons to complain, or not, but i would wait till that moment to judge.

Re:yay

[mcgrew]

Screw facebook, I dutifully log all of the pointless insipid details of my life to my slashdot journal.

Even stories about drinking in a bar can be interesting if they're not poorly written.

Re:yay

[Monkeedude1212]

Yeah, you know, at first I agreed with your sentiment.

The problem with corporate masters is that they can easily be switched with bigger assholes than the one you signed on with. Google right now? Yeah, I mean, they're a bit sketch with the way they are collecting all the data and using it for advertising, but as far as I know, they haven't been as invasive or careless about my information as other sites have shown.

Google 10 years from now? Is Eric still going to be running the show? What if we all give up our information to a company who has shown their goodwill and kept their promises, then overnight someone else takes over the company... Suddenly everything you shared earlier is in the hands of someone you might not trust.

And there goes the neighbourhood.

Re:yay

[DJRumpy]

Unfortunately, both companies are in the business of profiting off of your personal information, so I don't think either would be desirable (Facebook or Google). Google has gotten to the point where I'm actually far more nervous using all of their free services for just about everything I do on the web. That's a lot of information about me all in one place.

It should be enough to make anyone nervous.

Re:yay

[AltairDusk]

If I absolutely have to pick a beast to feed all my data to I'd prefer Google over Facebook. That said I don't use Facebook's like button on any site outside of Facebook for these exact reasons.

Re:yay

[Anonymous Coward]

The problem with corporate masters is that they can easily be switched with bigger assholes than the one you signed on with.

Not necessarily. If goatse adds social media, you could just sign up with them. There's no bigger asshole than that.

Re:yay

[bluefoxlucid]

Probably Google cared a bit more when they blew it up in the start of Buzz that had a privacy problem, than Facebook, that when they disclose something, they just redefine privacy as something you don't need to have or have something dangerous to hide. And still is to be seen privacy regarding popular "apps" providers.

In any case, when is released we could have reasons to complain, or not, but i would wait till that moment to judge.

YOU WOULD BE SAYING WITH YOUR HAPPINESS THIS IF YOU HAD TAKEN ALL EVERYTHING.

Re:yay

[Anonymous Coward]

Another concern is security. That data has to go somewhere, and if it is stored, then a blackhat somehow can access it. If the DoD can get compromised with secret documents posted, it likely wouldn't take as much effort to get access to Google's personal identifying data.

Now picture Wikileaks offering a torrent of every Gmail user's mailbox and ad profiles.

Re:yay

[Anonymous Coward]

What??

Re:yay

[Requiem18th]

I think the issue raised not long ago is that the facebook like button is a web bug itself, kida like those transparent 1px GIFs, but less invisible and even less useful.

Re:yay

[Jenkins112]

I already feed all data to Google webs. Why would I want it to more places than I need?? I wish Google had fax service because it's also where I have lots of private info and I would like it all to be in a same spot.

Re:yay

[The End Of Days]

I prefer to use their services, not enter into servitude. You apparently have a much different way of doing things.

Re:yay

[stretch0611]

You are correct, facebook's like button is a glorified web bug. That is one reason why I have deleted my facebook account and I block facebook (and fcbkcdn) directly on my firewall.

However, if google starts doing the same thing, I will need to find a better way to filter out the tracking bs... I would need to surgically cut it out while still letting me use search and gmail.

Re:yay

[Requiem18th]

Did you know, even if you delete your profile, facebook feeds you a cookie anyway on every hit, they record your IP and crosscheck it with other sites to compile a list of ip's you've used along with every site you are detected to be in.

That info is aggregated into your "deleted" facebook profile anyway.

And did you know? Since many websites are willing to sell their users they alias their trackers to by pass the same origin policy, i.e. ad.hi5.com is actually ad.yieldmanager.com

This goes beyond collecting public data for marketing purposes and into population surveillance, these companies aren't trying to track you, they are trying to defeat any attempts people might devise to regain privacy, short of stop using any cellphones or the Internet.

Which makes a lot of sense when you realize facebook has ties with the CIA.

Endless Applications!

[TaoPhoenix]

Everything on the web gets a Numerical Rating!
Some people may get a +2. Spinal Tap gets +11.
The RPG groups will have a field day with this.
Haxxr0z will write loops to add +1 by bots.
This will force a Captcha to slow the bots down.

Re:Endless Applications!

[Sockatume]

I think Google already settled that first one with Pagerank.

Maybe that's the idea, Google will tally your worth as a being by the pagerank of the sites you share. Of course the only way to win that game is not to play.

Re:Endless Applications!

[truthsearch]

And you get a +1 Funny

Re:Endless Applications!

[Zebedeu]

Yeah, but he's level capped at +5

Where is the + 1 published?

[Superken7]

Ok, so that shot shows us how the +1 button looks like... but for me the interesting part would be: what would happen when you click that button? is it a new google site? does it get published to your facebook/twitter/whatever profile? or that just part of google news?

also, that techcrunch article was from the 7. dec ;)

StumbleUpon

[rwa2]

Google already bought StumbleUpon a few years ago. It's awesome, use it !

* The data collected by "Like" button helps send you more stuff you'd like based on what other people also liked.
* There's a "Dislike" button
* Provides reviews / discussion thread for any web URL
* Don't need to link it to any of your other "social networks", it stands as its own separate social space pretty well. Never felt the need to share weblinks with friends / acquaintances, anyway, mostly because my IRL friends have vastly different pr0n preferences, and if a link makes me think of someone in particular I'll message it just to them.

Facebook's "like" button has always been utterly useless in comparison, somewhere just above "poke" and below "wink".

Re:StumbleUpon

[Anonymous Coward]

Google already bought StumbleUpon a few years ago.

No - they didn't.

Re:StumbleUpon

[Fibe-Piper]

StumbleUpon is the best.

I hate toolbars of any kind. I can't even stand Google's (though I keep it running in the task tray just for the desktop search), but StumbleUpon's is so great. There is a satisfaction in using Stumble that I can only compare to my first experience with Netscape Navigator.

I hope Google doesn't cripple it in favor of its proprietary "thumbsup" feature.

Re:StumbleUpon

[rwa2]

Oh, huh, you're right. I wonder where I got that crazy idea from... oh well, I stand corrected (and probably horribly abused in not too long :P )

Re:StumbleUpon

[Anonymous Coward]

facebook's like buttoni is a tool to track what other fools have commented on the post in question.

Re:StumbleUpon

[Fibe-Piper]

Woops - I got suckered by that too! According to Wikipedia, Google was in planning a purchase but it was eBay who scooped them up.

Re:StumbleUpon

[Anonymous Coward]

Just a correction: Ebay bought StumbleUpon and not Google.

google responding to facebook?

[MichaelKristopeit188]

no one is aware that a very large majority of sites include common javascript libraries from google servers? or perhaps they're just too dumb to understand the implications of such things.

no one is aware of google's free DNS service at 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4? again, perhaps simply not aware of the implications...

facebook is responding to google.

why not...

[Anonymous Coward]

make it a RFC standard

That's cool

[mysidia]

+1

+1 it's already used frequently on various internet mailing lists as a generic way of saying "I like that" or "I agree with that"...

I hope the USPTO doesn't let Google trademark "+1".

Re:That's cool

[Andrewkov]

Wow, I didn't know that, but today is my first day on the internets.

Re:That's cool

[An ominous Cow art]

Cool? I find it annoying.

Yeah, yeah, "get off my grass", etc.

New rating?

[dragonhunter21]

rate +1 Google plox

Google already tracks you more than Facebook.

[VortexCortex]

[This is] Google's response to the Facebook 'Like' button that is used to track your every movement throughout the web.

Why not also point out that Google's '+1' will simply complement their Google Ads that are used to track your every movement throughout the web?

Hint: More websites have Google ads on them than Facebook 'Like' buttons.

Re:Google already tracks you more than Facebook.

[hedwards]

I'm always surprised at what sites seem to have Google tracking, as far as I can tell it's not just sites with ads either. I sincerely hope that's just a configuration error with Ghostery.

Re:Google already tracks you more than Facebook.

[bfree]

Ads, analytics, apis, search, youtube. Between them a staggering percentage of page views attempt to hit a Google server.

Re:Google already tracks you more than Facebook.

[d6]

Don't forget DNS too.

Google has access to a great deal more information than most people realize.

Re:Google already tracks you more than Facebook.

[bfree]

I did forget about their DNS but I don't regard it as being the same sort of issue. With the others you will find many sites using various forms of embedding in their pages to try to have you make requests to google, but the end-user must proactively choose to use google's DNS.

Re:Google already tracks you more than Facebook.

[Aighearach]

For a lot of casual site operators it's easier to install google analytics than to process webserver logs

isn't it ironic?

[tero]

.. don't you think?
Mark Zuckerberg featured in a secret screenie that leaks Google's "hot" new feature.

Ouch.

Does the third law of thermodynamics apply?

[Anonymous Coward]

| Google will tally your worth as a being by the pagerank of the sites you share.

Clearly, as on Facebook, the first and second laws of thermodynamics will apply (1. You can't win. 2. you can't break even.) but how will they enforce the third law (3. You can't quit palying the game.)? Will access to the search engine require you to play?

Re:Does the third law of thermodynamics apply?

[Anonymous Coward]

That's not really a bar either, while other search engines exist. I'm on the brink of switching search engines already - I just want someone to offer me better results with less spam and I'll drop G in a heartbeat.

double plus

[fritish]

This story is ++ good.

Someone needs to write a plugin

[Anonymous Coward]

If a resource is found embedded in a configurable number of web sites with different domains, then the resource is put on a blacklist and no longer loaded as a third party element of a web site. This should take care of most ad servers, like-buttons, trackers and general Web 2.0 uselessness.

Moderation

[Dachannien]

So when will I be able to moderate people "+1 Google" on Slashdot?

Re:Moderation

[hedwards]

This is /. that should be "-1 Google."

Just another tracking move

[vlueboy]

Slashdot has had a "like" system for longer than most other sites. Points for /., seeing how critical we all are. I know that our firehose system is newer, but our privacy with advertisers doesn't feel as exposed as with advertisement giants

The issue with those 'Like' / dislike buttons on Facebook-bound sites, review sites, google techsupport ratings, Yahoo answers and other ratings is that you must register to each "virtual club" to vote. You must then sign in and associate your profile with each vote on what you like. Slashdot's moderation system is more secretive with our votes, but Google +1 data will be different in that our votes go directly to advertisers, if not all our friends.

Re:Just another tracking move

[AmberBlackCat]

You know, Slashdot would be a lot more honest with itself if it replaced all of the moderation with just "Like" and "Dislike".

Re:Just another tracking move

[A Guy From Ottawa]

...go directly to advertisers

+1!

See the article Facebook's 'Like This' Button Is Tracking You for details about how facebook (and now google) use the http image requests and your cookies to basically get a full history on your web browsing.

After having read the article and thought of how many sites I visit with a "like button" and therefore how much data facebook/google has about my browsing I felt disturbed to say the least.

Even wikileaks has one of these on their site. Wonder how meany people realize that facebook knows when/how-often they visit wikileaks...

Re:Just another tracking move

[vlueboy]

Thanks.

If youre not already protected, try firefox with noscript (its great to visualize how much cross-polination sites have.) Then, do nothing, and facebook will never be whitelisted --I don't see like buttons in my FF. Adblock plus is also useful, while you're at it.

If you dont like FF, use your hostsfile to block
api.ak.facebook.com, connect.facebook.net and static.ak.fbcdn.net. That will cause some problems if you DO have a FB account or need videos hosted on facebook.

I'm tempted to sign into youtube to give positive ratings/comments to gamers ardously uploading dozens of videos for single game walkthroughs. Because google is behind YT, I'm discouraged because of the tracking. Back in the nineties, the web was nice: rare ads, text over presentation, and honest FIRST-party guestbooks lacking today's tracking giants.

Even pr0n-sites lease FB's 'like' buttons. Our danger is huge ;)

Re:Just another tracking move

[vlueboy]

You know, Slashdot would be a lot more honest with itself if it replaced all of the moderation with just "Like" and "Dislike".

Interesting, but lame/tasteless things get "thumbed-up" in youtube, "liked" on facebook, or "found useful" as reviews on Amazon. We got multi-dimensional moderation here rather than "good/bad." On slashdot you can filter "-5 for funny mods [lets weed out bad taste or ignore humor today], and +2 to interesting ones [just get me some news!]." I find that funny really means 'tasteless humor/gross' for particular moderator audiences, and lumping "funny" with "worthy" in a "like" moderation messes with my signal to noise tastes.

The normal public outside /. doesn't spend time changing prefs, to make that useful as an option to the posters. That by itself makes /. special in NOT copying their system and wiping our geek-friendly, multidimensional moderation

Re:Just another tracking move

[AmberBlackCat]

Interesting, but lame/tasteless things get "thumbed-up" in youtube, "liked" on facebook, or "found useful" as reviews on Amazon. We got multi-dimensional moderation here rather than "good/bad."

This part in particular was what I was focused on. The same thing is happening on Slashdot. The comments are being modded up and down based on how the moderators feel about the comments. If they actually are informative, interesting, or any of those other things, that is a coincidence. At the very least, Overrated and Underrated should be replaced with like and dislike. If one can't even think of a word to describe what's good or bad about the post, one should go ahead and admit they just like or don't like it.

Can't Trust Screenshot

[Anonymous Coward]

It was made on an Apple computer. People that use Macs do not good reporters make.

What....

[Anonymous Coward]

What are you guys talking about??? It just looks like an unread email count to me...

Please...

[Pollux]

This blogger "claims" that someone at Google did this by accident, that, "the person who shared this clearly wasn’t supposed to."

This is Google. Google knows what it's doing. They don't have such an extensive interview process just to hire idiots who don't know a mouse from a keyboard.

This was a planned leak designed specifically for marketing purposes.

Re:Please...

[Anonymous Coward]

And you know this, how?

Next you'll tell me that Google planned to be hacked by the Chinese government.

Interview process, bla bla bla.

It was a planned hacking designed specifically for marketing purposes.

Your friends searched for ... top 5 features

[Anonymous Coward]

Bringing a whole new level to "social media", Google now offers:

1. "Your friends searched for ..." - find out what your friends are doing with their free time
2. "Like this search" - just don't click on any Wikileaks results or you'll be branded a "security risk"
3. "Poke this location" - just like SimCity, YOU are now Godzilla, able to wreak disaster all over Google Maps.
4. "Micro-blog" - and going one step beyond both facebook (420 char limit) and twitter (140 char limit), google limits you to just 42 characters, because google understands nobody actually READS other people's "stream-of-consciousness" logorrhoea.
5. "Games" - lots of games, giving advertisers even MORE ways to ask you to share your information.

We need an "anti-social media", for people who want to supplement their social life instead of having "social media" consume all their time.

-- Barbie

1UP

[Anonymous Coward]

They should've called it 1UP!

Boring, but what is Google Loop?

[RichiH]

If you look at the upper right, it's an internal Google account. If you look at the upper left, there is a link named "Loop". Googling (hrhr) does not yield anything. So, anyone got any ideas?

+1/-1 leads to even more groupthink

[rsborg]

You know, Slashdot would be a lot more honest with itself if it replaced all of the moderation with just "Like" and "Dislike".

Just take a look at Digg, DailyKos, Facebook, etc. etc.

The "qualified" moderation of slashdot allows for funny comments (eg, brilliant troll vs. great joke) and informative comments that I just don't see as much elsewhere... it could use improving, but that would mean adding more qualifications.

Compare to the sites above, you'll see a lot of groupthink or mod-wars that revolve around groups of like-minded folks blindly up-rating and down-rating comments... sure it happens here, but it's less likely and more easily caught with metamod.

I have yet to see much of a better moderation system (Amazon's reviews area comes close with things like "Verified Purchase", "Real Name", etc).

Is that +1 to hit or damage or both?

[Junior J. Junior III]

I want a Google Vorpal that gives me a 10' radius protection against data harvesters.