Google Books, Bulbs, Web Privacy

sussli@netscape.com sussli@netscape.com
Sun, 13 May 2007 11:18:27 PDT
Well Joe, don't worry too much about Big Brother. Then again looking at your email address, I was always wondering what a big cactus plant family is doing running an ISP. In the meantime, could I lend you a crate and a good book to help you house train 2 or more small dogs?

Gene/San Francisco 



--- jshaw@opuntiads.com wrote:

From: "Joe Shaw" <jshaw@opuntiads.com>
To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [pbs] Google Books, Bulbs, Web Privacy
Date: Sun, 13 May 2007 13:02:20 -0500

Hi Gang,

I was exploring Google Books (search) and looked up Garden Bulbs for the 
South, the 2007 book by Scott Ogden. I was impressed with the amount of 
information provided online. The photos are great and Google reproduces 
many of the pages from the book.

I had to sign into Google to use the Book Search feature, and typically 
don't bother with search engines that track my movements by asking for an 
email address (yes, Google does that). Yet, the result was so delightful I 
may search for other books. You don't get to browse the whole book, and but 
you get 2-3 dozen pages to read, apparently reproduced directly from the 
book--wonderful images.

LINK: Google Books link for Garden Bulbs of the South (maybe you'll need to 
sign in with a free Google account)
http://books.google.com/books/?id=qjEBt3MPGZAC&dq

I'm not sure what to do about the Web and my interests in privacy. I'm sure 
a clever profiler could put together a lot of information about me already: 
1) likes plants, 2) travels to certain cities now and then, 3) has dogs, 4) 
agnostic, 5) reads "certain" foreign newspapers (English Langage versions), 
6) has a love-hate relationship with taxonomy, 7) so cheap I still have my 
first penny, etc.

The online newspapers and magazines along will sink me if Big Brother is 
making a profile. For sure I look like a confused Liberal with conservative 
leanings, as well as a penchant for Jewish, Arabic, European, and Asian 
news. Toss in the email to PBS and other garden forums and everyone will 
know I'm a plant smuggler, as well as a poltically-confused tightwad with 
misgivings about certain US policies, a man with 2 or more small dogs that 
are not house trianed. Who could imgine that pursuing a hobby could be of 
so much interest to others.

The Google Book Search is free, free, free. But, as we all know, free 
things on the Web are typically not free. Google is watching, and Big 
Brother is watching Google.


Cordially,

Joe
Conroe TX
Swamp rose and pasture rose blooming this month (Rosa palustris, R. 
carolina), so sweetly fragrant.


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