gmail online harddrive...

hot_pastrami · 10-20-2004, 12:08 PM

The desktop utility would be a pretty nifty tool if it wasn't so Microsofty. According to the info I've read, it indexes your Internet Explorer cache, but not other browsers, such as Mozilla. It indexes your Outlook e-mail, but not other mail clients. It indexes MS Word and MS Excel files, but not OpenOffice.org, WordPerfect, etc. And, it is Win32-only app. It might as well have been written by Microsoft. It strays from it's Microsoft focus in one area, though... it indexes AOL Instant Messanger logs, but not MSN (nor Yahoo, ICQ, etc).

Everything else gets indexed by filename only. The Microsoft stuff gets indexed by content.

It also has a big security concern in a multiple-user environment... the desktop utility has no respect for user account limitations, and any user on a computer can search the other users' files.

The GMail drive is kinda cool though... while 1GB doesn't seem like much for storage, and it's a bit slow, it is handy for sharing data between computers. If it weren't for my USB Thumbdrive, I'd probably use the GMail drive quite a bit.

Speaking of GMail, I have 6 GMail invites if anybody wants one.

Elspode · 10-20-2004, 12:23 PM

Over here, please...please? I'd like to give it a look-see.

hot_pastrami · 10-20-2004, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elspode

Over here, please...please? I'd like to give it a look-see.

If you referring to the GMail invite, just PM me the e-mail address to send it to.

Troubleshooter · 10-21-2004, 09:35 AM

This was just sent to me:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/1....ap/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- People who use public or workplace computers for e-mail, instant messaging and Web searching have a new privacy risk to worry about: Google's free new tool that indexes a PC's contents for quickly locating data.

If it's installed on computers at libraries and Internet cafes, users could unwittingly allow people who follow them on the PCs, for example, to see sensitive information in e-mails they've exchanged. That could mean revealed passwords, conversations with doctors, or viewed Web pages detailing online purchases.

"It's clearly a very powerful tool for locating information on the computer," said Richard M. Smith, a privacy and security consultant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "On the flip side of things, it's a perfect spy program."

Google Desktop Search, publicly released Thursday in a "beta" test phase for computers running the latest Windows operating systems, automatically records e-mail you read through Outlook, Outlook Express or the Internet Explorer browser. It also saves copies of Web pages you view through IE and chat conversations using America Online Inc.'s instant-messaging software. And it finds Word, Excel and PowerPoint files stored on the computer.

Radar · 10-21-2004, 06:57 PM

How many of you share your computer? I don't. I am the only one who gets on it from inside or outside.

Also google doesn't "read" your email, they have software that tries to pull words out and give links to things. It's not like some person is sitting around perusing your email.

wolf · 10-22-2004, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radar

How many of you share your computer? I don't. I am the only one who gets on it from inside or outside.

Also google doesn't "read" your email, they have software that tries to pull words out and give links to things. It's not like some person is sitting around perusing your email.

Computer security is such that you don't always know who is getting on it from the outside. (Which, when you think about it too much leads to computer insecurity).

No, Google doesn't have anyone reading every piece of your mail. Most people have enough frustration reading their own copies of "Happy Good Luck Angel (FWD) (FWD) (FWD) (FWD) (FWD) (FWD). But the point is that they COULD.

Think of it as being kind of like Carnivore Lite.

russotto · 10-22-2004, 03:06 PM

Any mail provider can read your mail. Unless you use end-to-end encryption. Then only the NSA can read your mail.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-22-2004, 08:24 PM

Following Buster's link to The Register.

Quote:

Google Desktop Search allows users to opt out of sending the company back detailed usage data, but it isn't possible to firewall it completely.

No thanks, I'm not savy enough to know what they are or aren't doing.

10-20-2004, 12:08 PM	#1
hot_pastrami I am meaty Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,119	The desktop utility would be a pretty nifty tool if it wasn't so Microsofty. According to the info I've read, it indexes your Internet Explorer cache, but not other browsers, such as Mozilla. It indexes your Outlook e-mail, but not other mail clients. It indexes MS Word and MS Excel files, but not OpenOffice.org, WordPerfect, etc. And, it is Win32-only app. It might as well have been written by Microsoft. It strays from it's Microsoft focus in one area, though... it indexes AOL Instant Messanger logs, but not MSN (nor Yahoo, ICQ, etc). Everything else gets indexed by filename only. The Microsoft stuff gets indexed by content. It also has a big security concern in a multiple-user environment... the desktop utility has no respect for user account limitations, and any user on a computer can search the other users' files. The GMail drive is kinda cool though... while 1GB doesn't seem like much for storage, and it's a bit slow, it is handy for sharing data between computers. If it weren't for my USB Thumbdrive, I'd probably use the GMail drive quite a bit. Speaking of GMail, I have 6 GMail invites if anybody wants one. __________________ Hot Pastrami! Last edited by hot_pastrami; 10-20-2004 at 12:09 PM. Reason: Fixed typo

10-20-2004, 12:23 PM	#2
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Over here, please...please? I'd like to give it a look-see. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

10-21-2004, 09:35 AM	#4
Troubleshooter The urban Jane Goodall Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 3,012	Google search tool a privacy risk This was just sent to me: http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/1....ap/index.html NEW YORK (AP) -- People who use public or workplace computers for e-mail, instant messaging and Web searching have a new privacy risk to worry about: Google's free new tool that indexes a PC's contents for quickly locating data. If it's installed on computers at libraries and Internet cafes, users could unwittingly allow people who follow them on the PCs, for example, to see sensitive information in e-mails they've exchanged. That could mean revealed passwords, conversations with doctors, or viewed Web pages detailing online purchases. "It's clearly a very powerful tool for locating information on the computer," said Richard M. Smith, a privacy and security consultant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "On the flip side of things, it's a perfect spy program." Google Desktop Search, publicly released Thursday in a "beta" test phase for computers running the latest Windows operating systems, automatically records e-mail you read through Outlook, Outlook Express or the Internet Explorer browser. It also saves copies of Web pages you view through IE and chat conversations using America Online Inc.'s instant-messaging software. And it finds Word, Excel and PowerPoint files stored on the computer. __________________ I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. - Aristotle

10-21-2004, 06:57 PM	#5
Radar Constitutional Scholar Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ocala, FL Posts: 4,006	How many of you share your computer? I don't. I am the only one who gets on it from inside or outside. Also google doesn't "read" your email, they have software that tries to pull words out and give links to things. It's not like some person is sitting around perusing your email. __________________ "I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death." - George Carlin

10-22-2004, 03:06 PM	#7
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	Any mail provider can read your mail. Unless you use end-to-end encryption. Then only the NSA can read your mail.

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