Google!

[DVD Burner]

Just doing this because Eplaya needs a quick way to get to Google. Plus the Google guys have done quite a bit for Burningman and there is a bunch that Google has to offer Eplaya besides just research.
You can click the Google logo above and it will take you to Google.
You also can do a search in Eplaya by typing "Google" in search and it should bring you here.

Plus Technopatra turned some of us and me on to a little known fact that turns out to be a great story I felt I wanted to share with the Eplayan family. Credit needs to be given where credit is due. Hope it's handy.

(Did you check out the new Google logo for today?)

The story goes this way:

http://www.google.com/googleblog/2004/0 ... odles.html

My name is Dennis, and I'm the guy who draws the Google doodles. But the doodle tradition started here before I did. The first doodle was produced by (who else?) Larry and Sergey, who, when they attended the Burning Man festival in summer 1999, put a little stick figure on the home page logo in case the site crashed and someone wanted to know why nobody was answering the phone. By the time I began an internship here in the summer of 2000, the company was producing doodles on a regular basis. At the time I was a Stanford undergrad majoring in art and computer science, and, although I hadn't been hired to do anything remotely related to logo design, I eventually stumbled into my first doodle gig (Bastille Day, July 2000, for which I did a fairly boring flag motif).

And I've done all the doodles ever since; I've produced almost 150 by now. The doodles are only a small part of my actual job (as Google's international webmaster, I'm responsible for managing all our international site content, which keeps me plenty busy), but it's definitely my favorite. Holding up my mockups and then holding my breath while Larry and Sergey do their "thumbs-up, thumbs-down" emperor thing is never boring, and I love the fact that my little niche within this company turned out to be something so cool and creative and, well, Google-y.

What doodles will I be doing next? Well, telling you in advance would spoil the fun of it, and I have no idea anyway. If you've got any ideas of your own, feel free to send them to [email protected]. Who knows; you may just make a little Google history yourself.
-- Dennis Hwang

[DVD Burner]

Other Google related links on Eplay that are fun.

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... ght=google

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... ght=google

[DVD Burner]

So now yahoo is getting in on the google holiday logo thingie huh.

[Badger]

Yeah, wow. That's really interesting stuff.

[DVD Burner]

Yeah, wow. That's really interesting stuff.

You mean the story of google in the OP? Yeah I thought it was intersting too. I learned it from technopatra when she felt like sharing with us the info.


Now I bet you would'nt dare call her Neanderthal.

[sonic]

Ah. I love it. Thanks for sharing.

[mycillion]

I have some invites to give away. Just leave your email addy. Pretty cool approach to email... check it out.

Peace.

[DVD Burner]

GOOGLE'S FIGHT FOR PRIVACY

20.1.2006. 11:10:04



Google is rebuffing the Bush administration's demand for a list of what millions of people have been looking up on the internet's leading search engine.

The request underscores the potential for online databases to become tools of the government.

Google has refused to comply with a White House subpoena first issued last summer, prompting US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to ask a federal judge in San Jose for an order to force the company to handover the requested records.

The government wants a list all requests entered into Google's search engine during an unspecified single week, a breakdown that could conceivably span tens of millions of queries.

In addition, the administration wants one million randomly selected web addresses from various Google databases.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that in court papers the Bush administration depicts the information as vital in its effort to restore online child protection laws that have been struck down by the US Supreme Court.

Google, whose motto when it went public in 2004 was "do no evil", contends that submitting to the subpoena would represent a betrayal to its users, even if all personal information is stripped from the search terms sought by the government.

"Google's acceding to the request would suggest that it is willing to reveal information about those who use its services. This is not a perception that Google can accept," company lawyer Ashok Ramani wrote in a letter included in the government's filing.

Complying with the subpoena also wound threaten to expose some of Google's "crown-jewel trade secrets," Mr Ramani wrote.

Google is particularly concerned that the information could be used to deduce the size of its index and how many computers it uses to crunch the requests.

"This information would be highly valuable to competitors or miscreants seeking to harm Google's business," Ramani wrote.

Privacy concerns

Although the government says it isn't seeking any data that ties personal information to search requests, the subpoena still raises serious privacy concerns, especially considering recent revelations that the White House authorised eavesdropping on domestic civilian communications after the September 11 attacks without obtaining court approval.

"Search engines now play such an important part in our daily lives that many people probably contact Google more often than they do their own mother," said Thomas Burke, a San Francisco lawyer who has handled several prominent cases involving privacy issues.

"Just as most people would be upset if the government wanted to know how much you called your mother and what you talked about, they should be upset about this, too."

The content of search request sometimes contains information about the person making the query.

For instance, it's not unusual for search requests to include names, medical information or Social Security information, said Pam Dixon, executive director for the World Privacy Forum.

"This is exactly the kind of thing we have been worrying about with search engine for some time," Ms Dixon said. "Google should be commended for fighting this."

As the internet's dominant search engine, Google has built up a valuable storehouse of information that "makes it a very attractive target for law enforcement," said Chris Hoofnagle, senior counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Centre.

The US Department of Justice argues that Google's cooperation is essential in its effort to simulate how people navigate the web.

Yahoo complies

Other search engines already have complied with similar subpoenas issued by the Bush administration, according to court documents.

The cooperating search engines weren't identified.

But Yahoo, which runs the internet's second-most used search engine, has confirmed it complied with a similar government subpoena.

Yahoo stressed that it didn't reveal any personal information.

"We are rigorous defenders of our users' privacy," Yahoo spokeswoman Mary Osako said Thursday.

"In our opinion, this is not a privacy issue."

Microsoft's MSN, the Number three search engine, declined to say whether it even received a similar subpoena.

"MSN works closely with law enforcement officials worldwide to assist them when requested," the company said in a statement.

Internet filters threat

In a separate case in Pennsylvania, the Bush administration is trying to prove that internet filters don't do an adequate job of preventing children from accessing online pornography and other objectionable destinations.

Obtaining the subpoenaed information from Google "would assist the government in its efforts to understand the behaviour of current web users, (and) to estimate how often web users encounter harmful-to-minors material in the course of their searches," the Justice Department wrote in a brief filed Wednesday.

Ms Dixon is hoping Google's battle with the government reminds people to be careful how they interact with search engines.

"When you are looking at that blank search box, you should remember that what you fill can come back to haunt you unless you take precautions," she said.




SOURCE: World News

[HughMungus]

Commerce!

[DVD Burner]

Commerce!

Huh?


What do you mean? The post is Commerce?

[capjbadger]

Commerce!

Huh?


What do you mean? The post is Commerce?

I think Hugh is trying to imply that you are in some way shilling for Google. *shrug*

[DVD Burner]

I usualy get most jokes.



I wanna get this one.

[HughMungus]

I usualy get most jokes.



I wanna get this one.

:cry:

Advocating for a company = commerce. The problem is that we don't know who you are, what your motivation is, and why you're telling us how great Google is. I could see it in context; e.g., I've said in some some threads about renting an RV that Cruise America rocks but I would never start a thread about how great Cruise America is. The problem is not with you. The problem is precedent. I'm no mod, just posting my opinion.

[Atar]

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=11992 <-- Another google related link I love google too DVD Burner, keep it up. And I didn't know the founders of Google were burners Cool to know. *nods*

[DVD Burner]

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=11992 <-- Another google related link I love google too DVD Burner, keep it up. And I didn't know the founders of Google were burners Cool to know. *nods*

No no no,

HughMungus is right. Google should up chuck that info to the Bush administration.
Forgive me for thinking that people's privacy is not important. Yahoo did the right thing.


What suprised me was that Yahoo gave up the info right away.

[gyre]

Does anyone have any recommendations for an internet privacy server?
I think they transmit through floating addresses.

It is a free-ish country after all.

[DVD Burner]

Just curious. an internet privacy server? what exactly do you mean?

A server app or an actual server or service?

[joel the ornery]

I usualy get most jokes.



I wanna get this one.

Advocating for a company = commerce. The problem is that we don't know who you are, what your motivation is, and why you're telling us how great Google is. I could see it in context; e.g., I've said in some some threads about renting an RV that Cruise America rocks but I would never start a thread about how great Cruise America is. The problem is not with you. The problem is precedent. I'm no mod, just posting my opinion.

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=11992 <-- Another google related link I love google too DVD Burner, keep it up. And I didn't know the founders of Google were burners Cool to know. *nods*

No no no,

HughMungus is right. Google should up chuck that info to the Bush administration.
Forgive me for thinking that people's privacy is not important. Yahoo did the right thing.


What suprised me was that Yahoo gave up the info right away.

Hugh stated no such position as you infer.

what he said what you created a thread that advertises commerce... nothing more, nothing less.

[Kinetic IV]

Ok, so it was started as a possible commerce thread. Let's bend this using the eplaya thread drift techniques and make it into something else kinda related. Like.....

Is anyone else supportive of Google's efforts to resist the Government's latest anti-privacy efforts? Yahoo, MSN and others rolled over but Google's standing strong. I'm glad they said no and hope they keep fighting it. Does anyone else feel the same or do you think Google should give up the search records?

Specifics on the battle itself can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/86odo
(Goes to Cnetnews.com, work-safe link).

[DVD Burner]

commerce ?



You guys gotta be kidding. The reason I created the thread OVER A YEAR ago was because of 2 things, I thought it was pretty cool that the Google guys were burners and the story of how they came up with the Google burner logo was also pretty cool.

I think as usual some are making much a do about nothing. If this thread has been up for as long as it has, it must have passed the litmus test.


I wont or at least try not to comment or reply on this thread anymore weather or not this thread is "commerce" or not. I may however make fun and turn any comments about this thread being "commerce" into a joke and move on.

Is anyone else supportive of Google's efforts to resist the Government's latest anti-privacy efforts? Yahoo, MSN and others rolled over but Google's standing strong. I'm glad they said no and hope they keep fighting it. Does anyone else feel the same or do you think Google should give up the search records?

My point exactly.

Hugh stated no such position as you infer.

Not worth my energy nor does this one deserve any "Dignification"

Do you remember that word?

[gyre]

As I understand it (and I am at the etchasketch level of computer savvy) You transmit and receive through the service and your computer is masked like a mail service. Everything goes out and comes in through the service and they don't keep records of the rolling addresses. Anyone tracking your computer just gets a record of contact with the service.

And I understand that you can buy encryption software from europe that really works. The gov tries to limit US software so it's easy to break and businesses have complained about that. It may be why so many "secure" websites get hacked.
For anyone interested in how the nsa tracking works, I recommend The Puzzle Palace and Body of Secrets. These are are useful books if you plan on having any opinions on the US or the rest of the world.

Character is what you are in the dark.
These books tell you some of who we are as a country.

[DVD Burner]

As I understand it (and I am at the etchasketch level of computer savvy) You transmit and receive through the service and your computer is masked like a mail service.

Yes to a certain extent this is true: however, the ISP's do keep a database of what each IP address has changed to and where it originated for quality control purposes. (amoungst other things.)

SBC last year demonstrated at the VOIP conference in L.A. a new system they have implemented for tracking all ip and iptv use for cooperates.

Scary stuff. I'll try to find the article and post it when I find it.

[EvilDustBooger]

thanks gyre.

I appreciate all who are talking about the NSA`s recent
expansions into civilian affairs and the executive branch`s motivation
and questionable uses of this huge spy agency.

It is an uphill battle trying to curb the agendas of massive government agencies, but well worth our time.
In this "age of information" we should use this information technology, Google and all the rest, ..not to limit our own personal security and freedoms, but to enhance them.
Please follow these issues, voice your opinions and stop our runaway government.

Make the NSA: "Not Secret Anymore"

after all , like somebody said: "It still IS a free-ish country isn`t it?"

[gyre]

I heard of one service that was called into court and defeated the warrant because they kept no records. The ones I am talking about exist only to provide privacy. Do they not work?
Some libraries limit exposure to the patriot act by destroying records each day. Some of the warrants served have been to web services and violated the rights of thousands at one time. Estimates are over 1 million people. This does not include the illegal searches in the news.

I don't think the practice is recent, only the renewal of it.
Most people still don't believe it occurs.

Is it possible the large search engines originated with the nsa?
It would explain some quirks.

[EvilDustBooger]

I don't think the practice is recent, only the renewal of it.

OK . Now I`m feeling like an old fart.
Anything "recent" to me is in the last 20 years....

I meant recent - as in since the post 9/11 implementation of the "Patriot Act" when the NSA started the more extensive data mining of our general population and institutions...


...yeah. I suppose "big brother" did have some of the original search engines....but, ..."You`ve come a Long way baby..."

[gyre]

It's older than that, real scifi stuff when it started.

Check out techgage,com or search internet anonymity.
The service is called proxies and they are often used for identity protection.

[HughMungus]

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=11992 <-- Another google related link :mrgreen: I love google too DVD Burner, keep it up. And I didn't know the founders of Google were burners :) Cool to know. *nods*

HughMungus is right. Google should up chuck that info to the Bush administration.

I didn't say anything about Google giving up information. Maybe you need a new paragraph between those two sentences.

[HughMungus]

DVD, what information, exactly, did Yahoo and MSN give to the government? Search results + the IP address that did the search? Just search results without IP addresses? Does anybody know the details? If so, got a link to a news source that specifices what information, exactly, is being handed over?

[BigCock]

The prospect of Google giving information about me to the Bush maniacs, either voluntarily or by force, has me contemplating what my life might be like without Google.

[DVD Burner]

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=11992 <-- Another google related link I love google too DVD Burner, keep it up. And I didn't know the founders of Google were burners Cool to know. *nods*

HughMungus is right. Google should up chuck that info to the Bush administration.

I didn't say anything about Google giving up information. Maybe you need a new paragraph between those two sentences.

UUUMMM,


that was supposed to be me joking.