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Your Searches Have Been Tracked And Are Stored - sort of

This is an interesting development. If you ever wondered how much of what you do online is available for review, here's one example of what is available. Did you forget what a site was orwhen a chat online was? Now you can research it and see - if you did it inside your g oogle account. Go ogle now offers you the opportunity to review the "records" they have been keeping on you.

This is the new Goog le Dashboard. You can go to this page and see what the new Goo gle dashboard is. If you use gmail, you login to your account, and look under Personal Settings for Dashboard. Click to the right on view data stored with this account, and you'll go to a second sign in page for added security. Once past the second sign in, you can see all the places that you have been, the chats, the stuff that you have done while signed into your google account.

The extent of the goog le tracking only covers what you have done while "inside" your google account. So, if you want to keep a longer record of your internet activities, sign into your goo gle mail and do all your searching and chatting and stuff inside.

Heath Coker, Owner of Cape Group Real Estate
www.CapeGroup.com / capegroup@capegroup.com
508-548-8888 Licensed in MA
Its a beautiful day on Cape Cod!
@CapeGroup

REindex.com, The Site Engine®
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Posted by Heath Coker, Real Estate Broker on 11/07/2009 03:41 PM

Comments (49)

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49 Comments on Your Searches Have Been Tracked And Are Stored - sort of

NOV

WOW now that is scary. We don't even know how much data is out there.

Heath...

So much for the theory that Google can't possibly store all of that information :)

TLW...ROAR!

Just curious as to why you split the word Google into Goog le in your blog? Is that to prevent the term being crawled or something?

That's scary to me. There just so much Big Brother out there to keep an eye on everything we do.

I can certainly see how this could come in handy, but it seems like a potential violation of privacy, too.

Like Bob said, every mention of Google in your blog seems to cut the word Google at some point. Do you not want the Google monsters to find out that you have been saying the name Google in your blog about Google. I like Google but find the fact that Google is tracking and storing so much of EVERYONE's usage is a little googly, bad Google.

Am I the only one that feels creeped out by this. I know that there are records kept (I watch too much CSI) but to have them that easily available just kind of throws big brother in your face, doesn't it?

Bob, your are very observant. I read the entire post and never noticed that. Now I am curious to read what Heath has to say about it

I looked under my settings in gmail, and I didn't see the dashboard. So, I went out to my car and looked at the dashboard, but it didn't say anything about gmail.

Heath ~ Hummm... very interesting. Not a bit scary, we all have ourselves post every where anyway..

Ah, the Meatloaf syndrome of Paradise By the Dashboard Light. I will check it out.

That's a scary thought. I know information can be followed but this is taking it a bit too far!

Hi Heath.

I'm not at all surprised. In July 2008 the Senate voted to allow telecommunications companies to spy on us.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00168

Do people think that this exempts Google? Google makes it very easy to use their creations (convenience) which increases usage which is the weakest link. Some users are so willing to store data with Google while being tracked.

That is why while I use GMail and Google Docs... I still wear my foil hat :-)

~ Lana

Interesting...not sure how I feel about it. I too am curious why you spelled Goog le that way?

If they store it all and we use Google, why should we use other bookmarks? #just sayin...

I don't have a Google account and I certaintly do not like the idea of being able to track my activity.

Hi Heath~ Thanks for the reminder that big brother is always watching. If they are following me, then they are gping to be pretty bored....

I will have to check this out. Sounds a little scary to me, not much privacy anymore.

Sounds a little unsettling...not much privacy out there anymore!

Why did you separate goog le three times in your post. Enquiring minds want to know? I'm curious. Are you afreid of Big Brother? ;-)

Heath we are really curious about the splitting of the word Google. Can,t say I am surprise this is happening.

Yes, what's the scoop on Goo gle, Go ogle and Goog le? I won't be ab le to slee p ton ight unless the mys tery is solv ed.

:-)

Hi Heath -- Interesting. If banks and retailers start sending Google their data, and their Google Mobile App with Google Latitude causes them to automatically send a text to you when you walk by a store you have shopped at, in real time mind you, letting you know a new sale is going on for a product you recently bought in the store you are walking by -- then Google will start bordering on big brother in a way, legal, cool and useful, you bet, but when one entity has THAT MUCH data about each person, that will be a scary thing and that's where it seems to be heading.

NOV

NOthing is sacred or private anymore. not our searches, not anything. It's a crazy new world. Think there is or will ever be a way to block it?

Kinda puts the 'oogle' bach in google.

No rights to privacy anymore.

Google has always tracked and retained information about its users. Google loves data.

This is very interesting. I'll have to see where I've been.

There are many ways tracking is being done. Cookies is another. This blog points out that it is interesting that g oogle lets you see at least some of what they have. You can even edit it.

As for the spaces, have you ever noticed that when you write a post about some sites, for example zi llow, that there are a number of responses from that company and or anonymous posters. Some companies monitor their name very heavily. The spaces were a way of adding to the curiosity of the whole tracking thing in my post.

Wow! The potemtial for serious invasions of privacy if your Google acct is hacked are emormous!

Heath , very insightful and interesting. Good idea about the spaces and curiosity,

All you clowns that think this is nothing line up for your flu shots, "Free Healthcare" and One World Government. You'll look good walking your clients from proerty to property when the carbon tax makes driving them too costly.

In the 65 years I've been alive our freedoms and individual liberty have been whittled away at over and over to the point that we can't speak our minds without fear of retalliation, our money is almost worthless and being phased out, we can't get on an airplane without some overweight jackbooted ass telling us to remove Granny's shoes, and both Congress and the President have turned into the arch enemy of the American public.

So laugh it up, Stupid, you and the others who haven't taken the proper precautions will be the first to go.

I'm not paranoid but I am observant and I damn sure don't like what I see.

Oh yeah, and how's the real estate market working out for you after your government "fixed" the mortage market for all those who couldn't afford a house under the pre Community Reinvestment Act? I see acreas and acres of posts bitching about short sales and lost sales due to the current market....you think this all happened bysome mystical mis-alignment of the stars or perhaps, just perhaps did it occur because of some government meddling with the free market? You think? (The problem is many of us Don't think)

And while you can't make a sale and your kids go hungry do you think Barney Frank and /Chris Dodd and the deplorable Pelosi are feeling any of what you are???

Wake up...the game is rigged and you're on the losing team if you continue to ignore the obvious truths unfolding around you. Or act on them.......

Hi Heath, Yes, I am not surprised by the search tracking. It is very sad that we do not have much privacy anymore.. thanks for sharing

Heath - I am not at all surprised ... everything we do is tracked ... that is what technology as afforded us ... convenient and fast communication tracking systems and with it comes the price of very little privacy.

Now why do they do it and how private is it. Do they look at me specifically or do they look at overall trends?

Heath, I've been telling son's this for years...be careful of what you put up on the net because it will be there forever. What I didn't realize though is exactly how in depth it is. Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if they sell this information to others? Is Google morphing into "BIG BROTHER?

Wow I am going to have to check that out. Thanks for being on top of that change.

ps I love your profile photo!

Good information to know...kink of scary but good.

Talk about breadcrumbs. These are breadballs not breadcrumbs in our internet world.

Good stuff to know scary but good stuff. I guess it's like I tell my kids if you wouldn't want it on the front page of the newspaper don't put it out there.

Heath - This is interesting. I have a g-mail account that I don't use, but maybe this feature will be worth using it.

Heath, this is great to know about - it is creepy at the same time. Without my permission to store my searches? I don't like it. Not that I go anywhere creepy on my searches, but it's the principal.

One reason i don't use gmail. Read there tems of service.

NOV

Everything that we do on the net is public. We deceive ourselves if we think otherwise.

This is definitely food for thought, really interesting!

NOV

Heath, it is amazing how much data they have on us.

NOV

It's hard to face the reality that there's a big brother watching everywhere. It's not like when I was growing up and you can go play or have a party in someone's basement and then a rumor starts about what happened in the basement. Now, that rumor can travel faster, pieces posted all over and your life changed in minutes. Our children will have a lot to deal with because their life, our life, can be on full display at any time. We have to remember when we do something...would we do it if we knew the world was watching? Well, it is, some how, some way, it is.

NOV

Heath - I use to think this was a troublesome issue but our names are out on the Internet for all to see as we post, advertise, comment, and promote our websites. The inclusion of tracking the websites and web-pages we view was inevitable.

NOV

I'm not thrilled with that information...but I guess i won't log in while i'm online anymore...thanks.

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