[Gmail-Users] Re: Are my messages really private on google? What is the new definition of private?

My opinion on this issue of privacy in general is this: any other free email service can and probably does the exact same thing, meaning saving a copy of emails on their server.  Just because Google actually uses that info for relevant ads freaks people out.  But i have a strong feeling that Yahoo or MSN or any other service has the ability to retrieve any and every email ever sent by its users for possible retrieval by a more aggressive party at a later date.  Its just because Google explicitly shows you how powerful scanning emails can be with their ads.  But if you are concerned about privacy as stated in the original poster indicated, then i would be wary using ANY email service.  Dont doubt for a second that ALL email services leave some kind of digital "paper" trail. 

On 1/9/06, Fuzzy Logic <fuzzymo@gmail.com > wrote:

Read the part you replied to again. He never believe that a person was
involved in inserting the ads. He was pondering where something more
than mere aggregate data was being saved. I would imagine not because
the email will likely still be there after they have added
content-linked ads, so they could always re-run the program again
later.

Fuzzy

On 1/8/06, Nick Chirchirillo <nickman55@gmail.com> wrote:

> These ads are generated the same way that ads are generated on google
> searches, as well as web pages that have Google Ads on them.  There is a
> program that scans the content of the email, and inserts ads based on what
> it fines.  It works much like the FBI's Carnivore program (for more
> information, click here)
> I don't understand why so many people believe that someone at Google is
> reading all of our emails and then a person is inserting the ads.  Is it
> really that hard to believe that a program is doing it all?
>
> On 1/8/06, mrgccc3 <mrgcohen@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Now think about what google is physically.  It is a database full of
> > information, including information of its users.  Gmail is a new issue,
> > one thing that bugs me is how they generate their ads on the pages
> > while viewing personal emails.  If you notice they actually are related
> > to what is included in the text of your message.  They say that this is
> > all done automatically and without any human middle men, which is
> > possible.  But do you really think that information isn't saved
> > somewhere.  And couldn't a someone tap into our personal messages just
> > as easily as google generates their ads?