Article Review #5

Article Title

"Google Street View privacy scandal broadens"

Article Author

Jessica Guynn & David Sarno

Article Publication Date

May 1st, 2012

URL of Original Article

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-fi-google-street-view-20120502,0,7972505.story

Article Summary

Google has been caught in the act of "snatching personal data from Wi-Fi networks" by using its street view cars and is now trying to pin the act on one sole engineer. The software that is responsible for the invasion of privacy is said to be the doing of engineer, Marius Milner. (279cc)

Relevance to the Class 

As internet users, nothing is safe or off limits. Anything is available to anyone at anytime if they really want it bad enough. With that being said, as a user, it affects the way you protect yourself and forces you to access anything with caution. (248cc)

Key Quote

“Google's motto has always been 'Do no evil'. It should also be 'Do no eavesdropping'.” (87cc)

Article Comparison #4

Article #1  

"Google may replace .com in the near future"

April 12th,2012

http://www.slashgear.com/google-may-replace-com-in-the-near-future-12222731/

Article #2

"Google Plots Web Domain-Buying Spree"

April 9th, 2012

http://adage.com/article/digital/google-plots-web-domain-buying-spree/234009/

Article #3

"Google to buy its own web domain"

April 12th, 2012

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/12/google-to-buy-its-own-web-domain/

Notes

• Google has applied for a number of TLD's (Top Level Domains) which include YouTube, Gmail, and Google Play.
• #1 sheds light on the issue of fifty eight other trademarks containing the word google, all of which are not owned by the Google we know.
• Costs $185,000 to apply for a TLD.
• #1 includes a video that links to google.com and plays the video via a light box from youtube.
• #1 and #3 includes images of what .google could potentially look like.
• Not everyone is jumping at the opportunity to get their own domain. i.e, Pepsi is keeping faith in their .com site.
• #2 shed light on a valid point of companies having really generic names such as apple could run into trademark competition.
• #2 was was well written with the way in flowed from one topic into another, giving pros and cons in involved with potential domains.
• #3 placed a quote of interest on the right sidebar.
• This topic is relevant to the class because it touches on the way a user will be able to navigate the web. Having .com, .org, .edu, .net, etc. have been mainstream domains for so long now that users are incline to assuming that their web destination will always consist of one those domains. However, with new domains being added to the mix, especially carrying big names like Google, it will in some way force loyal users to get into the .google hang of things.

Article Review #4

Article Title

"Privacy Backlash Over Girls Around Me Mobile App"

Article Author

BBC News Technology (no listed author)

Article Publication Date

April 2nd, 2012

URL of Original Article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17582975

Article Summary

An app that originally used check-in information from Facebook and Foursquare to pin point local women is viewed in a negative light because of it's "misunderstood" purpose, according to its company representative. (214cc)

Relevance to the Class 

Class relevance was not so much the actual topic, but the functionality of the app. By keeping track of check-ins from different social networks, ones privacy went from being found via innocent social networking to having random people locate you via check-in, a physical place of being. (287cc)

Key Quote

"This is an app you should download to teach the people you care about that privacy issues are real, that social networks like Facebook and Foursquare exposes you and the ones you love, and that if you do not know exactly how much you are sharing." (248cc)