2009/1/31 Jed Rothwell <[email protected]>: > Michel Jullian wrote: > >> >> Regarding Google Desktop, it operates strictly locally, Google doesn't >> see the data. > > Right. The same with other indexing programs such as the one built into > Windows.
Probably the worst piece of software ever written BTW. > > >> Gmail is a different story, in theory the data are not >> seen by humans but that's only theory. Of course the same goes for any >> email provider. > > The same goes for most programs these days. They communicate with the > Mothership, downloading updates and uploading trouble reports. They could be > scouring your disk for credit card numbers and uploading them, and you would > not know it. > > Software, the Internet, the banking system and many other institutions are > predicated on trust. We trust that software companies will not engage in > criminal behavior, and most of the do not. There are punishments for such > behavior but in many cases it is unlikely anyone will detect it. When trust > fails in institutions such as banking or Wall Street, chaos ensues and the > institution collapses. You cannot depend solely upon law enforcement and > double checking (or firewall software in the case of computers) -- although > you need these things too. True, but email is particularly vulnerable, since it is _meant_ to leave your machine at one time or other. It would have to be encrypted, I guess that would work, nothing prevents one to send encrypted emails via gmail or any email provider technically I don't think. Michel
