Why I might never buy an Android phone...(short and sweet, comments welcome)

[JQuill]

Big Brother...aka Google

It's wierd...you ask 99% of Americans who use google "When did you first use google and what for?" or "How did you hear about Google for the very first time"...most people have NO IDEA. They did not advertise on TV, radio, print, or on the web...they just popped up and it became a billion dollar word of mouth driven enterprise. Now that they have such power, such a vast amount of cash on hand (quite literally), such influence over the world one question remains; can they be trusted?

Most people (including me for the moment) would say yes. But here's something to think about...(aside from EVERY other market and industry Google has ventured into, I am strictly talking mobile here)

You own an android phone and you're required to get a Google account...so much for the open model. Now this wouldn't be a big deal IF most if not all the phones main features are rendered practically useless unless you're signed into your google account. What worries me most is honestly the calendar feature that requires you to sign into Google, coupled with the fact that the GPS radio is ALWAYS on and linked to Google servers.

The simple fact is...if you own an android phone, you are Googles market research BITCH.

If you own an android phone Google knows what your job is, where you are at ALL times, what you're going to be doing in the future, what you plan on doing, how much you deviate from that plan and what type of information YOU consume along the way so that they can advertise to you and make money.

To that I say no thank you. I'd like to think for myself...

They're services and products are amazing, but they get a little trigger happy when it comes to the mobile market...which says to me that they're tying to get majorly involved in government. They WILL be the first major company to have a very big steak in world governments, just like religion does today. You watch Google will hold a role in the world bigger than the catholic church within 50 years.

Me being a media professional and designer by trade, am in a fortunate position to take advantage of such a company and most of us here are. And once they take over the developed world they might even do some good for some war torn countries. But I still don't know if I trust the idea of a crazy Russian with a passion for space travel who owns a marketing company that got VERY lucky, have such great influence over the entire planet. Governments come down HARD when they fall...businesses don't fall as hard but they fall much more often than governments do...if business gets wrapped up in government like religion is well...let's just say I am almost regretting not being a redneck and having an armory in my basement.

Comments?

(by the way this is VERY short and sweet. If your attention span isn't this long you shouldn't be playing with phones.)

[MisterTedster]

Wow, you're going into the 21st century kicking and screaming aren't you?

But I'm with you on this one, that is to say, I'm never going to own an android phone either. Seeing as how I'm keeping my SERO for life and Sprint will never come around to having android phones on said plan, I too will never own an android phone.

But in reality, Microsoft could be doing the same thing.

Also, custom roms could always disable the GPS antenna and find a work-around to signing in all the time.

[redd214]

conspiracy theorist crack me up...

[PhyscoAssassinx]

Originally Posted by redd214

conspiracy theorist crack me up...

ROFL

[rushco]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/5.0.3521/1150; U; en) Presto/2.4.15)

I will give up my info as long as Google is making my life easier. All info in 1 spot. A phone that just works with all my info. I am 1 out of a ton of people. As long as I am not doing anything bad I feel like I don't have anything to worry about.

If people are so concern you can go back to address books and snail mail. I'll keep up with the latest and greatest.

[elephant007]

I'm not going to sit here and say that you're not thinking in the right mind frame, I will say a few things though

You have the right to use which ever provider you wish and whatever device you wish to use. I really don't see a difference between using a Google phone, when they have your info or when you sign a contract with T-Mobile or someone who has an iPhone that has to register with Apple or someone who registers with Microsoft to use MarketPlace. You guy an operating system to run on your computer, who's to say that there's not some tracking bugs in that software you run on your computer or cell phone.
I think more people leak out more of their personal information by using MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, Craig's List and YouTube. They provide pictures and/or short vids of the activities they do on a daily bases, tell stories about their life and etc.

There are more than just Google to worry about. Remember Google is an internet driven company and although they might not spend millions/billions of dollars advertising on conventional media like radio and tv, they do advertise throughout the internet. I first found Google in early 1999 when I was on AskJeeves.com and asked "What are other seach engines I can use" and Google was a hit... I tried it and like it because by that time AskJeeves became super commercialized... search for "how do I tune a car" and the first page of hits was GM, Ford and other dealers trying to sell cars... that's not what I was looking for!! HA HA

You say that GPS is always on our phones and pointing to Google servers... well remember GPS is a government thing so how do you know our government isn't Eagle Eying you? Nobody really knows does anyone truly have privacy or just a sense of privacy. Think of how many things you signed up for in your life and provided personal information, how do you know to trust those people? When I say you I'm not meaning you personally just to people in general.

If you use the internet you are market research too, heard of cookies? Anyway there could be a great debate about everything listed here and you have good questions to which I don't have the answer. Only you can decide whether or not you want to use a product and no amount of advertising can make your mind up for you, although a good advertisement will educate you enough to hopefully make an educated decission

[JQuill]

Originally Posted by elephant007

I'm not going to sit here and say that you're not thinking in the right mind frame, I will say a few things though

You have the right to use which ever provider you wish and whatever device you wish to use. I really don't see a difference between using a Google phone, when they have your info or when you sign a contract with T-Mobile or someone who has an iPhone that has to register with Apple or someone who registers with Microsoft to use MarketPlace. You guy an operating system to run on your computer, who's to say that there's not some tracking bugs in that software you run on your computer or cell phone.
I think more people leak out more of their personal information by using MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, Craig's List and YouTube. They provide pictures and/or short vids of the activities they do on a daily bases, tell stories about their life and etc.

This is true...but google is becoming so big that whether you like it / realize it or not, your kids are going to be using google phones because they're gonna be the biggest game in town by then

Originally Posted by elephant007

There are more than just Google to worry about. Remember Google is an internet driven company and although they might not spend millions/billions of dollars advertising on conventional media like radio and tv, they do advertise throughout the internet. I first found Google in early 1999 when I was on AskJeeves.com and asked "What are other seach engines I can use" and Google was a hit... I tried it and like it because by that time AskJeeves became super commercialized... search for "how do I tune a car" and the first page of hits was GM, Ford and other dealers trying to sell cars... that's not what I was looking for!! HA HA

Yeah well you just proved my point...you weren't advertised to by google initially, you found it on your own. Which is exactly how they wanted it.

Originally Posted by elephant007

You say that GPS is always on our phones and pointing to Google servers... well remember GPS is a government thing so how do you know our government isn't Eagle Eying you? Nobody really knows does anyone truly have privacy or just a sense of privacy. Think of how many things you signed up for in your life and provided personal information, how do you know to trust those people? When I say you I'm not meaning you personally just to people in general.

The government ALREADY IS LOOKING IN ON ME. I know this for a fact, but they aren't literally looking in on me, they can if they want to, but they have no reason to unless I'm a terroist. Google has every reason to do so, because they use the data for market research not for public safety. Something I think should be bloody illegal.

Originally Posted by elephant007

If you use the internet you are market research too, heard of cookies? Anyway there could be a great debate about everything listed here and you have good questions to which I don't have the answer. Only you can decide whether or not you want to use a product and no amount of advertising can make your mind up for you, although a good advertisement will educate you enough to hopefully make an educated decission

This is true. But my point is that google is over-reaching by requiring your location and daily schedule.


Let this be said, I do trust Google, but they're trigger happy when it comes to market research which leads me to believe that have much broader ambitions as a company. And by the way most of what I said is indisputable fact not a theory, anything that is theory I clearly say "it would lead me to believe that...." and then I arrive at a conclusion. My theories and facts are clearly outlined in the above statement.


Let me just say that I do not use microsoft myphone for the same reasons I don't use Android.

[elephant007]

Originally Posted by JQuill

This is true...but google is becoming so big that whether you like it / realize it or not, your kids are going to be using google phones because they're gonna be the biggest game in town by then



Yeah well you just proved my point...you weren't advertised to by google initially, you found it on your own. Which is exactly how they wanted it.



The government ALREADY IS LOOKING IN ON ME. I know this for a fact, but they aren't literally looking in on me, they can if they want to, but they have no reason to unless I'm a terroist. Google has every reason to do so, because they use the data for market research not for public safety. Something I think should be bloody illegal.



This is true. But my point is that google is over-reaching by requiring your location and daily schedule.


Let this be said, I do trust Google, but they're trigger happy when it comes to market research which leads me to believe that have much broader ambitions as a company. And by the way most of what I said is indisputable fact not a theory, anything that is theory I clearly say "it would lead me to believe that...." and then I arrive at a conclusion. My theories and facts are clearly outlined in the above statement.


Let me just say that I do not use microsoft myphone for the same reasons I don't use Android.

Absolutely, this is now my favorite thread

I think both you and I are throwing out ideas that both have great merit, By the way, my daughter already has a HTC Hero, she's in high school and all her friends want one!! HA HA

You understand that word-of-mouth is the most POWERFUL advertisement period. Good/bad/ugly. The only way we can remain anonymous is to dis-connect ourselves from electronic devices use cash and work under the table for cash!

Remember we all have social security numbers!!

Anyway this is a great topic I especially like when you say why I MIGHT never buy and not say I will NEVER buy...

We have nothing to fear but fear it self (and Google)

[sprintgirl]

google is great! if you cant spell it corrects you. gives you choice tags to search in case you didnt find your answer, and my most favorite basic feature is image search. you can even categorize by size! big brother can track you or listen to you and find you no matter what if you give them a reason to seek you. but soooo many people use google they couldnt possibly keep track of that many people at one time. why would you be more interesting than anyone else? you are just a number and a statistic to them. you need to quit doin whatever is makin you so paranoid.

p.s. look out the window

[JQuill]

I just want to thank everybody here for keeping this discussion civil and smart. Good thread. Will read everybody's comments and post more later.


DON'T TREAD ON ME!

lol