Alex around the World

Over the last months, I’ve discovered and started to use new tools available from Google. As for many Google users, it all started with the basic search engine, available through local domain names (I use google.ch). Some of the free Google tools Google that I currently use are:

• Picasa
• Gmail
• Google Calendar (related post)
• Blogger (I now switched to Wordpress)
• Google Earth
• Google Talk
• Analytics (related post)
• Google Groups
• etc.

For a complete list, see: Google Help.

I’ve become a sort of Google-addict, in the way that I’m really happy with the tools they provide and use them almost everyday. But isn’t this going to put me into trouble? I mean, it’s an addiction, and addictions are dangerous, right?

Seriously, I guess while some people are happily using all these tools Google is providing, some others think: “watch out, Google is slowly but surely storing all your private information on their servers.” I’m not a techie, just a lambda user, so I don’t really know how much information Google has about me. I don’t know if it’s interesting to them either, but the questions people are starting to ask around keep me thinking about it.

And then, a few days ago, I went to a book shop and I found this book: “The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture“, by John Battelle. I’ve started to read, because I’m really curious about this Google-mania. Let’s see if I can find some answers to my many questions.