Google's Trust Problem - - - Ezra Klein

[onehandle]

James Fallows likes software meant to help him organize and simplify his life. So, naturally, he moved immediately to download Google Keep, the search giant’s “new app for collecting notes, photos, and info.” The problem, Fallows quickly realized, is that he wasn’t sure he could trust it.

Google now has a clear enough track record of trying out, and then canceling, “interesting” new software that I have no idea how long Keep will be around. When Google launched its Google Health service five years ago, it had an allure like Keep’s: here is the one place you could store your prescription info, test readings, immunizations, and so on and know that you could get at them. That’s how I used it — until Google cancelled this “experiment” last year. Same with Google Reader, and all the other products in the Google Graveyard that Slate produced last week.

And if there’s even a 25 percent chance that Google Keep will be canceled in two years, do you really want to be the sucker who spent endless hours organizing your life around it? Now, most people don’t use Google Reader, or even know it’s being canceled. Same for Google Wave, Google Buzz, Google Health and Picnik, and all the rest of the beloved little apps that have been sent to that cloud above the cloud, where data is stored forever and servers never overload. This is a pained whine emanating almost exclusively from Google power users.

But I’m not sure I want to be a Google early adopter anymore. I love Google Reader. And I used to use Picnik all the time. I’m tired of losing my services. In fact, I’m starting to worry a bit about Gmail, which is at the core of pretty much my entire life. I know, I know — Gmail is safe. The data it feeds into the Google mainframe is extremely valuable to the search giant. They won’t let anything happen to it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/21/googles-trust-problem

Bottom Line: Google keeps starting services, let it run just long enough to collect personal data on how you use it, and cancel the service just when you are relying on it.

Google's 'free' services are free, because they want you to be their willing sucker guinea pig.

[denverbill]

1. I'm still using iGoogle, even though Google is ending it in November.

I haven't found a new home page to replace it yet.

At least they gave me a year+ notice of cancellation. I'm not sure why the hell they are cancelling it though. It's can't cost that much to maintain.

[onehandle]

2. I had completely forgotten about 'iGoogle.'

I remember a lot of people were upset they were doing away with it.

Don't trust Google's short lived 'free' services.