Posted

Oct 11th 2009

Mood

Sad

Music

Pokélove!

Right... so interestingly enough, I decide to post this after my birthday. Originally, I was going to break my long journal post hiatus by posting an analysis I've started to put together about Pokémon... what it is... and what it means to me.

Unfortunately, a bigger issue than that of even crappy new Pokémon has decided to take priority within the last few days.

This is the topic of Google, who hath begun their Internet take-over quite some time ago. This is not news. However, Google used to be cool. Everyone and their mother wanted Google to pretty much own the Internet at one point.

But with the purchase of YouTube and several other services that used to be provided from (what I'm assuming used to be -- feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) independent companies. If I'm wrong then I basically mean independent of either Microsoft, Apple or Google. (Again, correct me if I'm wrong.)

Microsoft acquired Yahoo some time ago to get information that Google wasn't supplying them with, making them bitter rivals and hypothetically, offering some competition to the evergrowing search engine (which now also has a video service, e-mail, blog, you name it, Google probably has it).

Good. Right?

I thought so too until I started repeatedly hitting 'video is not available in your country'. For a while, I was outraged that the users would do that... but my thoughts were proven false when I recieved an e-mail more recently. It was telling me that my video was infringing on copyright laws. The video wasn't removed but instead was cut off to about three different countries.

I also had a video removed that was claimed to have been infringing when I had been conversing with the director of it for some time. He found me BECAUSE I put the video there. Apparently, someone felt the need to spell me out.

Videos also have wave-tracking now... which allows them to track music and automatically either stick in ads or remove the video quickly and efficiently as soon as a complaint is cast.

My YouTube channel after having several videos removed has now been banned. (Now keep in mind, I've had the account since about 2005-2006 and started uploading videos around 2007. Most 'Copyright Infringers' have their videos removed after about a month or two. Half a year at most.)

Google Earth and Google Street View has also had people going around in cars with their little Google Cams, filming streets and people and not blurring their faces, making people easier to find. That is both a violation of privacy and blatant disregard for certain people that would rather keep their exact location a secret. My friend noted a couple of old ladies sitting outside near where he lives and their faces weren't blurred.

In the past, Google had refused to give out information (as per their privacy policy) which is part of what made them cool. Nothing was able to be held against them because they're just following their TOS. It seems that's not the case anymore.

A few days ago, after hitting several 404'd images (which are available to my friends in other countries and which I think is just a pissed damned way of saying 'CENSORED IN YOUR COUNTRY'), I got fed up and started bitching at my friend.

While bitching, I began doing some searches for anti-Google sites. Interestingly enough, 2009 now and just before my birthday (which was now yesterday), my channel has finally been banned.

They appear to be tracking my searches too. Joy. Don't I feel loved.

I was always convinced that the Internet was kind of like its own country where I could search and be free. I somehow happen upon a site that makes me uncomfortable? Don't go there again, moron! It's my discretion or the discretion of parental controls. Not of the government or some huge corperation.

Google has lost it and I find myself playing games more than surfing the Internet now... just because I now find myself feeling like everywhere I go is somehow being monitered only to be later used against me.

Thoughts?

- Tinker Jet