How Much Does Google Know About You?

Internet Security Is An Issue You Should Be Bothered About

Have you ever wished to have a unique name for yourself? How many people do you exactly know having the same name as yours?

If you think you have come across more than 5 people sharing your first name and if you are not happy, I will tell you why I, for the first time ever, felt bad for having a unique name. Before I start blogging this year, there wasn't anything much about myself on the internet. Even after I started blogging, I don't remember finding anything much on Google when I 'google' myself. I did not know my blogging activity can take off so fast and I quickly became addicted to it. I found awesome people via blogging and I am going places now.

I tried 'googling' for my name a couple of days before and I was horrified to know that Google actually knows a lot more about myself than I thought it could ever know. First issue here is my name. It can be easily googled since there aren't many with the same name as mine. I never knew using real name can cause a big effect towards my privacy in the virtual world.

I used to register for new websites using my name because I don't need to think a lot about the suitable nickname and it will be easier to deal with mailing and billing (although I don't really buy things from internet). The search engines will actually locate your activities online easily with your details. I found almost everything when I tried searching for my name. This include the blog I have commented on before, the websites I have registered using my real name and there was also a website by the name of meetme.com. I was taken aback when I saw that as I can't recall when I have registered on that website!!

Yes, Google actually knows a lot about you! Have you realised that you need to use your 'real' name now when you are creating an account on Google +? I am having a G+ email and that particular G+ account is not the one I use for socialising. So upon knowing the ugly fact about Google, I have deleted that account but my gmail remained active. The next day when I logged in to check my mail, Google asked me to fill up my real name and put up a profile picture. I tried faking my name but it keeps saying invalid name and it even says that there wasn't any face detected on my profile picture I newly uploaded (as it was an illustration). Now, are we obliged to have an account on all Google products when we are using even only one of its product?

It is so obvious that google is trying to take over the world with the amount of information it stores about each and every individual who are browsing online. There is no privacy at all and their 'dynamic' privacy policy which keeps changing is also another way to completely rip our personal life off.

I found everything and everyone's images when I googled for my name. All those lovely bloggers who used to comment on my blog, their pictures appear in the search result because I am somehow associated to them. Isn't that scary? Today I made the first move to modify the existing accounts under my real name as I don't feel safe anymore about my online presence. 

I think with your details on the internet, people can easily stalk you and find information about you within a blink of an eye. Apart from that, scammers are everywhere! They are waiting to steal your information. If you find that you are having an account on some strange looking websites, don't be surprised. After all, how safe can our details be although giant companies claim that they are keeping all details secured. Be sure about what you post online too and do not expose your pictures online as anyone can grab them, edit them and use for their own business purposes. I think you would have heard about pictures of girls being misused etc. 

Apart from that, I think nobody really bothers and should no bother to do know about my details if I were to appear under a pen name. I personally do not care if you know my name. Writing using our own name has always earned the user a better credibility and audience tend to trust them more. I acknowledge that fact but at the same time, we have many other awesome blogs and blog writers using nicknames to hide their real identity from the public. What do you have to say about this? Do you care for the content of the blog or website or are you placing an emphasis on the background of the writer or founder of the website?

I would love to hear from you!

I welcome your thoughts and views ! :D Thank you for your feedback

Where Is The Vigilance On Internet Information Fallacy?

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Obtaining information isn't that difficult as compared to our forefather's generation where they solely depended on books and printed information to gain knowledge and news. We are living in a generation where everything is at our fingertips provided we work for it. Not even work, just a little extra effort to search Google for the needed news. By doing that, not just one but millions of relevant information would be available to you in your search engine results.

With great ease of getting information, comes the problem with the credibility of it being questioned greatly! The widespread news can't be stopped over the internet and vigilance of the ones reading is required to filter the news? Are we good enough at it? 

I have experienced this lately when my country had the General Election on the past May 5th. So we all had an expectation in mind and we wanted this election to topple the government, the very much badly performing government which obviously doesn't deserve to be coined as the longest-ruling political party among democratic countries. We all went to cast our votes and waited eagerly on that day for the result only to know that it would actually end up in disappointment. 

We have been getting extensive news regarding the results of the election through the internet, which reveals a lot on the dirty politics during the election day with pictures and videos being uploaded every now and then via YouTube. As we were so outraged on what was happening, people spoke about how badly the election was conducted and how certain parties were claiming false victory. Due to this fact, that people listen more to the bad side of one political coalition, there was news all over the place such as the very popular social media, Facebook about how cheating went on to the extent that I saw a troll on Facebook regarding the announcement of increment in bread's price a few days later after the election. I never fall for the false news as I always knew the price of that particular bread which has always been the same even before the election. So people were trying to spread the wrong information and the public 'shared' the false news all over the place. There was once also something regarding oil price hike going viral also on Facebook and people, including me, immediately 'shared' the news, and luckily I was saved by a friend who told me that the news was from last year's paper. 

Print media and the internet have always been biased! The only good thing now is we have access to more news and sources from various places through the internet. People should take it to their advantage to gain more truthful news. People should have extra vigilance when it comes to getting news from the internet and they are solely responsible to filter the bad and take the good. Most importantly, track internet information fallacy before sharing it! 

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The Gadgetified Society

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My mom got her new Tab! For a moment I thought we have our freedom more now since she is glued to her new gadget, we would be left alone to do what we want with our gadgets. The only time my mom came looking for us was when she needed some help with her new gadget and all four of us were in one corner of the house doing our own stuff in our own world with our gadgets!

I have been greatly frustrated with the advancement in technology at times. This is because I feel there is lesser human connection with the presence of it. I used to look forward to coming home so much to have some time together with family where we could sit in a circle on a bed and talk all day long but ever since the day we all got our own gadgets, things change. We may sit next to each other, being physically present with my loved ones, but in reality, each one of us would be browsing something or getting connected with someone from the virtual world. At times, I feel its better to just call and talk to them or just 'see' them through Skype. Imagine when you need to see each other and speak out something when your family or friends seems busy in their own world! Isn't that freaking frustrating? 

So my mom was getting used to her tablet, and I purposely sent her the picture you see above, to her mailbox and she was already reading it even before I walked from my room to the hall! And we had a good laugh together! While the internet and gadgets are good sources of communication and it connects you with your loved ones when they are far away from you, you should never take them for granted when they are around. Keep your things away and speak to them more, they matter the most!

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