Google Chrome :: In-Depth Blog Post

[Asad Khawer]

Hey all!

In my latest blog post I take a look at Google's new browser, explore and give my views on each of it's new features, and give my verdict on the newest build of the browser. Please read it here.

Please leave your comments and feedback in the comments section on my blog.

Loki and Mike, please provide your views on the post too.

Thanks,
Asad

[jwenting]

and what about Google's ubiquitous identity theft schemes?
I'm pretty sure it's sending everything you do to Google to help them get a more complete picture of you and everything you do, for sale to the highest bidder.
They do that with everything they provide, so they're doing it with this thing too.

And of course the first security holes have already been exposed.

[Asad Khawer]

Yes, security holes are there, but everything else is nothing to worry about. Shady terms of service, though. But as a browser for the average user it's great. No, seriously.

And obviously, security holes are to be expected in this early a build. Version 1 is when you can realistically use it as a main browser.

[loki]

I'm pretty sure it's sending everything you do to Google to help them get a more complete picture of you and everything you do, for sale to the highest bidder.
They do that with everything they provide, so they're doing it with this thing too.

Do you have any actual proof that the browser is sending everything you do back to them? It's open source so it shouldn't be hard for people to figure this out. Reading through a couple of links on their site, they will only collect usage info if you let them.

http://www.google.com/support/chrome...17&topic=14667

I think they are doing this more to stimulate web browser development and improve browser speed and stability. It will help them as many of their other products and services are web based and the current crop of browsers haven't advanced much in the past few years, especially with regards to stability (a single plugin can take down the entire browser and all open tabs).

As for security holes, name one browser or operating that doesn't have any. This is a beta so it is expected to have problems.

Update: Here is the Chrome privacy policy. Looks rather benign to me...

http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/privacy.html

[Asad Khawer]

It's nothing major really, loki. It does send information back, but mainly to improve the browser. Don't know why people attack software like that.

Also, as you said, OBVIOUSLY a security bug would have surfaced, it's the first ever public beta, for God's sake. *eh*

[loki]

Yeah, nothing mig too worry about. I'm pretty sure IE7 has a similar function to help Microsoft figure out how people use it.

[jwenting]

yah, "to improve our service". In other words, "so we know what you're doing and can finetune our advertising to maximum effect".
Strangely if Microsoft does something that's far less intrusive you guys all slam them over it, but when it's Google it's apparently no big deal.

IE7 has no such functionality.
All it does is collect data when it crashes to help engineers determine what went wrong, and it asks before it sends that data over the wire.

[cianpars]

I can't knock Google as they have never charged me anything, unlike Micro$oft who I've paid heaven knows how much over the years for products and services which cause a heap of trouble.

IAN

[loki]

Actually, you are asked when you install IE7 if you want to participate in Microsoft's Customers Experience Improvement program. Vista and Office 2007 also have this functionality as well I believe.

http://www.microsoft.com/products/ce...s/default.mspx

Again, do you have any actual evidence that Google intends to actually track your every movement through Chrome in order to profit from it? They are usually very good about clarifying those situations that they do collect usuage data, like with Gmail.

With Chrome they have even responded to concerns about a portion of the EULA that was mistakenly included (they try to re-use EULAs as much as possible) for Chrome.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...change-it.html

As I was saying before, I think Chrome was made to create a better browser platform for them to run other programs and services off of. It isn't their intention to profit directly from Chrome. They made it open source using a BSD style license to allow others, both open source projects and companies, to adopt it and hopefully create a new generation of faster, more reliable browsers. If this works, the web browser could become the basis for many programs in the future, making the underlying OS almost irrelevant.

Or maybe my tinfoil hat just needs to be replaced...

[Asad Khawer]

Nope, your tinfoil hat is in perfect condition, loki.

Who gives a damn if they do finetune their ads, though? Wouldn't you want to make money?