You decide. I’ve decided: I’m happy enough with my Gmail account that I’ll be keeping it, and using it (as I do now) for list mail and automatic special-offer mailings from airlines and such. But, for some, Google and their services really might be too creepy.
(Thanks for the link, Jill.)
I’ve thought about this too. Funny thing is – all the things that make GMail “too creepy” are activities that every major e-mail service does, or is required to do by law. GMail, at least, is up front about it. I prefer that to Hotmail, which does the same stuff but doesn’t tell users.
Every time anyone’s e-mail goes through another person’s server, including Hotmail, Yahoo, Google or some small local company, it is no longer truly private, according to law. I have a couple of specific links about this, somewhere, I think I posted them in my journal a while ago.
I’m not saying it’s a perfect system – just that in an imperfect system I’ll choose the honest man over the proven liar. (Which might just have larger political relevance, no?)
I tend to agree with the tack that DJ takes above, though shallowly I am unconcerned for myself, as I am planning on using GMail for much of the same functions that you are, veek. However, on a deeper level, I sit up at night thinking about who might be reading my email.
And maybe it’s just me, but the google-is-kreepy site felt a lot like other “let’s make a big deal out of something that’s just fact” sites I’ve seen.