Subj : Re: Your Gmail search res
To   : AARON THOMAS
From : Rob Mccart
Date : Tue Mar 25 2025 01:40 am

RM> Yes.. I have a gMail address but almost no one has it
RM> But not much information that
RM> goes through there would be of any use.. Reminders that a bill is
RM> coming due or a thankyou that it's been paid, so they know I pay
RM> some common bills but no details are given out in those..

AT>That's a good point. I'm the same way. I don't use email for anything too
  >important either, but the issue here is the chip on my shoulder about big tec
  >nd companies with big names.

Yes, and the other thing here is most companies and banks and such try
their best to force you to go with electronic statements rather than
mailing paper. They don't ask you to change, if you have an eMail address
they change you over and then tell you you can attempt to contact them
to change it back to paper if you want. But then they also do send out
notices by eMail that your Statements are available online, and often
will include the amount owing and the due date, but no account info
that could be used to let anyone else get at your accounts. It can be
handy to know the new bill amount and due date though so I've stopped
worrying about it too much. Never an error or problem in several years.

AT>It doesn't seem like a big deal if Google saw (for example) a receipt for my
  >ctric bill, but the problem is that they are collectors of information

Yes, in a big way. They do offer some good services that we don't have
to pay for so they have to make some money off of us somewhere and
selling information about us seems to be the best way..

RM> I also don't use Google to search for things online.

AT>Despite everything I just said, I do use Google to search for most things, bu
  >here's no other search engine that I trust any further than I trust Google.

On that one I'm just about as bad. I prefer the results I get using Bing
instead of Google, but if I start getting targeted ads from them or
something I'd use a safer one like (I think) DuckDuckGo..

That said, possibly I'm just better protected due to my Browser.
I use Opera, a highly modified version of Chrome or Mozilla
depending on the year. I do more surfing and searching on my
Laptop than my phone but the version I have on the Laptop is
older and doesn't keep a count but the copy on my phone says
it has blocked 25,746 Ads and 61,803 Trackers so it seems to
be doing something there..

I get enough sites complaining bitterly or blocking me because
they can't send me ads (and they would never admit to Trackers)
that I feel Opera is doing a decent job.

---
 * SLMR Rob  * When I was a kid, I was an imaginary playmate
 * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)

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