please copy and paste
Feb. 15th, 2010 09:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flamingswordGOOGLEBUZZ IS AN INVASION OF PRIVACY
So Google already fixed the automatic inclusion of your chat logs into your public data on their Buzz function, but your shared reader items have become a lot more public than you may be aware of. Perhaps panic is a bit strong, but maybe taking a look at who you're sharing what with is in order.
Seen first on Cleolinda's LJ, Google Buzz is a HUGE CLUSTERFUCK OF LOST PRIVACY.
I have never created a 'public profile,' I had never activated Buzz, in fact I'd DISABLED it, I thought. And yet, when I clicked through, I could see a bunch of your PRIVATE GMAIL CHATS from people I've got listed as contacts in my Gmail. I'm not even kidding. I clicked out immediately, and deleted all "followers" and "watchers" and whatever.
Just a heads up...if you've been chatting about fannish stuff on Gchat, and your email address is known to/in the address book of non-fannish people, there could definitely be unfortunate crossover. I WAS READING ACTUAL GOOGLE CHAT LOGS.
You need to disable Buzz, go into the settings and remove/block your followers and remove the "applications" (the standards are Googlechat, Picasa, and Google Reader, but it'll link into your YouTube account, all kinds of other things, too, if you want it to). There are good explanations of how to do this, you can visit CNET's Guide To Turning Off Buzz.
The quickest way I found:
1) Click the bright, stupid little "Buzz" icon in your lefthand toolbar.
2) Halfway down the page you'll see the "view connected sites" link. Click it.
3) Go through and "delete" the Gchat, Picasa, Google Reader applications. Click "Save."
4) go into the list of "Followers" and "Who you're following." Anyone who's following you, block them (they'll still be able to email you, don't worry).
5) Delete anyone YOU are following.
6) click back to the main Gmail page. Down at the bottom, click "turn off Buzz."
(note: if you've already turned Buzz off but haven't gone through the other steps, go back to the bottom of the page, turn Buzz back ON, go through steps 1-6 again. Even if you've turned it off, it doesn't automatically disable your feeds for people who ARE using Buzz.)
Make sure you do it for all your Gmail accounts.
I'm keeping my GoogleReader feed public, but chat logs google? SRSLY? Hell to the no.
So Google already fixed the automatic inclusion of your chat logs into your public data on their Buzz function, but your shared reader items have become a lot more public than you may be aware of. Perhaps panic is a bit strong, but maybe taking a look at who you're sharing what with is in order.
Seen first on Cleolinda's LJ, Google Buzz is a HUGE CLUSTERFUCK OF LOST PRIVACY.
I have never created a 'public profile,' I had never activated Buzz, in fact I'd DISABLED it, I thought. And yet, when I clicked through, I could see a bunch of your PRIVATE GMAIL CHATS from people I've got listed as contacts in my Gmail. I'm not even kidding. I clicked out immediately, and deleted all "followers" and "watchers" and whatever.
Just a heads up...if you've been chatting about fannish stuff on Gchat, and your email address is known to/in the address book of non-fannish people, there could definitely be unfortunate crossover. I WAS READING ACTUAL GOOGLE CHAT LOGS.
You need to disable Buzz, go into the settings and remove/block your followers and remove the "applications" (the standards are Googlechat, Picasa, and Google Reader, but it'll link into your YouTube account, all kinds of other things, too, if you want it to). There are good explanations of how to do this, you can visit CNET's Guide To Turning Off Buzz.
The quickest way I found:
1) Click the bright, stupid little "Buzz" icon in your lefthand toolbar.
2) Halfway down the page you'll see the "view connected sites" link. Click it.
3) Go through and "delete" the Gchat, Picasa, Google Reader applications. Click "Save."
4) go into the list of "Followers" and "Who you're following." Anyone who's following you, block them (they'll still be able to email you, don't worry).
5) Delete anyone YOU are following.
6) click back to the main Gmail page. Down at the bottom, click "turn off Buzz."
(note: if you've already turned Buzz off but haven't gone through the other steps, go back to the bottom of the page, turn Buzz back ON, go through steps 1-6 again. Even if you've turned it off, it doesn't automatically disable your feeds for people who ARE using Buzz.)
Make sure you do it for all your Gmail accounts.
I'm keeping my GoogleReader feed public, but chat logs google? SRSLY? Hell to the no.
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no subject
Date: 2010-02-15 04:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-15 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-15 05:50 pm (UTC)Don't get me wrong - I think Buzz has it totally backwards on how to do privacy. I just think this exact issue might have been misconstrued.