Privacy concerns abound…
Well, the weekend saw news stories of Google planning to eavesdrop over pc microphones to hear what you’re watching on tv to target ads….. (I’m not holding my breath on that one, but… I do know how to disconnect the microphone.) Also, there was the story of Browzar which was supposedly THE solution for private web browsing…. well, it turns out it set’s it’s own search engine as the default and uses your search information to give sponsored links. Sans also mentions that the last visited url may be saved to disk as well. Really, we have several places where information is kept on us anyway (ISP/etc.) But, if you’re really concerned about private browsing you might try out the vmware browser virtual machine (or a portable web browser on a usb-key.)
On the flip side of the coin… here is how to get robbed, killed or stalked by using Google Calendar. In all fairness, it’s not JUST about Google calendar, people DO reveal too much about themselves online for comfort. It could be any calendar that allows sharing, any website that allows uploading of a profile. Unfortunately kids are the most likely to reveal too much and put themselves in real danger.
So,…. be safe out there, don’t offer more information than necessary (like diary entries telling how you found a really clever place to stash cash underneath a drawer or something…. and are always out from 6-8PM Tuesdays for origami lessons….)