[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Classic strawman. I never claimed either thing. I simply said that if you are not paying for something, then you are the product, not the customer.

You're right, you absolutely did not say that all Google products are a homogeneous mold to milk your personal information for ads:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Google doesn't charge for the android operating system.

http://9to5google.com/2014/01/23/goo...bile-services/

Google doesn't do this out of the kindness of their corporate heart, they do it to provide more eyeballs for their various ad platforms. I repeat, if you aren't paying for a service you are getting, you aren't the customer, you are the product. In this case, you are the reason that Google can charge their advertisers what they charge them.

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Android doesn't have any ads. It is the apps on the playstore that have ads. Google is selling those apps to the android user. Even if they sell it for free, it is still a sale. Most apps you can opt out of the ads by paying money for the ad free version. Part of that money the customer pays goes to Google as comission.

So no, I disagree with your insistence to not calling android users customers.

And you absolutely did not imply that Google selling ads was a problem:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Methinks that you don't understand exactly how Google does ads. Their main thing is by capturing as much information about the users as possible, they allow very precisely directed ads. But hey, if it doesn't bother you fine. If you wish to consider yourself the customer, that's fine. So, what's the 1-800 number for issues with Goggle search? Hum, that's odd, I can't find the 1-800 number for Google maps or gmail either. How odd.

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

By saying providing search for free "it isn't because of their desire not to be evil"
you are trying to imply that Google is evil? Nice try in pushing your evil agenda and still have deniability since you didn't say it outright. Two negatives don't make a right, and yada yada. The ads in Google Search are done so nicely and unobtrusive that it is no wonder they are the best in advertising. Compare that to all those ad-riddled webpages that require a higher skill level just to navigate around the ads.

And you absolutely have not been highly confrontational every time someone suggests that maybe, just maybe:

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Search and Maps? Really? You are fixiated on the services that are either ads themselves or free for the user, financed by the ads. I am mildly aware that Google is the largest advertisement company.

and that we cheerfully accept that; you seem to feel the bizarre need to point out in excruciating detail what we already know,for absolutely no goal whatsoever... insomuch as you maintain "I simply said that if you are not paying for something, then you are the product, not the customer." -- well then, who are you saying it TO???

This seems to be a general trend with you, belaboring a point that no one ever disagreed with, as a form of deniability against having to actually defend your insinuations.

Just to be totally clear:
You told us to beware, "you are the product, not the customer",
we told you "thanks, but we've known that since like forever, and Google is still our best buddy" because their business model is to give us what we want and charge us the data about that want,
you keep on telling it to us, belaboring the point,
and it ISN'T because you think Google is , no matter how much that sounds like what you are insinuating, because you never said so straight out.
Right?

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/insinuate
Take a look at number three.