04-25-2012, 01:43 AM

I am going to give Google Drive a try and I realize they don't have an iOS app yet but everywhere I'm reading that there is an app for both Windows and Mac OS X but I can't find it anywhere. Where can I download the Google Drive Mac App?

04-25-2012, 02:37 AM

Not being funny but did you try Googling "Google Drive"?

https://drive.google.com/start#home

You have to wait until your account has been updated. You can select the option to be notified by email

04-26-2012, 05:35 AM

I'm just gonna quote John Gruber here:

"Sure, I trust Google to index the contents of all my files. Why not?"

04-26-2012, 05:52 AM

I wouldn't want any personal or sensitive documents stored in any online storage without suitable encryption etc. But for simple file sharing I'm as happy to use Google as much as I am iCloud, Dropbox et al.

On any service I use online I opt out of public sharing/history retention/advertising etc (where options exist - not all services allow this kind of control).

04-26-2012, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by chas_m

I'm just gonna quote John Gruber here:

"Sure, I trust Google to index the contents of all my files. Why not?"

And I'll link to this article that shows how Apple's, Google's, Microsoft's and Dropbox's privacy policies aren't all that different. They all give you ownership protection and they all require that you give them the right to do stuff with your content (using almost the exact same language).

So, I'll revise Gruber's myopic quote: "Sure, I trust Google, Apple, Microsoft and Dropbox to regulate and control the contents of my account. Why not?" Welcome to the cloud. It doesn't matter who you have an account with since someone else has access to your content (and as shown, the same levels of access across platform).

I'm not defending Google (I'm content with Dropbox) but I think it's important to put things into context here before we bring out the metaphorical uninformed conspiracy pitchforks.

04-26-2012, 12:55 PM

Google's TOS for their Drive is pretty scary. It's something you should definately read before you use it. Pretty much anything you upload to it becomes their property and they can do what they choose with it.

04-26-2012, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by Stretch

Google's TOS for their Drive is pretty scary. It's something you should definately read before you use it. Pretty much anything you upload to it becomes their property and they can do what they choose with it.

Like I noted though, it's no different than the policies for the others. From the article I linked to:

Google:

When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones.

Dropbox:

We may need your permission to do things you ask us to do with your stuff, for example, hosting your files, or sharing them at your direction. This includes product features visible to you, for example, image thumbnails or document previews. It also includes design choices we make to technically administer our Services, for example, how we redundantly backup data to keep it safe. You give us the permissions we need to do those things solely to provide the Services.

Microsoft:

You understand that Microsoft may need, and you hereby grant Microsoft the right, to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, distribute, and display content posted on the service solely to the extent necessary to provide the service.

Apple:

However, by submitting or posting such Content on areas of the Service that are accessible by the public or other users with whom you consent to share such Content, you grant Apple a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content on the Service solely for the purpose for which such Content was submitted or made available, without any compensation or obligation to you.

They all say the same thing. I understand why Google is scrutinized more so than the others but claims that Google's licensing and privacy policies are somehow magnitudes worse is ludicrous. Any criticism of Google's policy needs to be accompanied by a similar approach to those other cloud services because to do otherwise is to "play blind" to the realities of all cloud services. I'm not saying that your making that claim (because you're not) but it's important to see how Google isn't really all that different here. This is why, when people say things like "Don't trust Google, iCloud is much better for your privacy", I have to shake my head a little.

Also note that the content you upload doesn't become their property. Google is pretty clear about this in their TOS:

Some of our Services allow you to submit content. You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours.

04-26-2012, 01:49 PM

Does anyone doubt that Google will mine your data and add it to your (their) file. And if you store anything in anybody's 'Cloud' , the government has access.

Just sayin'

04-28-2012, 04:06 AM

Maybe it's just me, but Apple's portion of the agreement you quoted:

However, by submitting or posting such Content on areas of the Service that are accessible by the public or other users with whom you consent to share such Content, you grant Apple [etc]

Seems very, very substantively DIFFERENT than the other agreements you quoted.

Try again?

04-28-2012, 12:08 PM

No need to try again. The other agreements make it pretty clear that the use of data is for the maintenance of the service. The agreements don't suggest that the data will be used for any and all purpose(s) (if it did, lawyers would have been all over those companies years ago). In fact, privacy policies by Google and Dropbox all make it clear that they need your permission to do stuff with your content:

Google:

We will ask for your consent before using information for a purpose other than those that are set out in this Privacy Policy.

Dropbox (I love how this isn't "legalese"):

We may need your permission to do things you ask us to do with your stuff, for example, hosting your files, or sharing them at your direction.

In essence, they all retain the right to do whatever they want with your content as long as it's kept internal.

I think what's most disturbing about each of these services is the regulation of content. They all abide by the law of the land (which is fine) but how do they control this? I suppose it could be through user reporting but some are quite specific about how they do it (and it's not pleasant). Apple for instance has the following in their iCloud TOS:

However, Apple reserves the right at all times to determine whether Content is appropriate and in compliance with this Agreement, and may pre-screen, move, refuse, modify and/or remove Content at any time, without prior notice and in its sole discretion, if such Content is found to be in violation of this Agreement or is otherwise objectionable.

Pre-screen? Really?

That's a little more specific (invasive) than the others:

Microsoft:

We may remove your content from the service at any time if you breach this contract or if we cancel or suspend the service.

Dropbox:

We may stop, suspend, or modify the Services at any time without prior notice to you. We may also remove any content from our Services at our discretion.

I suppose they could all be "pre-screening" - who knows.

Google's however is a bit more re-assuring (still quite nebulous though):

We may review content to determine whether it is illegal or violates our policies, and we may remove or refuse to display content that we reasonably believe violates our policies or the law. But that does not necessarily mean that we review content, so please don’t assume that we do.

An assurance...hmmm....

Again, I'm not defending anyone. They're all cloud services which require you to "sign over" some control for the privilege of using the service. The operative word there though is "all".

Tl;dr - Everyone's pretty much the same.

_____________________________

And, to counter any "Google is an advertising company so of course they want your data" arguments, which are inevitable in discussions like this, I present the following excerpt from the Apple privacy policy:

We may collect information such as occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, location, and the time zone where an Apple product is used so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products, services, and advertising [...] At times Apple may make certain personal information available to strategic partners that work with Apple to provide products and services, or that help Apple market to customers [...] Personal information will only be shared by Apple to provide or improve our products, services and advertising; it will not be shared with third parties for their marketing purposes.

And the Microsoft Privacy Statement:

Microsoft collects and uses your personal information to operate and improve its sites and services. These uses include providing you with more effective customer service; making the sites or services easier to use by eliminating the need for you to repeatedly enter the same information; performing research and analysis aimed at improving our products, services and technologies; and displaying content and advertising that are customized to your interests and preferences.

No one's made this argument yet but I know it's coming (it always does).

04-30-2012, 05:30 AM

Yeah, and it's coming from me.

Naturally the boilerplate stuff is going to be similar among the services, but which one of them derives 96 percent of its income from advertising?

Hint: the product Google is selling is YOU. For people to try and deny this after years of the company being in legal trouble in one place or another over it is just nutty. To be fair, this is also Facebook's stock in trade -- how they make their money. They sell information about you to other companies so that advertisers can target you.

I'm not saying this is good or bad. I'm saying you should be aware that this is their business model, and govern yourself accordingly.

Apple doesn't do this, because Apple doesn't own a search engine, isn't dependent on advertising for its revenue, and doesn't sell user data they collect to third parties. That's not to say they don't collect information on users -- iTunes seems to know what I might like to buy, for example -- but I think there's an obvious and very clear difference between what Apple does with user information it collects (and they way it notifies users of what its collecting), and what Google does and how they do it, that's all.

All of the policies quoted say "we MAY look at your data if we believe we have a reason to." But which one of them has the strongest reason to?

04-30-2012, 11:23 AM

Oh, I don't disagree about possible intentions or uses. My concern is the automatic blame applied to one group (this goes for anything in life) when all parties involved have given themselves the exact same powers. It could very well be argued however that overlooking one group because it doesn't have particular intentions makes it harder to believe that they are doing things with your data (which goes for all the parties involved).

I suppose the essence of my point here is that everyone, although perhaps not having the same intentions, has the power to do similar things with your content. Whether or not they do it is a different story.

As to the "may" - sure, some "may" look at aspects of your data (I imagine that full on reading/viewing is against the law unless it's for law enforcement reasons) but who defines "may"? It's the potential that's more scary than anything. Now, I'm a bit hypocritical - I make use of two of those services (Google and Dropbox). If they decide to take a peek however, they won't find anything interesting (my cloud content is quite boring for this reason), haha.