Google: Not All Tech and Ads. Surprise!
August 29, 2019
I read “Former Google Employee Says #MeToo Behavior Institutionalized at Search Giant.” The write up explains that a Googler (a Xoogler mother now) interacted with another Googler (still a Googler) and output a baby. DarkCyber does not know if this story is “actual factual”, so we’re are not sure if this is fiction or life.
We read:
Jennifer Blakely says Chief Legal Officer David Drummond made her life “hell” after fathering her son.
A lawyer. Making life hell. Interesting assertion.
The write up reported:
After the relationship ended, she says, Drummond neglected their child and made “terrifying threats” to gain custody. She said he initially refused to discuss child support, and she called Drummond’s treatment “nothing short of abuse.”
(Yikes. the DarkCyber team thought Google was into ads, relevant search results, and Foosball. If the write up is accurate, DarkCyber’s assumptions are incorrect.
The article stated:
Blakely previously shared her experience with The New York Times in a bombshell article last November about the company’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against key executives, including Android creator Andy Rubin and former Google X director Richard DeVaul. The story spurred a massive walkout protest from 20,000 Google employees in offices around the world.
DarkCyber’s files contain some snips from open sources about the Brin-Rosenberg tie up; for example, this Medium article. The made-for-TV type story about a Googler, heroin, and a yacht summarized in this CBS News story.
Google’s posture on these types of matters may be reflected in this quote attributed to none other than CEO Sundar Pichai and Head of People Operations Eileen Naughton:
“We are committed to ensuring that Google is a workplace where you can feel safe to do your best work, and where there are serious consequences for anyone who behaves inappropriately.”
DarkCyber is intrigued by the job description “Head of People Operations.” Google is quite an operation. Babies, attempted suicides, and heroin appear to be fodder for the “real news” outfits.
Change, equality, etc. Serious consequences. And the baby?
Stephen E Arnold, August 29, 2019
Interesting.
Google Cookies: Dancing Around
August 28, 2019
In my Google Version 2: The Calculating Predator, I summarized a number of Google innovations which embed tracking. One of the more interesting approaches was for Google to become the Internet; that is, when you run a query, you are accessing the Internet as it exists within Google. (If you want more information, write benkent2020 @ yahoo dot com. I sell a set of “fair copies” of these original books I submitted to a now defunct publisher in Brexitland. There are some minor typos and a dropped graphic or two, but the info is there.)
I wrote the Google monographs in 2003 to 2008.
The tracking functions, the walled garden, the Google version of the Internet — each of these were in place more than 15 years ago. Therefore, any modification of Google’s cookies polices and the associated technology like Ramanathan Guha’s and Alon Halevy’s innovations is a very big job. Given the present state of the Google architecture, I am not sure that the existing crew of 100,000 plus could make such modifications without having many Google services break. “Services”, however, are not what users experience. The services are the internal operations that ensure ads get displayed, the click stream data are collected, the internal components have access to fresh user behavior data, and the public facing outputs like search results, “did you mean”, and even the “I’m feeling lucky” are in line with what Google’s financial demands require. Remember: Ads have to be displayed and users induced to click on them to make the Yahoo-GoTo-Overture inspired system function.
Cookies, including the special DoubleClick variety and the garden variety “expire a long time in the future” type are important to the Google system. If you can’t find content in an index, the reason may be that the site’s content is no longer generating clicks. Indexing becomes more important with each passing day. How does one control costs? Well, those cookies and beacons are helpful. No signals of click love, then less frequent or zero indexing. Thus, indexing costs can be managed which is almost impossible if a spider just follows links, changed content, and new information. Where is an index to the content on “beat sites” like Beatstars.com? Answer: The content is not indexed if our recent test queries are accurate. (I know, “What’s beat content? Not in this write up, gentle reader, not in this write up.)
Against this background I want to call your attention to “Deconstructing Google’s Excuses on Tracking Protection.” The write up is a reasonable analysis of Google saying that it wants to be more respectful of user’s privacy.
DarkCyber thought the summary of cookies was good. Here’s the passage we circled:
Our high-level points are:
1) Cookie blocking does not undermine web privacy. Google’s claim to the contrary is privacy gas lighting.
2) There is little trustworthy evidence on the comparative value of tracking-based advertising.
3) Google has not devised an innovative way to balance privacy and advertising; it is latching onto prior approaches that it previously disclaimed as impractical.
4) Google is attempting a punt to the web standardization process, which will at best result in years of delay.
My concern is that this type of write up does not specifically state what Google is doing. The use of the phrase “gas lighting” and the invocation of Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism are very trendy.
Unfortunately, plain talk is needed. With Google search the primary conduit of what is “important”, the game is no longer one of cookies.
Exactly what can a government or a committee do to address more than 15 years of engineering specifically designed to track people, cluster individuals into groups, predict what the majority of those in a statistically valid cluster want, and make sense of individual user behavior cues?
One step may be that writers and analysts adopt a more direct, blunt way of explaining Google/DoubleClick tracking. The reason individuals do not speak out is that there is what I call “Google fright”. It affects news release services. It affects analysts. It affects “real journalists.” It affects Google’s would be government watch dogs.
Who doesn’t want a Google mouse pad or T shirt? Darned few. Fear of Google may be a factor to consider when reading about DarkCyber’s favorite ad supported, Web search system.
Stephen E Arnold, August 28, 2019
Google: Anything Goes Except Lots of Stuff
August 27, 2019
I read “What It Means to Work at Google When You Can No Longer Say Anything You Want.” This statement caught my attention:
Employees were encouraged to be their true, unfiltered selves on internal social forums as long as they were harnessing that energy to help Google succeed.
The write up quotes a Google internal memo that allegedly says:
Billions of people rely on us every day for high-quality, reliable information. It’s critical that we honor that trust and uphold the integrity of our products and services…
I also found this passage interesting:
An office environment that harms some workers and moderation policies that harm some users may be separate problems, but in Google’s case, the former never prodded the company to do anything about the latter—until it became a problem with implications for the very health of democracy, and lawmakers started to threaten the company with regulations. And both issues stem from the same formative Silicon Valley worldview that conceptualizes the internet as a place that functions best with as little oversight as possible.
Several observations are warranted because I am not involved in today’s GOOG:
- Google appears to be bewilderment. The perception of itself is different from what some of its employee factions perceive. Money cannot buy obedience. The greatest threat to the country of Google is citizen revolt.
- The Slate write up is a long overdue crtiical look at the weaknesses of Google’s high school science club management methods. For a long time, Google seemed to just make up stuff up as it moved along. That method may not work in today’s wild and crazy business environment.
- Google faces significant competition from Facebook. That’s less of an issue than Amazon, the Bezos bulldozer.
The earth is shaking around Google buildings.
Stephen E Arnold, August 27, 2019
Google Does Podcasts Too
August 27, 2019
Everyone and his or her dog has a podcast, but the problem is you cannot find individual episodes in a search engine. Sure, you can go to individual Web sites, iTunes, or Anchor to track down specific episodes, but that requires a lot of searching and typing. Thankfully, Google has changed its search algorithm to be friendlier for individual podcast episodes. Tech Radar explains the news in the article, “Google Search Just Got Smarter At Finding Podcast Episodes.”
Now when people search for a podcast through Google, the podcast will appear in the search results along with a display carousel of individual episodes. Google is able to do this, because it is a direct result of natural language processing and artificial intelligence programming. Google’s AI department is hard at work developing the search engine’s ability to “understand what is being talked about” in search terms.
It might be a simple return on state of the art technology, but it proves how Google’s search algorithm is getting smarter.
While search results list the podcast and its individual episodes, there are still some limitations:
“You can’t currently listen to the podcast direct from the search results, it will instead click through to the Google Podcasts web app, but support for third-party apps and websites that may hold exclusive rights to a podcast will be supported in the future, greatly increasing the potential search results. The blog post also mentions that the tech giant will be bringing the same functionality to Google Assistant later in the year, as well as the dedicated Google Podcasts for web, from which you’ll be able to also listen directly to the episode from the search result.”
Will Google put podcasts in YouTube? That’s an original idea. So if you want to find your dog’s podcast, all you have to do is type it into Google and it will appear. That’s the theory at least.
Whitney Grace, August 27, 2019
The Google: In the News
August 25, 2019
DarkCyber noted this story: “Fact Check: Trump Falsely Claims Google Manipulated Millions of 2016 Votes.” President Trump sent a message via Twitter. (One assumes that the account had not been compromised):
“Wow, Report Just Out! Google manipulated from 2.6 million to 16 million votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016 Election! This was put out by a Clinton supporter, not a Trump Supporter! Google should be sued. My victory was even bigger than thought! @JudicialWatch.
The write up makes the case that the President was incorrect. The article goes to great lengths to put the likely source of President Trump’s information in context. That’s good.
Nevertheless, DarkCyber was thinking about Google’s past behavior. One example was the International Business Times reports, “Who Is Andy Rubin? Android Creator, Ex-Google Exec Runs a ‘Sex Ring’.” The startling accusation came out in Rubin’s soon-to-be ex-wife’s divorce petition. (There are also allegations around the prenup and financial opacity, which may actually be more relevant to the case, but I digress.) Despite the efforts of Rubin’s legal counsel, a California state judge unsealed part of the complaint in April.
I will spare our gentle readers the details, but it is worth noting Rubin faced charges of sexual harassment while still at Google. It appears things went downhill from there. Writer Kalyan Kumar reports:
“Rubin left Google in 2014 after 9 years of service. His exit followed the uproar over an employee’s complaint to Google Management against Rubin. Google paid him $90 million as a settlement during separation. Google’s handling of the harassment case had drawn criticism as it appeared the company was protecting Rubin despite allegations of sexual misconduct.
We noted:
“After leaving Google, Rubin founded the Essential company, which sought to launch an alternative to Android and iPhone. But that failed to tickle the market. In 2017, he took a break from Essential, after Google ordered a probe into his relationship with the subordinate. A spate of media reports also kept him under pressure.”
For Rubin’s part, his lawyer insists the claims are all bunk, and that could certainly be the case.
Add to the Rubin story Peter Thiel’s assertion that some of Google’s activities could be interpreted as treasonous.
What’s with the criticism of the Google?
- False data about Google’s “manipulations” in the form a tweet from the president of the United States
- A Google executive accused of improper behavior gets a big payday
- A Silicon Valley luminary suggesting Google does not have the interests of the US at the top of its priorities.
And Facebook thought it had a PR problem.
Stephen E Arnold, August 20, 2019
Cynthia Murrell, July 10, 2019
Google Question Hub: Is It Here to Stay?
August 23, 2019
Google knows, sees, and predicts all or at least we think it does. Google is the most popular search engine in the United States and other western countries. When Google does not know the answer, we are flummoxed. Your Story shares how Google is trying to answer everyone’s question with its new endeavor, “Google Rolls Out Question Hub, In Case It Cannot Answer Your Question.”
Question Hub allows you to alert Google when you cannot find information to your question. The Question Hub collects all unanswered question, sorts them by topic, then sends the questions to experts/publishers for answers. The idea is to correct better and more insightful content for audiences.
We are unsure how Google notifies the experts/publishers that there is a question they can answer, but the experts/publishers must register with Question Hub to verify their information:
“In order to access Question Hub, the publishers will have to link their account to verified properties in the search console. For publishers without a search console account, other options are available. Once they create an account, they can explore topics relevant to their work by either searching for keywords or browsing categories. Once a topic is added, they can view unanswered questions that are asked by real people.”
Google plans to add more languages to the Question Hub in the future.
The problem, however, is getting publishers/experts to sign up for Question Hub. Free info and content for Google may flow.
Whitney Grace, August 23, 2019
Google and Its Amazing, Proliferating Services
August 22, 2019
It is all about the live streaming, backed by strong DVR capabilities. Digital Trends asks and answers, “What Is YouTube TV? Here’s Everything You Need to Know.” At a pricy $50 a month (minimum), the service is quite the entertainment investment. For some, though, it may be worth it. Writer Josh Levenson insists that the available features, particularly YouTube TV’s version of a cloud-storage DVR, more than make up for its limitations. These shortfalls include fewer channels than competitors, like AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) and Sling TV, and support for fewer devices. He tells us:
“Out of all the various features baked into YouTube TV, one stands out from the crowd: Cloud DVR. Granted, that’s a tool that most live TV streaming services offer these days, but Google has hit the nail on the head offering a more natural experience—letting you record as much content as you want, which can be stored for up to nine months at an end, putting an end to the storage limits that most competitors impose. …
We also noted:
“Like most streaming services, YouTube TV also offers its customers the option to watch the content on multiple screens at once. To be specific, you’ll have the option to create up to six sub-accounts for family members, of which three can watch at the same time. There is no option to upgrade to a higher plan, either—so that’s a firm cap at three streams at the same time, but that should be more than enough for most families.”
But will most households have a device on hand that can play YouTube TV? To run the service on a 4K television, one needs a set-top stream-capable box or a dedicated streaming stick. And as with any service but PlayStation Vue, viewing on a Playstation 4 is out, but all Xbox Ones are supported. It can be run through a Chrome or Firefox browser on a PC or from the operating system on Android and Apple devices. YouTube TV is also supported on Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku OS, Vizio SmartCast televisions, and post-2016 smart TVs from LG and Samsung.
Yes, most could probably find something on which to watch YouTube TV. Is it worth the monthly cost? How long will Google stick with the service? Who has time for multiple streaming services? What about Twitch.tv? How can a YouTuber message another? What about child suitable options? Perhaps benched AI whiz Mustafa Suleyman is available to contribute to resolving thorny YouTube questions?
Many questions for a company with remarkable management acumen.
Cynthia Murrell, August 22, 2019
YouTube: Wobbling Toward Responsibility
August 17, 2019
With all the problems plaguing YouTube these days, the issue of its copyright infringement reporting system may seem easily overlooked. However, we learn the company has not forgotten about that particular headache in Gizmodo’s article, “YouTube Announces Some Changes to Its Infamously Awful Copyright Infringement System.” While it is important to protect the rights of copyright holders, YouTube’s system for handling infringement claims is famously easy to abuse. Users have often cited videos as violating their own copyrights either in error, by not confirming the use is a violation, or maliciously, as a tool to censor critics or monetize the work of others. Due to the liability rules the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, the platform has reason to err on the side of those who make these claims. Content creators wrongly accused suffer takedowns and, often, financial losses as a result. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, among other critics, have objected to the disparity.
Now, though, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has promised several changes meant to curtail such abuses. First up—narrowing the window of accusation. Writer Tom McKay explains:
“The biggest change is that anyone filing such a copyright claim will have to enter exact timestamps of the alleged violation, which is intended to prevent copyright holders form flagging entire videos in violation willy-nilly. … This is important because creators previously could be left in the dark as to precisely which content was supposedly infringing, whether the video was 10 seconds or multiple hours. YouTube added that it will be reviewing the accuracy of timestamps and ‘copyright owners who repeatedly fail to provide accurate data will have their access to manual claiming revoked.’ (This seems kind of like something that should have already been happening, but okay.)”
Indeed. McKay also observes:
“While these changes will provide some much-needed clarity for YouTubers plagued by copyright claims, they notably don’t do much to level the playing field between rights holders and individuals claiming fair use of material for purposes like criticism, education, news, or research.”
TechCrunch reported that YouTube is changing its music copyright posture. DarkCyber noted this statement in “YouTube Shuts Down Music Companies’ Use of Manual Copyright Claims to Steal Creator Revenue”:
Going forward, copyright owners will no longer be able to monetize creator videos with very short or unintentional uses of music via YouTube’s “Manual Claiming” tool. Instead, they can choose to prevent the other party from monetizing the video or they can block the content. However, YouTube expects that by removing the option to monetize these sorts of videos themselves, some copyright holders will instead just leave them alone.
Quite a situation? Yes, indeed.
Cynthia Murrell, August 17, 2019
Tech Giants Are Classy and Semi Clever
August 16, 2019
I read “Google Attacks Windows by Comparing It to a Broken-Down Car.” Classy on two criteria:
- TechRadar’s story title. DarkCyber loved the “broken down” bound phrase
- Google’s decision to diminish the Microsoft system.
The Google has coveted Microsoft’s position in the computing world. The company rolled out its word processing, presentation, and ledger software specifically to undermine Microsoft Office. Years ago a Googler explained the strategy. (Sorry. I can’t tell you why a real Googler was talking to a person who lives in rural Kentucky.)
Humor is useful, particularly for stand up comedians. Jack Benny made fun of Fred Allen. The two had a feud.
The difference is that from where I view the world across the hollows and streams filled with mine drainage:
- Both companies deliver software and services which are deeply problematic. Whether it is Google’s irrelevant results on ad choked page or Microsoft’s updates which kill systems upon which people rely for “work” — both outfits have some technical work to do.
- Both companies are monopolies in distinct ways. Google controls a number of services; for example, content delivery via the Android complex. Microsoft dominates in business software.
- Both companies have an arrogance which surfaces in product support and public messaging.
To sum up, two deeply flawed organizations sniping at one another is less amusing than what flows from professional comedians.
The ad and the news giant reporting about the ad remind me of individuals who think that their insights are really clever.
Maybe they are, but will high school antics determine what type of laptop computer I will buy? Nope. I am happy with an eight year old Mac Air. No reason to change because advances in the tools I use on a day to day basis are not changing in a meaningful, useful manner.
When innovation stalls and creativity wanes, why not go for jokes?
Stephen E Arnold, August 16, 2019
Google Petitions: Like a High School Student Council Campaign
August 15, 2019
Is DarkCyber is getting tired of Googlers who protest Google? Not. The antics are amusing. Has anyone said, “Hey, high schoolers, you took the job. You get money. You are not running the company”?
I read “Google Employees Refuse to Be Complicit in Border Agency Cloud Contract.” The petition, the protests, and the rest of the adolescent antics are getting stale.
I learned:
In a petition circulated today inside Google and on Medium, a group of employees said immigration officials are “perpetrating a system of abuse and malign neglect” at the border. The employees point to the Trump administration’s family separation policy and the recent deaths of children in immigration officials’ custody. “These abuses are illegal under international human rights law, and immoral by any standard,” the petition reads. In the hours after it was released, hundreds of employees added their signatures to the petition.
Are the Googlers unaware of the AI institute in China? Are Googlers aware of the YouTubers who find themselves marginalized? Are Googlers fighting for small companies whose Google traffic disappears overnight? Are Googlers worrying about Android malware? Are Googlers concerned about their contributions to assisting a system which defines reality for grade school children?
There are quite a few problems at the GOOG. Approaching them the way a candidate for a high school student council seat is not likely to be effective.
Why not quit? Why not run for office and work for change? Why not get out of the hypocritical position of accepting a paycheck and demanding that a commercial enterprise change because you don’t like competing for government contracts.
Quick tip: Anduril is thrilled with your high school student campaign.
And a question for Google personnel: “When are you going to do quit your job and embrace the stand up comedy opportunity?” You can sell merch and turn down gigs at military bases too.
Stephen E Arnold, August 15, 2019
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
