G+_Keith Ables Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Ok I have to get everyone's opinion on this. I listen to almost every podcast on the TwiT network and I have to say that John C. Dvorak's recent rant on TwiT about Ingress using people as tools and Google destroying people's privacy was completely uncalled for and completely off base. First of all Mr. Dvorak, and probably the most important point of all, you don't have to use Google services. You can go back to your Netscape, better yet disconnect from the internet all together if you don't want people to know about you or what you do. Secondly, say that you want to use Google products but you don't want them to track what you are doing THEN OPT OUT OR DON'T LOG IN. Google is completely transparent about all the data they have on you and they even let you download it or delete it from their servers if you so please. What more could you want? Third, this data mining isn't just a chunk of business for Google that users see no benefit from. It is instead a feature of the services that take advantage of it. For example, I am an English teacher in Japan right now and I use pretty much all Google services. Google KNOWS I'm an English teacher in Japan so the ads they show me pertain to what I'm interested in. One day an ad for ESL-library.com popped up. I'm always looking for new and fun lessons for my students and it looked interesting so I thought I would give it a click. I ended up buying a subscription AND the ad gave me a coupon for 20 percent off. So to sum it up: I got a great deal on a great service that was perfect for me, my students learn more and have more fun in the lessons which makes my life easier, Google turned a profit, and ESL-library.com turned a profit. Wins for everybody! However, if you would have it your way, no data would have been collected from me and I would just be getting random Victoria Secret ads....Yeah, I will let them scan whatever they want to get a great experience like that again. Only Google could make an ad experience a good one. And as for Ingress, you have it all wrong. You think Google is using us as tools to improve their maps through a game? Of course they are, but you make it sound like they are hacking our devices and stealing data from us. We, as players of ingress, KNOW that they are using our location data as we play to improve maps and other services. However we WANT THEM to do this. I get to have fun playing a game, I get exercise, my data improves the maps and location data for the area I'm playing in, and once again we all win. Why is that bad if we want it to happen? You make it sound like giving a company data you want them to have is some kind of big disgrace. And arguing against us nerds getting more exercise? Shame on you. Your get off my lawn answers to progression of technology that helps everyone is exactly why I personally believe you shouldn't be on TWiT (that may be extreme but he has said other things...bordering on homophobic that makes me personally not like him so that kind of influences my opinion). So my question to everyone is, do you agree? Am I leaving anything out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Greg Dorsainville Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Dvorak's role is to be a contrarian because its the only way for him to keep relevant. it helps him stand out. i wouldnt take what he says seriously, but its probably worth hearing so you can know where the wrong side is in many debates. We will all miss him when he retires to his netscape bunker on friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam Deslauriers Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 He's not that tech savvy, but I still like him nonetheless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Chris Johnson Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Come on—Dvorak is a professional curmudgeon. I find him very entertaining—"It's a scam!" He's one of my TWiT favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_L I Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 All of these companies are trying to use us to some degree. Always like listening to the contrarian/conspiracy theorist because there may always be a nugget of truth there somewhere that the typical sheep media doesn't discuss. There's always another shoe dropping somewhere... just have to be able to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jennifer Hayden Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Comic relief and not to be taken too seriously though I believe he believes what he says and there is usually a grain of wisdom in most of what he says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jon Sullivan Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Dvorak is the worst thing on the TWiT network. I frequently just skip an episode if he is on. He's been wrong about just about everything for 15+ years now. At this point, with his street cred a complete joke, he's just selling cranky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jon Sullivan Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 The other problem is that since he's partnered with the moon landing denier Adam Curry, his character is in question. How can you expect anyone to take you seriously when you yoke yourself to a wacky conspiracy theorist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Matthew Kerley-Otten Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I see what some of you are saying, that he is just comic relief, but he will say nasty things, even to the point of derailing fun and interesting conversation to be an ignorant crotchety old man. This happened when Leo was trying to talk about Ingress and I actually really wanted to hear more discussion about it. I just skip to the next show whenever he turns up now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jon Sullivan Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Well, if he's just there to point and laugh at as he interrupts real tech journalists to derail things, I guess he's doing his job. But TWiT is always a better show when he's not there. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Matthew Kerley-Otten Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Chris Johnson But this kind of show isn't about that. His contributions just serve to derail the conversation. I have to disagree with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jamie Lynn Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Wow, I find the Dvorak and Curry shows to be the best. TWiT needs someone as a foil for some of the "pie-in-the-sky" contributors that are normally on. And as crazy as they sometimes sound, they are frequently on the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Matthew Kerley-Otten Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Jamie Lynn Sorry Jamie I have to disagree. I feel that many of his views are WAY off base, it's just his ingress rant that I think took the cake for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Geoff Weaver Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 OP is very well written Matthew. I do think he's there to play the curmudgeon though, plus I don't see Leo letting him go too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Matthew Kerley-Otten Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Donald Saunders You do? How so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Shaun Watson Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Dvorak is great as he always speaks his mind without fear of the consequences, providing a refreshing sometimes very alternative viewpoint from the usual TWiT consencus. TWiT is at its worst when you get dull panelists who just acquiesce to Leo. Go John! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Matthew Kerley-Otten Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I understand that but a fresh look and obnoxious incorrect banter are 2 very different things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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