Micro Persuasion: Google May Launch UPC Code Autolinks: "Google May Launch UPC Code Autolinks"

Since Brevity is a virtue I'll go to the main points of David Sims Post.

1. DOCUMENT INTEGRITY: IT’S REQUIRED
And it is maintained throughout, IF you want this information to be linked you have to Install the
Google toolbar yourself (Nobody has said that it installs by itself so far) and THEN if you see an address, FedEx number or ISBN code that you might be interested in you have to click on the auto-link function.
the main test FOR ME would be:
Is it useful? From my point of view the answer is yes
Does it change the information of the page visited
in a way that I think detracts from the integrity of that page? this is clearly not the case
2. PRIVACY POLICY CONFLICTS?
If you do not agree to the privacy policy of the tool
then do not use it by any means. or are you saying that the private policy as stated by Google is fraudulent?
Again i think not.

The policies that apply to government sites regarding user privacy have nothing to do with whatever software they have installed on their machines, for example if somebody has gator or bonzi buddy or any other of a number of really nefarious crap-ware and they open your cancer research page and they get a million pop ups for the "CANCER miracle pill!!" (C) does it mean that you're liable. Any student will tell you that that is not the case.


3. MIND READING (wow!!) and RESPECT FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPERTISE
this is something that is very, very subjective
I'm sure that the tool is designed with usability in mind. If it is useful to a vast majority of its users then they're reading the "needs" of the user base in a correct fashion.
And regarding respect for others people knowledge if in your mountains of information I have something that i can or want to look up further that does not mean i do not respect your opinion.

Again you're talking about a tool that is installed and used voluntarily by the user. No about something that creepily appears out of nowhere when you are researching loan applications, or diseases (see gator reference above)

4. REWARDING THE BAD, PENALIZING THE GOOD?
I think this is more based on gut feeling than on fact if you're providing the information for a number of locations for getting federal grants and I click on the toolbar to get a map of the one nearest me is that really "Penalizing" your site?

5. PLEA AND REQUEST
This is your opinion and i respect it.
6. OPT-OUT: MY DEMAND
Same Here.
7. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT GOOGLE

O here i think it is , we've had a number of companies doing this for years in a much more nefarious fashion but the high profile of the Google toolbar makes it a point of discussion.

According to Ed Grossman on Queue when selecting tools we must "take an Aristotelian (as opposed to platonic) approach" this is a tool like any other tool and tools can be used for evil or good (sometimes on purpose sometimes by the use that you make of said tool)

In conclusion these are some of the consequences of disruptive technologies when they change the way we assume things should work.

So lets make sure that they work for the better good

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