daverea.com

During a recent IceRocket search for news related to the up-and-coming Google Wave, I happened across a very interesting blog post from John Obeto. His claim is nothing new; essentially, that he’s concerned about potential privacy implications of the cloud-hosted Google Docs productivity suite.

I certainly don’t take issue with Mr. Obeto’s view there. Cloud apps, hosted storage, SaaS and other products that necessitate user trust will always have a potential to compromise privacy. Obeto isn’t the first blogger to contrast Google’s corporate motto (“Don’t be evil”) with their products and policies. And I wouldn’t be the first person to defend them, claiming that their contributions to technology and information systems go a long way toward enhancing our society, despite their relative few privacy concerns.

What I do find honestly laughable, though, is the context in which John chooses to decry Google’s supposed invasion into every corner of his computing life… a web site called AbsoluteVista.com! Looking at his other posts, it certainly appears that Mr. Obeto falls well within the Windows fanboy camp … so I think I’m safe in assuming he doesn’t see the humor of this situation. But seriously? You’re complaining about privacy issues … on a web site dedicated to an operating system that sets the standard for invading the privacy of its users, on top of carrying the most draconian EULA in the industry.

Readers can insert their epithet of choice here – perhaps “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” or “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander” – but the point is, Obeto’s post is tantamount to bad-mouthing Coke for putting corn syrup in their cola, while sitting back and enjoying an ice-cold Pepsi…