You guys are all scared of the wrong people.  Google isn't your worry.  Google doesn't track your every move on the web. Google can only track your searches and clicking on related links.  Even then they only know you by your IP.  Your real fear should be you ISP...  They see where you go and who you do it with... Everything you do is passed by them to get to you.
Go to your command prompt and type in 'IPCONFIG' and look at your default gateway... if your behind a router you may only see 192.168.2.1 which is your router, but take off your router and do it and see where your real default gateway is.  It's your ISP, Google has nothing on you compared to your ISP and they not only have the information Google has they also have your name and address... They know who you are!
 
If you are truly frighten by Google or even your ISP, try using a proxy server.  Then you have no worries

A good article on Softpedia http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-to-Hire-400-Yahoo-Employees-118415.shtml

Interesting failsafe clause
    'if the trailing 12-month average of the revenue per search in the United States (the "U.S. RPS") of Yahoo and Microsoft's combined queries falls below a specified percentage of Google Inc.'s ("Google") estimated RPS measured on a comparable basis."
The deal can be terminated.

I would like to know the %

Thing is, kona, you have proved nothing to me... nothing that categorically refutes my assertion that Google is an intrusive/invasive/ in-your-face parasite that leeches personal data to target people with ads.

Thing is, you GET ads within your emails... I don't.  One line above the email, to me, is intrusive and takes a liberty with personal correspondence.  However, your experience of just one line is not the case for everyone.  I've had several people tell me that they ge/got much more, often interspersed throughout their received emails. 

For example, my niece and her husband often had ads at the top, in between paragraphs and at the bottom when they used Gmail. with each being targetted with ads based on the searches/interests of the other because they shared the same IP address and had similar email addys (family name with year of birth to distinguish them).

Both got so pissed off with the constant ads they switched to Hotmail and are much happier with the service, as are several others who complained about Google's email/ad practices.

So that's why my niece could do a Google search on her estranged (nobody special) father and find out he has a police record and a couple of kids she knew nothing about.  Don't sound to me like Google only has one's email/IP addy.

I agree, however, one's ISP knows everything one does online, but mine never targets me with ads of any kind (my emails via it are 100% ad free, and I'm not concerned about it dishing any dirt on me because I don't do anything online I shouldn't... though if I were I'd be more concerned about the Australian Federal Police monitoring all IPS for illegal traffic such as piracy, terrorist activities/connections and kiddie porn purveyors, etc.

NO I don't. The one line ad is not in the same window as the email. It sits above the email window.

And as far as proving anything I did prove that MS is just as bad.

That does not happen.

Look - Only one ad here. No ad in the middle. No ads on the bottom. Just ONE ad. Gmail has changed since you have seen it last.

She would have got the same results using Yahoo, MSN, Ask.com or any other big search engine. The info is on the net. Try it.

I'm guessing commerical television is the bane of your existence?

Mine? No not really. Why?

No no, sorry, I meant Starkers.

It does... I saw it on my niece's PC and advised her to switch when she complained bitterly about the frequent and pesristent ads.

Only some of it shows up on Yahoo, but nothing on MSN... dunno about Ask.com, we didn't 'ask'.

Not exactly the bane of my existence, but yeah, commercial TV pisses me off severely.  I watch commercial channels only when something of huge interest isn't available elsewhere, on DVD, etc.  That's why Bigpond DVD rental is my friend... movies and TV shows without ads.

Yup, I lump advertising execs/people in with politicians, lawyers and bankers... scum of the Earth the lot of 'em.

It does not happen NOW. They have changed they way the show ads. I will post a email conversation just to prove it does not happen anymore if you like.

Sounds like you have no first hand experience dealing with Gmail. Therefore how can you say what it does or does not do?

Remind me to buy you a tin foil hat.

By the way Starkers this site you love uses Google for ads. Does that bother you?

Maybe that's because hordes of people were dropping Gmail... staying away in droves. 

Still, I'm happy with what I use and won't be taking up Gmail any time soon... that effing Pizza Hut banner ad in the email screenie you posted confirms my abhorence of it.  I just don't get that kind of crap in/with my emails.

Was called Google mail when I used it... dropped it long before advising my niece to, for the same reason I quit using Google search... damned ads based on search queries and key words contained in outgoing/incoming emails.

Thank you.... I'm sure those Google Maps bastards are reading my mind every time they go past.

Yeah... bugs the crap outta me.  Still going to 'anger management' cos I got signed out once and saw ads... January 09, I think.

That Pizza Hut thing was an email to me about my birthday email not an ad. The ad was a one line sentence that read something about a car above the Pizza Hut thing.

There are NO banner ads in Gmail.

Get a clue already.

My birthday is on the 12th but thanks.

Yeah, I couldn't upsize the screenie... and my eyesight ain't so good these days.

As for the Pizza Hut banner thing, well I do have a "clue already".  It's bloody awful, and if somebody sent me something gaudy like that I'd wanna put their nuts in a vice and tighten it all the way.

The day after my son's... he turns 32.  Happy birthday, kona, I hope it is a great day for you.

I choose to have that sent to me. I will say this one more time. The Pizza Hut thing is NOT an ad.

yes but the google ad bot read the contents of your email...supposedly private info. same crap happens with facebook. i'm not so concerned with searches being predicted on, but my e-mails should be my own.

Hotmail and Yahoo do the same thing. That's my point.

I realised it was not an ad but an email sent to you... it's just that i don't like flashy crap on my screen - it hurts my eyes - hence the (tongue-in-cheek) nuts in a vice thing.

Anyway, kona, it's pretty darned obvious that you like Google and I don't like or trust them, so how about we agree  to disagree and call a truce... no more last words on the matter, orright!

Yeah, I'll drink to that... break out the Tetleys.

You guys should check out this site. It lets you put in a search term and compare results from google, yahoo and bing. The results are displayed in three columns and you are asked which set of results you think are the best. The catch is that you don't who you have voted for until after you have voted. Turns out that bing is better for me 6/10 times.

http://blindsearch.fejus.com

Nice work, should be useful to a few people here, and help them live without the need for Foil hats.

But i don't wanna live without my foil hat... helps hide the developing bald spot

I've heard a lot of good things. Plus, it helps with the ladies.