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Thread: Pox Google

  1. #1
    Senior Member IcSilk's Avatar
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    Pox Google

    Ok, here's one: I've been having trouble getting my landlord to do repairs so have been holding the rent is escrow for months. Since this is the legal standard there is nothing he can do, and he's too stupid/stubborn to actually do the repairs so he does little petty inmature stuff like go into the basement and disconnect my internet and cable, saying "my courtesy entertainment has come to an end". I couldn't care less about the cable, TV is trash; but my internet, those are fighting words ... I just tether my laptop to my droid.

    Here's the issue: I hate google. I've been using Scroogle for years. I like my privacy, though I do nothing illegal while online Im sure I frequent some sites that are bound to be blacklisted if that bill goes through.
    Androids are google operated phones. The app I use is a third party, PDAnet, to tether.

    By tethering through my Droid am I forgoing all the privacy I seek through avoiding the google site and using the occasional proxy? At first glance this seems like a cut and dried 'yes'. but PDAnet is a third party app.

    I try to visualize the flow of information through my devices and servers etc. If this third party app is irrelevant to google's trespasses is there anything I can do to re-harness my privacy? I love PDAnet, its fast and stable, and since I live in a college town I don't have to deal with the broadband lags that often happen in the evenings.

    So in summary: By tethering through my droid, am I forgoing all the privacy precautions I've attempted to bridle in the past?
    And, if yes, is there anything I can do about it and still tether through my Droid?


    Blessings
    F
    "In most gardens they make the beds too soft - so that the flowers are always asleep" - Tiger Lily

  2. #2
    Senior Member mungyun's Avatar
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    Edit beforehand: So i hadn't really looked into scroogle much before but just looked it up and it seems like it does do a bit to keep you anonymous. However, i am still not sure about how long it will be around because from what ive read, google constantly keeps finding ways to keep scroogle from working and the developer for that site has to constantly reprogram scroogle to find new ways to scrape the search results. Anyways, the following is a little off.

    I am guessing that since you said Droid, you use Verizon? If that is the case, even though you may have unlimited data plan, Verizon can see your traffic usage and charge you the additional amount because you are using your phone as a wireless hotspot. I got busted recently and had to pay 40 extra bucks that month because of it.. A bunch of BS imo but it is in their agreement somewhere. </end of that schpiel>

    On to the privacy thing:

    Basically, any site you go to that uses googles ads can, and will build up data about you. Its what adsense and adwords and analytics was designed for. While nobody really 100&#37; knows what they use to identify you, your IP, MAC possibly, browsers, etc can be combined to make a fingerprint of sorts about who you are and your browsing habits. Ultimately if you really care about your online privacy, you would have to use a different computer on a different internet connection and a different browser every time. and even then, you aren't safe from the google. Really google isnt the only one that does this. Pretty much any site that has ads, builds up info about you. Bing, Yahoo, FB, etc.

    So the gist of what i am saying is that it doesnt matter whether you use your Droid for interwebs or not, google still knows all about you =-O
    Last edited by mungyun; August 24th, 2011 at 08:35 PM.
    I believe in making the world safe for our children, but not our children’s children, because I don’t think children should be having sex. -- Jack Handey

  3. #3
    Senior Member IcSilk's Avatar
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    I am guessing that since you said Droid, you use Verizon? If that is the case, even though you may have unlimited data plan, Verizon can see your traffic usage and charge you the additional amount because you are using your phone as a wireless hotspot. I got busted recently and had to pay 40 extra bucks that month because of it.. A bunch of BS imo but it is in their agreement somewhere. </end of that schpiel>
    Hmm, Yeah I use verizon. I went to verizon the other day and the guy told me that I can tether with no problems as long as I got my plan before July 7 of this year, Im like grandfathered in. And as long as I keep getting a smartphone when I upgrade and renew contracts I will always have the grandfathering. this is good information for some people Im sure.

    Did you get your plan after July 7 this year?
    "In most gardens they make the beds too soft - so that the flowers are always asleep" - Tiger Lily

  4. #4
    Senior Member mungyun's Avatar
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    When the guy at verizon said you could tether, did he specifically say you could use whatever you wanted? I am grandfathered in but from what I understood, VZ doesnt want you to tether your phone without paying for it to be a hotspot. Thats why they have that 3G Mobile Hotspot app on the droid and that's also why (Im guessing) you probably had to root your Droid to get PDANet to work. I used Barnacle WIFI tether and i had to root my phone to get it to work.

    It makes me wonder. I'll have to double check their agreement and see where it says you have to use their hotspot. If you are right, i want my 40 bucks back!
    I believe in making the world safe for our children, but not our children’s children, because I don’t think children should be having sex. -- Jack Handey

  5. #5
    Senior Member IcSilk's Avatar
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    Ya know, he did mention something about Wifi hotspots but he glazed over it so quickly I deemed it irrelevant. He specifically said that PDAnet was alright though. I have to go back there tomorrow anyways, I originally went there to get my VM PIN reset and he did that, but since I didn't check it there and waited til I got home I found out that the PIN he gave me to use doesn't work either ...

    A mistake like that makes you wonder what other mistakes he made that day,

    No I didn't have to root my Droid to get PDAnet to work. Its a Droid 2 global 2.2 so I was sweet there.
    "In most gardens they make the beds too soft - so that the flowers are always asleep" - Tiger Lily

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