[Joke] Late April Fool's from Google?

[jamesb]

Google Chrome OS to route print jobs around planet

So if I read this right, in order to print using Chrome OS they want you to not only bounce the job around the internet before printing, but specifically to send it through Google's own servers?

I thought junk faxes were pretty much dead now. I can see them attaching context-sensitive ads to this once it is in place.

So you print out a technical manual for, say, a router and the first page comes up with 'did you know that <name> router offers much more capability?'

This is not going to end well.

[CHR1S]

Seems like a clever idea really, a proof of concept that will filter into use in some form in the future. I guess the idea is that you go to internet cafe and it knows your next to a printer and just prints to it!

[LosOjos]

I think the worry is that we'll all end up subjected to spam, or "Google PrintSense" if you will, with every print we make

[jamesb]

Seems like a clever idea really, a proof of concept that will filter into use in some form in the future. I guess the idea is that you go to internet cafe and it knows your next to a printer and just prints to it!

You mean like you can do now, since internet cafes generally have printers set up on their terminals?

Or do you mean for letting people access open 'public' printers in places with free internet access? That would concern me a little. I don't print much anyway, and the stuff I do print isn't stuff that I'd want printing in public anyway (payslips for example). I certainly wouldn't want anything being sent to the servers of a company with such a bad track record for respecting user privacy, and misusing data for targetted advertising.

[webman]

I certainly wouldn't want anything being sent to the servers of a company with such a bad track record for respecting user privacy, and misusing data for targetted advertising.

How are they misusing data? It's right there in their privacy policy what data they use and what for.

Google only processes personal information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and/or the supplementary privacy notices for specific services. In addition to the above, such purposes include:
...
Providing our services, including the display of customised content and advertising;

My personal opinion on Google and privacy issues, is that paranoia has a lot to do with it.

[jamesb]

How are they misusing data? It's right there in their privacy policy what data they use and what for.

Matter of opinion, but I disagree with using data for targetted advertising at all. Particularly when it's my data.

My personal opinion on Google and privacy issues, is that paranoia has a lot to do with it.

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear?

[CHR1S]

You mean like you can do now, since internet cafes generally have printers set up on their terminals?

Erm, dunno really just trying to add a positive side to the conversation lol

[webman]

Matter of opinion, but I disagree with using data for targetted advertising at all. Particularly when it's my data.

Then don't use them It's not really a matter of opinion when they say exactly what they do with what data in their own privacy policy - it's there in black & white.

But which search engine would you use? Yahoo does it. Bing does it. Ask does it.

EduGeek.net doesn't even have a privacy policy link that I can find; who knows what they're doing with our data?*

* Just for agument's sake. I fully trust EduGeek.net with whatever data they have about me.

[localzuk]

Every search engine does it - how else do they make any money!? Data is worth a huge amount to companies, I'd be glad that search engines exist and that they don't use their clever technology to actually spam you via email too...

[jamesb]

Every search engine does it - how else do they make any money!? Data is worth a huge amount to companies, I'd be glad that search engines exist and that they don't use their clever technology to actually spam you via email too...

The question is still raised of whether them being able to do the same with your printing is a good thing or not. I'd say that it's quite firmly not, and that the benefits of this new method are pretty much non-existent, unless I've missed something.

[localzuk]

The question is still raised of whether them being able to do the same with your printing is a good thing or not. I'd say that it's quite firmly not, and that the benefits of this new method are pretty much non-existent, unless I've missed something.

You have missed something. Chrome OS is supposed to be a 'portable OS' for netbooks and the like. Meaning, the device will be used on the move. So, its users won't be sat in the same office, day in, day out. Instead, they may be in a different city and need to print something. Instead of having to go and use some other place's computers etc... you can just use the printer at that place, without having to install drivers or anything.

It is like universal printing in a school - where every user simply has a printer set up on their machine, and then can go to any printer in the school and release the job for printing. You are no longer tied to a single device.

[webman]

the benefits of this new method are pretty much non-existent, unless I've missed something.

Wireless printing? No driver issues?

[CyberNerd]

This sounds like a really good solution. We are setting up and cofee shop style wireless (no security, but access to internet via proxy auth). I was pondering how to allow students access to printing. We considered using papercut http printing. Anyone know how we would add our printers to googles service? and whether it can run any browser not just chromeos?