[ExI] No to Google

[John Clark]

On Mon, Nov 17, 2025 at 9:59 AM John Klos via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:


>
> *> Google is now trying to force people to "prove" their age byuploading
> government ID, add that Google already makes it exceedinglydifficult to
> sign up for an account without providing personal information,*


*That is not Google's fault! That is the fault of Republican-controlled
states which demand proof of age if you want to do certain things on the
Internet.  If Google didn't demand that it would be illegal. *

>> *The world is big and powerful so it's inevitable that there are going
>> to be big and powerful things in it. If not corporations then what do
>> you want those big and powerful things to be, lots of high
>> technology corporations or one huge nation state? As for me, I'm an
>> unrepentant capitalist.*
>
>
>
> * > We don't need to choose one of the "big and powerful" things. We can
> exist outside of that, at least in the context of this discussion.*


*I have no idea what you mean by that. *

*John K Clark *




>
> >       > and seems to be getting moreso all the time.
> >
> > Yes, that's because the world is getting larger and more powerful, and
> > that growth rate is about to go into hyperdrive.
>
> This has nothing to do with what we're talking about.
>
> >       > I'm fairly sure that I'm the only person I know in real life
> >       >that doesn't have one [a Google account]
> >
> > I wouldn't be surprised.
>
> That was a joke. Agreeing with it doesn't feel like one. Many, many people
> don't have Google accounts.
>
> >       > Contrast this with the browsers that we use, or the operating
> >       >system/s we favour.
> >
> > I assume you have a phone, if so its operating system almost certainly
> > came from Apple or Google, and your web browser probably came from
> > Apple, Google or Microsoft, mine sure does and I thank them for it.
>
> It's fine that you're happy to simply do what everyone else does, but if
> that's the case, why discuss transhumanism? If it's not coming straight
> from Google or being sold by Amazon, what interests you about it? Why
> would you step outside your comfort zone for some things, and at the same
> time advocate for pledging fealty otherwise?
>
> >       > When I said "I'd hate to lose this list", I wasn't referring to
> >       > Google shutting the list down, I was referring to the fact that
> >       > if it moved to Google, I wouldn't be able to take part in it any
> >       > more. The same reason I sometimes read, but never post to, the
> >       > Extropolis list.
> >
> > I'm sincerely sorry to hear that, I'd really like to get your input. But
> > what negative consequences do you envision happening if you were to make
> > such a post?
>
> I think your picture of the world is too simplistic. Does everyone have a
> Windows computer with Chrome? If they have an older computer, can it be
> upgraded enough to run a modern enough Chrome to continue to use Google?
>
> People can join Google Groups mailing lists without having a Google
> account, but Google doesn't do a good job of telling people that. If you
> visit a Google Groups page and try to do anything aside from look at
> content, you're immediately prompted to log in.
>
> There's a huge difference between something being possible and something
> being straightforward for the average person, and Google here makes this
> possible but decidedly NOT straightforward for the average person.
>
> Add that Google is now trying to force people to "prove" their age by
> uploading government ID, add that Google already makes it exceedingly
> difficult to sign up for an account without providing personal
> information, and add that it's incredibly difficult to sign up without
> using a cell phone number, and we can see why this excludes countless
> people who don't have fancy, newer machines, people who care about
> privacy, and/or people who simply don't like or want to use or can't use
> cell numbers.
>
> So I think you're assuming that the concern is "negative consequences"
> that're "envision(ed) happening", when it could be any of a number of
> other reasons.
>
> John_______________________________________________
> extropy-chat mailing list
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
>
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