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0 pointsslver5y ago0 comments

If we have to be fair, Google didn't build a browser, an email service, a free DNS service, and free hosting/optimization service (AMP) just because, y'know, whatever.

I tend to roll my eyes at the blind hatred of corporations, but we also have to have both feet firmly on the ground, that these products and services are strictly tied to long-term plans for ROI. What kind of a ROI would the biggest advertising network have? Tracking, profiling and serving profiled ads.

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x0x05y ago· 2 in thread

Look at gmail: I pay $60/year-ish for Fastmail. Gmail is at least that good. So is the purpose of gmail to have a cross device stable identifier? Absolutely. Are people realizing tons of value from it for free? Also yes.

alkonaut5y ago

I expect to get a gmail type service paying only the "price" of having some unobtrusive ads when I'm on the gmail site, nothing else.

I absolutely do not agree to google using anything from gmail to generate a stable user id for advertising, or e.g. show me ads in google search results or youtube videos, based on analysis of email content.

If Google can't provide what I expect (a free mail service paid only by ads on gmail dot com) they should tell me that they want $X per year and I'd happily pay it. It's not that I don't want to fund the operations of services, it's that I'm always assumed to rather pay with my information than with dollars.

x0x05y ago

Then don't use gmail. It turns out they have competitors, including one listed in my comment.

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