I feel like that guy in a toga and long white beard parading around with a \u201cRepent\u201d sign. I know I have as much chance of changing any minds as the repent guy does but I can\u2019t help myself. If you\u2019re using Google Drive, cut it out right now. If you don\u2019t you\u2019ll be sorry.<\/p>\n
Google is, proudly no doubt, announcing a plan to scan Google Drive documents for objectional material and restrict or delete any they find<\/a>. If, as you read the announcement, it seems reasonable to you, there are some questions you should be asking: First, what, exactly, constitutes \u201cabuse\u201d or violation of the \u201cterms of service\u201d? Is it possible that this would include having content that Google considers \u201cmisinformation\u201d? If so, that\u2019s a bit worrisome because, as one example, Google spent a whole year censoring as misinformation any content suggesting that COVID-19 had its genesis in a lab leak until, suddenly, that was an approved idea after all.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019re a recognized researcher with impeccable credentials in some scientific discipline. Do you really want a 25 year old liberal arts major judging the truth or value of your content? Because that\u2019s exactly what you\u2019re going to get if you try to share your research with Google documents.<\/p>\n Second, notice how proactive the plan is. It\u2019s not merely, \u201cIf someone complains about some document, we will investigate and\u2026\u201d, it\u2019s \u201cwe\u2019re going to go looking for things to censor.\u201d Is this an organization you want to entrust important work to? If this doesn\u2019t bother and worry you then you\u2019re beyond my or anyone else\u2019s help.<\/p>\n You can expect to hear (even more) stories about serious, levelheaded people having their documents locked or deleted for some imagined affront against the commonweal. The chances are that if you wait 6 months, the censored content will be conventional wisdom.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t do this to yourself. Find another way of sharing your documents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I feel like that guy in a toga and long white beard parading around with a \u201cRepent\u201d sign. I know I have as much chance of changing any minds as the repent guy does but I can\u2019t help myself. If … Continue reading