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After signing up for Google Latitude to try it out, I was impressed by how slick it was.  It loaded up all my contacts from my GMail account and then asked me who I wanted my location releasing to.   The software worked flawlessly (once I’d managed to sign in) and I could also see my location on an iGoogle gadget.  Very impressive.

As mentioned I already use Gmail for my email – between multiple PCs, much faster and more intuitive than using an IMAP-enabled browser.  I use Google Calendar for tracking birthdays, important meetings and for publishing my professional calendar.  I use Google Sites for sharing my resources, and with my teaching groups to put useful pieces of information online. I use Blogger to write this blog.  I use Google Docs to keep some of my work online where I can get to it.  All of this accessible from a single user ID and password.
I’ve also read about educators using Google tools (e.g. Google Docs) with their pupils (see here the excellent work Tom Barrett does).  I don’t know many people who haven’t got a Google account for at least one of their products.

I had a conversation with our Information Manager at work, about the forthcoming data retention legislation.  I object strongly to local councils, government departments and other state bodies having access to my email and communications data without proper safeguards and controls.  Anyone who read my email would be bored to tears, I am a fairly average (read dull) law abiding citizen – but it is the principle of the legislation I object to.  Then our data manager pointed out the irony of my position when I willingly hand all my personal data over to Google.

For 2 years I’ve enjoyed the convenience of GMail with its excellent spam filtering.  I’ve enjoyed the wealth of products that Google has to offer, but I haven’t really stopped to consider why it offers those services, and what is in it for them?

I have found many and varied opinions on the web, some specific to Google and others to the wider implications of data privacy.  I’m a little less comfortable with Google than I was, to the point that I’m wondering if to move my email elsewhere.

Do you use Google’s tools?   How do you feel about your privacy?  Are you bothered?  I would appreciate your feedback/comments below.