Google Is Uncovering Hundreds Of Race Conditions Within The Linux Kernel

[bug77]

You're comparing apples and bananas here. The neighborhood storekeeper uses his data to provide more personalized service. The data collected is only from the tiny slice of time you spend in his store, and the data is only used for providing better service within that one store.

Google on the other hand, takes the data from your personal email Inbox, your blog posts, your social media, and dozens of other sources, and then packages it up, and sells it to 3rd parties without your knowledge. The data collected is not a tiny slice of time, it's 24/7, your cell phone location data (Android), your purchasing habits across a multitude of vendors, your web browsing history, your TV / movie / video streaming history, your emails and instant messages, etc. When aggregated, it's a shockingly detailed picture of an individual's life. Google is Big Brother from the novel 1984. Comparing this level of surveillance and big data to the deli man because he remembers what you like on your sandwich is plain silly.

Just because Google's store is (way, way) bigger, doesn't make the stories any different.

[s_j_newbury]

Interesting. FWIW I do agree with you that it's nonsensical to ascribe virtue (or lack there of) to businesses or industries. But at least here in the US, it has become commonplace, having taken root in the past decade or so. As late as the 1990's it was only extremist fringe groups like Greenpeace, etc. that did this, but now it's quite common unfortunately.

Industries are groups of businesses; businesses are just groups of people, can groups of people not behave in ways subject to moral or ethical consideration? It's okay when your peers are doing it?

[bug77]

Industries are groups of businesses; businesses are just groups of people, can groups of people not behave in ways subject to moral or ethical consideration? It's okay when your peers are doing it?

People or groups of people can "behave in ways subject to moral or ethical consideration". It's still nonsensical to generalize that to an entire company.

[NotMine999]

I read through this article's comment section trying to figure out why the detour into a discussion of ethics rather than a technical discussion of the merits of the development.

I concluded the comments on this article are so much mindless drivel that entire lack any technical merit, like a Phoronix comment section on systemd.

Then I rechecked the webpage title to make sure I was still reading Phoronix and not Slashdot.

[aht0]

Interesting. FWIW I do agree with you that it's nonsensical to ascribe virtue (or lack there of) to businesses or industries. But at least here in the US, it has become commonplace, having taken root in the past decade or so. As late as the 1990's it was only extremist fringe groups like Greenpeace, etc. that did this, but now it's quite common unfortunately.

Because it has become kind of industry. It manufactures good feelings for the people who feel guilt and have money. If you take it cynically enough.

[aht0]

I read through this article's comment section trying to figure out why the detour into a discussion of ethics rather than a technical discussion of the merits of the development.

More interesting than reading incessant bitching about "evil" companies.

[bug77]

I read through this article's comment section trying to figure out why the detour into a discussion of ethics rather than a technical discussion of the merits of the development.

I concluded the comments on this article are so much mindless drivel that entire lack any technical merit, like a Phoronix comment section on systemd.

Then I rechecked the webpage title to make sure I was still reading Phoronix and not Slashdot.

There are keywords that trigger knee jerk reactions. Google is among the newer entries

[square-knot]

so is Google evil or not??

If that comment is not off-topic, it is too vague to be useful. Besides, I would much rather see Google achieve world dominance that someone like Microsoft or facebook. Google is not perfect, but they have given back way more than most, to both their user community as well as the developer community. If you are uncomfortable with their data practices, don't use their products.

[alcalde]

A kernel race sanitizer sounds like something we'd have if Adolph Hitler were managing the Linux kernel. :-(

[aht0]

Only question of time until some "caring and too sensitive" takes notice of offensive term and forces you to use something else...