Last week I heard the news that Google was going to allow people the opportunity to customize their main page. What they were going to do was to have certain images already set, but if you wanted to you could use your own image for the page.
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I have to admit that I was excited. Though I have my Google page already altered thusly, there to the left (right click to see it bigger), via Stylish and Firefox, and I have that stupid sidebar shut down through a script on Greasemonkey, the idea of adding my own image was kind of appealing. And all we had to do was wait until, one day, the link to the bottom left of the Google screen popped up.
Mine popped up Sunday evening, and I thought that was pretty cool. I went to look to see what I had to do, and saw some choices already there. I saw that you also had to log in to your Google account, and for the first time I was sort of hesitant, and I wasn’t sure why. Then I realized why. The thing is if you want to use your own image, you must set up a Picasa account, which is their photo sharing site. Then you can upload your image and attach it to your page, and go on with your business. If you didn’t want to do that, you could upload one of their pictures, but you still have to have a Google account to use it, so that when you sign in it knows it’s you. Otherwise, you can stick with your white background, or do something like what I’ve done.
Here’s the thing about a Picasa account. If you have one, it pretty much means other people can go through your images. That’s what the user agreement says. I don’t have an account, so if there’s a way to make it private I don’t know about it. Still, the idea of someone being able to go through my personal pictures and use them for whatever reason they wish to bothers me somewhat. Yeah, I have some pictures on Facebook, but I knew that I’d be sharing those pictures with people I allow into my Facebook life, since that’s the kind of privacy I put on my account there. Anything beyond that, I’m not sure I want to deal with.
For me, I can do without it. Truthfully, if I wanted to tinker with it, I think, because I use Firefox, I could figure out a way to alter one of the scripts to use my own picture if I wanted to badly enough. However, overall, unless you really know what you’re doing, it’s not a great thing to go messing around with these scripts. That’s why my background is black instead of my favorite color, which is red.
Anyway, if you’re not quite as skittish as I am about sharing some of your images with the world, and you want to customize your Google page, go for it. It’s not a bad deal overall, and gets rid of the boring white. Lucky for me, I’ve already taken care of that on my favorite browser.
It really depends on what images your planning to use I suppose. The average person will probably use something that is much akin to freely available wallpapers and theres not really a risk.
Regarding Facebook and images, all someone needs is your profile page to be able to get to your photos. They go to the (blocked) section and drop a piece of javascript in the browser and over-ride the privacy setting. Its being used pretty extensively and I would really caution you against keeping anything too terribly revealing there.
.-= Kimberly Castleberry@Social Media for Beginners´s last blog ..WordPress Plugin Review: Tweet Old Posts =-.
You’re right there, Kimberly, as far as Facebook goes. I only have a few images there, and have it limited to people I know. I figure someone I know could scarf up one of those images and use it for something else, and I wouldn’t necessarily mind that. But I don’t quite like the idea of putting my images up on Picasa and allowing everyone else access to them to use for their own purposes, without my knowing about it, since I’d be putting up personal images. That’s the thing people need to remember, that if they use personal images that they’re open for everyone, at least based on how Picasa explained it.
I agree about the pics…I wouldn’t want them available to just anyone.
.-= Carolee´s last blog ..Are doing reviews killing your blog? =-.
Thanks Carolee. That part is really my only issue with it all.
I have a problem with their terns too. Sounds like a rights grab to me.
As for changing my background I’m happy with the plain white. 😉
.-= Rose´s last blog ..Automatic Dog Washing Machine =-.
It’s been an interesting day to see some of the images they had, and I actually found one that I thought was kind of cool. As long as it was one of their images, I’m okay with it.
Hey Mitch (and others screaming nay), what kinda pics ya got online? 😉
.-= Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..The Future of DEDC – Part 4 – FINALIZED!…..? =-.
Dennis, I have shared some family pictures on my FB page, and other than professional pictures that’s it from me.
Hmm, no retweet button?
.-= Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Less is More – Here’s My Current To-Do List =-.
Nope. The widget I was using that had it and other things went wonky, and I’ve yet to replace it with anything.
I’m with you on privacy of photos. I do blog with some personal photos but I have a personal rule about what I will and won’t share publically. Part of my rule is that unless someone expressly gives me permission to have their face other than mine in a photo, in public, I won’t use it. So things like Picasa are out as far as I’m concerned.
As for customising the Google home page, I share my computer connection with my husband and we don’t bother with separate log-ons so if I don’t really change things unless I know he’s going to like it, and vice versa (we’ve a good marriage!)
.-= Val´s last blog ..Motherpearl =-.
Same with me. I’m using one of Google’s template pictures, which I thought was pretty cool, but I’m thinking about dropping it and just going back to my own scripts.