A few years later I find myself firmly embedded into the Google work system. Calendar, Mail, Analytics, Reader... all of it.
Let me back up a bit. Two years ago I got an invite to beta test Gmail. It was one of those invitations people were BUYING and had the buzz power of a Wii. I was elite. I was the shit. Updated contacts, sent out notices, burned bridges to other providers. Easy. I was in.
There was nothing insidious or cloying about how Google worked itself in further. Gmail & co. works. It does all of the necessary tasks and lets you integrate mostly seamlessly. Privacy and fear experts (Not the same thing, btw. I don't want to argue about it.) will tell you that I am setting myself up to be electronically violated or left in the dirt when Google changes its profit machine or gets bought. I don't care and I don't care. Any system which allows me to FEED NEWS THROUGH MY EMAIL AND TRACK MY SEARCHES(AWESOME!) is my new best friend. So someone finds out I was searching for Brazillian Wax videos or information on pot farms in Manhattan. It proves nothing exept that I am curious. Curious AND satisfied.
More things I can do:
- From Google Analytics I learned that someone from Bulgaria has repeatedly visited my blog. Whoever you are, I love you. Same to the person from New Dehli and Wisconson. We are an inclusive, internationally-minded blog. Welcome. Also, No Agenda is driving 13.33% of my traffic. That is 2 people. Thanks. Every bit counts toward inflating my ego.
-Google sucks potential calendar items out of my e-mail and puts them to the right of the e-mail itself. I can click to add them to the calendar. Jesus.
-If I look something up in Google Maps I can text it to my phone, then hit the road. Seriously. When did we not need that? I've saved a freaking tree by not printing directions over the last six months.
That is enough fawning over Google, the provider of this blog. There is much more, but I think we have had our fill for now. Please feel free to comment.
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