I think the point is that they're payment enough, no need to feel hypocritical for disliking the captcha.

I do that not because I want to not be tracked, but because I am bad at computers and don't want to accidentally install a virus because blatting and starting again would be an bunch of effort and it's not like my stuff is backed up or anything.

Sometimes though I wonder if I shouldn't turn adblock off, for example, and then I'm at work and some website auto-plays video and I remember.

Imagine, if you will, a scene like this. It is dusk. You are out running in the park, trying to get exercise before the last light fades. Suddenly you realize: A group of people have been closing on you, boxing you in from all sides.

You try to run. Your muscles burn, you heave for breath. They match your pace exactly, coming closer... and closer... and closer. You cast your gaze desperately from side to side. Isn't anyone around? You're scared. You're not a strong man, and these people all look like body-builders and criminals. No, now that they've come closer, you're not sure they look like men at all. Is that a tattoo, or is it... is it a tusk?

Then you stumble over a rock, fall, and scrape your hands. While you're rolling around and trying to get back to your feet, the men stop in a tight circle around you. They look down at you.

"What," you begin. Your voice is quavering.

"Take backups," the men say, as one. "Take backups, for you never know what may happen."

Then they disperse into mist.

Having backups is important. Not needing to use them, however, is still a very good thing.

GREAT NOW I AM HAVING NIGHTMARES

A job done, and well done.

And people that don't, often have to buy/run antivirus, anti-malware and rootkit scanners/cleaners.

Say, do you run also without a firewall and keep mail and other ports open, just to prove you are less paranoid than the rest?

In many respects, yes.

Travel to/from the United States without some social media footprint is on the verge of becoming suspicious in and of itself.

Benjamin "Mako" Hill has long since observed "Google has most of my email because it has all of yours". https://mako.cc/copyrighteous/google-has-most-of-my-email-be...

Facebook creates shadow profiles of non-member identities.

It goes on.

Did I claim to be using their services? Stick to what you know if you don't like reading what I actually write.

I was questioning someone feeling "hypocritical" for using other google services but disliking their new recaptcha tool.

As for "the contract": I'd wager that for most people, most contracts they see/sign are easier to get a clear understanding of, than Google's business model of "free" services.

> As for "the contract": I'd wager that for most people, most contracts they see/sign are easier to get a clear understanding of, than Google's business model of "free" services

Oh bull shit. The contracts you sign (or click I agree to) are thousands of legal definitions and words that most people don't even read, much less understand.

Google's contract is very simple: We show you ads (the more we understand your interests, the more targeted our ads) and you get to use our stuff without monetary cost.

Have you tried asking your non-IT acquaintances whether they knew and understood the tracking part? Because my experience is that most people don't, even if you think it should be obvious.

> We show you ads (the more we understand your interests, the more targeted our ads) and you get to use our stuff without monetary cost.

And where do they spell that out?