Online, Google is like air. You must have it to breathe. Or at least it’s like water, which is essential to life.
So, whatever thoughts you have about Gov’t surveillance, Edward Snowden and the NSA…forget it. Google is the omniscient, Big Brother, all-seeing eye of Sauron (Lord of the Rings).
Oh, Google may not have the top-secret clearance to military secrets, but you can bet, when someone inside the Pentagon needs to do a search, they use Google, or at least a version of the Google Search Engine.
Google is supposed to live by the motto “do no evil”, but when any global conglomerate gets as big as Google, you begin to wonder…
What does that mean for you, Mr/Ms Voice Actor?
Google Yourself
First of all, Google is Your Resume, so be sure to Google Yourself.
Both those links will take you to blogs I wrote in 2009, and 2010 about Google… and the premise of both articles are even more true today. Just like you doing a search for a needed service, when a person needs a voice-actor, they turn to Google, so you should know what Google says about you.
And beyond that, you should exercise what control you can of your Google information. How do you do that?
Well, deep in the underbelly of Google’s settings is a GOLD MINE of information about Google-and-you… and all the controls you would need to feel like you have at least some kind of say in their treatment of your information.
Take Control
First, log into your Google account…most of us do that when we enter credentials on Gmail, but logging into YouTube, Google Plus, Google Drive, or any of their other products will work, too.
Once you’ve done that, enter this URL into your browser’s address box: https://www.google.com/settings/dashboard. There are other ways to get here, but this is probably the fastest.
The resulting page lists virtually every connection you have to Google:
- Alerts
- Calendar
- Docs
- GMail
- Contacts
- Android
- Maps
- Play Store
- Web history
- YouTube
Google’s Grail
…..and the list goes on and on. With each category there are stats and links that let you manage each account. Folks, this is the Holy Grail of your Google account control, and everyone should visit. You won’t believe the stuff you probably signed-up for at some point, then forgot about. More than likely, you’ll see something erroneous that you’ll want to change.
Still more information about your relationship with Google is on the left-hand column of this page:
- Account Activity
- Dowload your data
- Me on the Web
- Security
- Profile and Privacy
- Google+
- Products
That last one: “Products”, links you to a fascinating page that shows you all the many services that Google offers… even ones you probably never heard of, like:
- SketchUp 3D moedling)
- Panoramio (explore and share photos of the world)
- Scholar
- Fusion Tables
Bottom line: you just have to take advantage of the control and the services Google offers. Most are of these products are free, and you can bet Edward Snowden is sitting in a Moscow flat somewhere right now Googling his way out of the mess he’s in.
CourVO
