Well Joe, don't worry too much about Big Brother. Then again looking at your email address, I was always wondering what a big cactus plant family is doing running an ISP. In the meantime, could I lend you a crate and a good book to help you house train 2 or more small dogs? Gene/San Francisco --- jshaw@opuntiads.com wrote: From: "Joe Shaw" <jshaw@opuntiads.com> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Subject: [pbs] Google Books, Bulbs, Web Privacy Date: Sun, 13 May 2007 13:02:20 -0500 Hi Gang, I was exploring Google Books (search) and looked up Garden Bulbs for the South, the 2007 book by Scott Ogden. I was impressed with the amount of information provided online. The photos are great and Google reproduces many of the pages from the book. I had to sign into Google to use the Book Search feature, and typically don't bother with search engines that track my movements by asking for an email address (yes, Google does that). Yet, the result was so delightful I may search for other books. You don't get to browse the whole book, and but you get 2-3 dozen pages to read, apparently reproduced directly from the book--wonderful images. LINK: Google Books link for Garden Bulbs of the South (maybe you'll need to sign in with a free Google account) http://books.google.com/books/?id=qjEBt3MPGZAC&dq I'm not sure what to do about the Web and my interests in privacy. I'm sure a clever profiler could put together a lot of information about me already: 1) likes plants, 2) travels to certain cities now and then, 3) has dogs, 4) agnostic, 5) reads "certain" foreign newspapers (English Langage versions), 6) has a love-hate relationship with taxonomy, 7) so cheap I still have my first penny, etc. The online newspapers and magazines along will sink me if Big Brother is making a profile. For sure I look like a confused Liberal with conservative leanings, as well as a penchant for Jewish, Arabic, European, and Asian news. Toss in the email to PBS and other garden forums and everyone will know I'm a plant smuggler, as well as a poltically-confused tightwad with misgivings about certain US policies, a man with 2 or more small dogs that are not house trianed. Who could imgine that pursuing a hobby could be of so much interest to others. The Google Book Search is free, free, free. But, as we all know, free things on the Web are typically not free. Google is watching, and Big Brother is watching Google. Cordially, Joe Conroe TX Swamp rose and pasture rose blooming this month (Rosa palustris, R. carolina), so sweetly fragrant. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ _____________________________________________________________ Netscape. Just the Net You Need.