G+ for Android! I’m very angry with you!

Written by

Big-Brother — Original version from http://the-wounding-pen.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-i-write-by-george-orwell.html, thx!

Hey, guys. I don’t know how do you think about with the G+’ app on the Android platform. Because I was a bored fool. I installed the G+ app into my mobile phone and got hurt from it…

Sorry for my bad English. I’m not good at English writing. I hope you will understand me.

Here’s my story, bla bla bla …

As you know, in China, lots of websites were blocked by the GFW. This websites are including twitter, facebook or someother famous SNS websites. But G+ could be visited sometimes. Lucky!

I’m a programmer that interested in golang. Yeah, of course, Google’s golang. Most of Go-Authors are using G+. I added them to my circle. It’s cool, isn’t it? I can get a lot of information about golang form Go-Authors and the others who is also interested in golang.

So I installed the G+ in my Android mobile phone (Yeah, Google’s Android again. But I was never say that I’m a Google fan or in Chinese “谷粉”, isn’t it?).

The nightmare stated from here…

When I installed the G+, it ask me “1. Wifi 2. Wifi+3G 3. Never(or something else…I can remember)”. I selected Wifi+3G without thinking twice. My mobile pay package has 300 MB every month for free. It never run out, not mention run over. I DO NOT understand this three options what is at that time. And there is no more explanation or warning for me.

The 1st day passed, nothing happened. The next day, 3rd day, as usual.

This morning, I found that my mobile was out of power. Strange! I rushed to the phone fully charged. And I found that I was already out of 300MB 3G flow. And there are 51.3 MB more I must pay for it. Fortunately, It only worth $1, not too expensive, isn’t it?

The WORST thing is that: G+ app searched all my mobile and ext-sdcard, got all my personal photos stored in mobile, and uploaded them onto the Internet without my permission. Then I noticed that the uploading option is selected by default, no warning, no alert, no confirm. Then the G+ app tell me that I could share this online photos to my friends, friendly. Ja! friendly this time!

Oh shit!

I DO NOT want to share this photos. I DO NOT want to upload this photos onto Internet. If I would, I would do it by myself, manually!

I tell you guys my story, just want to remind you, be careful to your privacy, be careful to use Google’s products. They’ve already changed the privacy licence.

Here are some proposals to Google:

I’ve already uninstalled the G+ app from my mobile. I know you guys never mind losing a customer, especially this customer are living in China.

But I would to say:

I hope you guys will respect the user. DO NOT let the personal information upload automatically.

Eg. As in G+ app, will you plz let the upload option unselected by default. And let the user choose which photos will be uploaded. If I want to share I would do it by myself, manually.

Living in China, being monitored by BIG BROTHER everyday. It’s enough for me!

I don’t want to be watching by you, GOOGLE!

—————- LAST BUT ONE EDIT —————-
Somebody said this post is no relevance to G+ and the tech world. I must say:

Most people will hurt themselves with careless(like me, a big fool).
Why our productions do not protect user far away from those bad things?
Why we only think about HOW MANY USERS, HOW MANY FEATURES, HOW MANY MONEY…
But don’t care about some features would take hurt to our users.

The 300MB is not important. Most of the photos are about cats and dogs.

BUT How do we treat user? IS THE REALLY THING.
We should think over it, again and again!

—————- LAST EDIT —————-
I SAID AGAIN: THIS IS MY FAULT!
There is no need you guys remind me again and again.

In a words:”蠢人很多，对别人好点，自己也聪明不到哪儿去！”

Comments

12 responses to “G+ for Android! I’m very angry with you!”

08/03/2012

IT Pixie

Well, Google IS the US version of Big Brother, didn’t you know that? After all, the Land of the Free is really not as free as you might imagine it be, comrade…

I guess the important lesson learnt here is: always check ALL your app’s settings as soon as you download it, and fix or stop anything that you don’t want the app to be doing (like uploading ALL the photos on your phone to somewhere)… But I’m sure you don’t need a lecture from me on that… 😉

Yours truly,
a fellow “谷粉” <– I learned something new today… Thanks!
08/03/2012

aviraldg

*Read* before you click. Instant Upload is a great feature, but only for people who want it. Personally, I love the convenience of having my photos show up on my computer as soon as I snap them. Google+ offered you a dialog asking whether you wanted to sync your photos. You ignored it. The settings had an option for disabling Instant Upload – but you ignored it, once again. Stop blaming Google+ for your own ignorance.
08/03/2012

senectus

This is not google’s fault…

You need to disable “Instant Uploads”

Its simple enough and its what I did the moment I installed it.
08/03/2012

mikespook

@aviraldg: As u said “only for people who want it”. So why don’t let this “Instant Upload” unselect by default? If I need it, could reopen it manually.
Yes! I ignored it. As @senectus said it’s my fault!
So I never told Google “Pay my 300MB back”,right?
I just tell a story and remind the others – “Be careful!”.
08/03/2012

Zach

Instant Upload 既然你自己选择开启的话G+客户端再上传我觉得就怪不了Google了，还有就是Instant Upload上传到你G+相册里，默认只有自己看得到，如果你说Google看得到的话那我也没什么话好说了……
08/03/2012

David Metcalfe

Why the hell is this on Hacker New’s RSS feed? This is horse shit and of no relevance to Google+ or the tech world.
08/03/2012

mikespook

@David Metcalfe
The relevance to G+ and the tech world is “How do we treat users?“.
“Instant Upload” is really amazing feature sometimes. But it should not be take-on by default.
Most people will hurt themselves with careless(like me, a big fool).
Why our productions do not protect our user far away from those bad things?
Why we just think about “Oh, there will be more and more people use this.”
But do not care those feature would take hurt to them.

@Zach 英文说了很多，我觉得已经够充分了。如果只是为了点流量，和一些猫猫狗狗的照片。我犯不着专门写篇东西来说这个事情。
08/03/2012

dom

我跟你相反，我對這個功能是最愛，由第一天已在使用，亦覺得是G+ Android Client 最好的一個功能之一。不過，Default 它是 enable 的，這個也是 Google 應該修改的。
09/03/2012

TC

Instant Upload is NOT “ON” by default. When Google+ loads for the first time, you are presented with an Instant Upload SETUP screen titled “Turn On Instant Upload”

You then choose
Over wifi or mobile network
over wifi only
Turn off Instant Upload.

You then have to click continue

Do not blame google for user error. They made it quite clear.
09/03/2012

mikespook

Ja, as I mentioned in the post, I really don’t understand what “Instant Upload” is. In my fool head, it’s a feature that when I post something to G+, it would upload immediately, but wait for WiFi connections. It’s my fault. I must say this, again!

But I don’t think “Instant Upload” means “Searching all my mobile’s storage, and upload all the photos which were taken before I installed G+.” Is it clear really?

Anyway, that’s my fault. My carelessness hurt myself, right? I just want you guys production take care about some users always carelessness, like me, a big boring fool! OK?
10/03/2012

joe yougy

还好我一直保持着2G/3G网络关闭状态,需要的时候才打开.
而且G+还是上传了我的几张照片,后面我翻开设置项找到自动上传的功能给勾除了…..
13/03/2012

csslayer

I totally understand what you feeling. And that’s the reason why I clean out google+ from android phone.

Google Plus default setting is really sucks, I after I try G+ for the first time, I carefully examine the all privacy settings, all your default circle is open to everyone, WTF? And thus I put my girl friend in a special circle and make this circle private, just don’t want her to be disturbed by unrelated curious people.

But I still have to say G+ default settings is still sucks, not to mention the instant upload already upload something before I found it. And finally I found here is a function named instant upload. You guys might just find it not important, but obviously it’s critical for more people who care about privacy.