Search Engine Optimisation Web Log (BLOG)

Desktop Search Privacy.

The Google Search Desktop has been receiving a mixed reception. The concept is simple, one place for search, whether it be local or Internet. The Beta version available has some significant limitations, it only indexes the C drive, so if you have your data on a D or network drive it won't be indexed. Google Desktop search does support most of Microsoft Office, Outlook, Outlook Express, Internet Explorer History, AOL Messenger, but not Adobe Acrobat which is a shame.

On installation the program it will index the C drive making a local database which it then uses to identify relevant local content for its search. Depending on the size of the C drive and the amount of data, this process can vary from 1/2 hour to many hours. The database is kept up to date continuously. A search using the Google Desktop Search Tool will search the C drive for emails, files and I.E. history. Which can be sorted by relevance or by date.

One feature it does have is it will detect the use of Google Internet search, if you search for something that also has relevant content on the local drive (I.E. History,files etc), it will present the information at the top of the Internet search. This could be dangerous in the wrong hands of course, and could encourage a new form of popup spam.

One worrying aspect is security, I run a local firewall and I have seen Google Desktop Search trying to access the Internet on various occasions when it has not been instructed to. Although in fairness Google are stating that no content will be available to Google or anyone else without your permission. They also state that Google will collect non-personal summary information, such as the number of searches you make, the time it takes for the results to appear along with information regarding the successful installation of the utility.

A second worrying aspect is that Google Desktop will create a cached copy of everything you look at. This sounds good, right up to the point when I heard that a developer, much more intelligent than I, had found the cache store and moved it from his desktop to his laptop and now his laptop has the same emails, history and files cached that his desktop did. This has significant ramifications, potentially this store file, if accessed, could be used to export confidential or private information.

Microsoft are also launching a Desktop Search Product, being on the MSN Search Champs project and having signed the NDA, I am prohibited from saying any more, it also restricts me from commenting on it's features but what I would say is that the product I saw recently in Seattle appears to be better. Google having entered the market first, I would hope that Microsoft are learning from this and are more guarded about how information is stored.

M.P.