Google Drive: Stash Your Stuff in the Cloud? - Comments Page 1

Let's see, portable Terabyte drives are $ 99.- each. I have a safe deposit box at a local bank. Now I want to upload my "precious" data to Google for them to mine or put who knows where...
I think not!

I've loved dropbox since I started using it, but there is one limitation - only one user has access to it, and I have 2 (sometimes 3) users on my computer most days of the week. I understand this is not where I should direct questions, so I shall do so in the correct place.

Thank you so very much for this article. I have been wondering about the safety of cloud backups.

I recently started trying "CloudZow," but will probably switch to Google Drive because I think Google simply rocks!

Thanks again Bob. This article was just what I needed! I'm glad I subscribed to your newsletter.

Sincerely,
John Brewer

And who owns the data?

Bob: Presently using the Skydrive, just updated to the free 25GB, thanks. Will probably also sign up for the Google Drive also. You can never have enough space.
Michael S.

Great article Bob and a great service. I will be purchasing storage this weekend. Thanks from Hungary!

I have 3 external 2TB USB hard drives that I paid $60 each for. So why would I store data in the cloud that could be compromised, deleted or possibly even the service taken down by some government or other? With the low prices of external drives I just don't feel that cloud storage is worth the potential hassles.

All very well this Google drive, but will it slow my PC down? I purchased a 1 year subscription from Carbonite for my 130GB of data. It took me 18 days to upload the stuff (and I am on the highest broadband package from Virgin media UK) AND it slows my PC down. When I try downloading stuff from the Carbonite cloud, it takes forever. (my PC-I7 processor + 12GB RAM)I was thinking of going with SugarSync when my Carbonite contract expires as SugarSync does not have the appalling reviews Carbonite has and also that it does not slow my PC, even if Sugar Sync is 3 times the price of Carbonite. Still, I have time before the expiry of the Carbonite contract so I await the reviews of Google Drive.

I am just not yet comfortable with cloud use. No really rational reason. I expect that to change - at one time I wasn't comfortable with online banking and now I am slightly annoyed when I cannot make a bill automatic. You would think that anyone who has experienced a computer crash would be delighted to back up to something else and yet my new iPhone is backed up to my computer rather than iCloud. I think it has to do with a level of trust that I am not willing to give. Will be interested to read other comments.

What you don't mention is how Google's terms and conditions apply to stored items - is it like gmail where reasonable privacy remains, or is everything grist for the search (and cite or publish) mill? I suspect for business use that could be kind of important.

Google assumes ownership of everything you store with them.

news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57420551-93/who-owns-your-files-on-google-drive/

"Your Content in our Services: When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide licence to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes that we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.

The rights that you grant in this licence are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting and improving our Services, and to develop new ones. This licence continues even if you stop using our Services (for example, for a business listing that you have added to Google Maps)."

Simply put: there's no definitive boundary that keeps Google from using what it likes from what you upload to its service.

The fact is, according to its terms, Google may own any code or product you ultimately upload to its new Google Drive service, whether you realise it or not.

I'll definitely will be using it. But the same privacy issues that existed in DropBox seem to be verbatim in Google Drive. Not much of an issue in that I never leave anything important on these drives, except my resume. I have far more drive space at home, but I use these cloud drives as swing locations. As soon as I get home, I clean them up and load to local disks. I have SkyDrive as well, and as a long time user, I got the 25GB offer.

Does Cloud usage impact data limits imposed by ISP and/or Telco, and therefore does this add another cost risk to Cloud usage (including Google Drive)?

Most Cloud articles seem to ignore this.

Am I wrong or is this a factor I should consider in transferring data to/from the Cloud, particularly images ?

Once you put something on Google drive, they own it and can do whatever they want with it, even if you are no longer using Google drive. This seems to be going too far. Check out their user agreement.

I have numerous devices.
Desktop IE-8 w/windows vista
IPAD2 IOS-5, Apple Apps
Android Phone Google Apps
Netbook IE-9 w/windows 7
MIFI Broadband wifi for the car

I have been looking for something where I can get my photo's, other files, etc., into or onto 1 device, preferrably my desktop.
I use picasa, snapfish, and a couple others, and to get a certain photo, I have to go to that device to get access to it.

This Google Cloud storage will do all that for me into 1 place, and I will be able to access it on any of my devices.
Looking at MS's pricing, and storage amounts, as well as others out there, Google offers the best.

Now, I will try out the Google Chrome so I have all google.

Great articles.. Thank You.

I'm leery of Cloud data storage. I might be a Ludite - I don't know, I haven't checked lately.

I have heard nasty rumors regarding Google acquiring property rights (or something?) to all material uploaded to Google Drive. I'd like to know more about whether that's a real concern, or a misunderstanding.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I think it's just legal mumbo jumbo. Google's privacy policy says "Some of our Services allow you to submit content. You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours."

Read more here: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/25/does-google-drive-own-your-data-policy-actually-no-worse-than-rivals/

I expect that Google will clarify this, and don't expect them to be selling coffee mugs with my AskBob logo any time soon. :-)

"YES... spelling, punctuation, grammar and proper use of UPPER/lower case are important!" In view of that quote, maybe you could do the same in your articles. There's generally a few errors. Today's article has two sentences that doesn't make sense - "First, it for new users from 25GB to 7G, which Microsoft says is enough for all but one per cent of SkyDrive's current users. (Existing users keep their 25GB allowance.)" I generally enjoy your articles, but a bit of proof-reading would go a long way.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Hate to pick on you, but shouldn't that be "There ARE generally a few errors" and "two sentences that DON'T make sense"? :-) As for the mangled sentence, I added a "bold" tag and missed the closing bracket. Fixed now.

Sorry Bob, but I simply don't trust Google nor anyone else for storing any type of sensitive or private information, pictures, documents or anything that could be used to identify me without my consent.

Google has stated in the past that one of their goals was to make the entire web available to everyone, (or something to that matter.) and breaches of security do and have happened. I no longer use Google or their toolbars as I have switched over to DuckDuckGo and Ixquick to avoid any search filtering and tracking.

I'm amazed that anybody would use Google to store their data in light of what they've been known to do with info. As far as I'm concerned this is the cyber equivalent to handing your wallet/purse to a total stranger for safekeeping. I'd rather get a portable HDD and store it somewhere safely. At least I know my info won't be shared for profit.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ummm, "in light of what they've been known to do with info"? What exactly are you referring to?