Task Force on Social Networking Software

An article came out on Adweek today entitled “Google: What Goes on Behind the Curtain?”  The article provides an interesting perspective on Google the business as well as some insight into Google a developer of social networking tools.   

“But for people who use Gmail [Google's e-mail service], Google Docs [which allows users to share documents] or iGoogle [a start-page tool where users can aggregate all their Google services], we sign into those services and we subscribe to them. We give personal information and use those services in a way that sends personal information over the Internet. In that case, it is clear Google has personal information on us.” 

On one hand, the tools are just so darn useful.  On the other hand, I really don’t like anyone tracking me.  And, if Google is developing something much grander than Second Life, as the article alludes to, what does this mean about the personal information I share with Google.