For some strange reason I can't quite explain or justify, I've become addicted to Google Everything. It doesn't matter what it is or what it does; if it comes from Google, I'm all over it. This started with Blogger Beta merging with Google, and my subsequent (re)discovery of the Google Homepage. Basically, if you have gmail, you already have it. You can put your gmail, email, y-mail, hotmail, coldmail, AIM, and probably have your mail carrier deliver your snail mail there. You can read all your blogs on it (which I somehow already had set up, with all my favorites already subscribed), keep your calendar on it, write notes on it, draft a to-do list, write and store all your documents in any format, schedule a haircut, groom your dog, clean your house, and do your laundry. on it. I'm even blogging from it right now.^*

The stupid and scary thing is, Google now has (owns?) all my data. All of it. I stopped short of putting any financial information there, but I don't doubt that you can.

As you well know, I'm no stranger to doing/keeping stuff online. There are significant advantages to this. For one, it will never be lost. Also, it's all in one place, accessible practically anywhere, and easily shared with whoever needs it. This is going to come in very handy once I start scripting a secret new TV project with some friends.

On the other hand, how stupid is it to entrust all this to one super-conglomerate like Google? I know their motto is "Don't be evil," but can we believe them? They're slowly growing to a status similar to Microsoft or Apple. Do I really want them to have access to (read: own) any or all of my data? For that matter, do we really want them to have so much control over a significant percentage of the world's data?

On a related side-note, check out South of North beta, wherein I try to use the Google calendar in my home page. There are obvious disadvantages - feedback is welcomed.

^* update: well THAT experiment didn't work. Good thing I know how to copy 'n paste.