Chrome Excites Me but also Scares Me a bit

i’m not sure how i feel when something (or someone) is taking over my life.

you can call it a reliance problem or an independence problem but once i start getting too dependent on something (or someone) i sort of freak. (see: all past relationships). my only consolation is that i may not be the only one (see: U.S. antitrust laws).

let me start off by reiterating my love for you, Google. Through the years, you’ve introduced great products into my life. You took your time and didn’t pressure me too much.

I started using Blogger about four months before i got an invite to gmail (thanks, jdl!). we got to know each other quite intimately through the endless number of hours we played together. i didn’t make you chase me. i didn’t play hard to get. there were no games. everything was straightforward and honest about our relationship.

the truth was – and still is – how could someone like me – someone who hates to throw away anything – not love her 7,039 MB & counting of e-mail space? how could someone like me – someone who’s organized chaos – not love the search bar that easily locates my first e-mail from you, dated 6/29/2004, telling me that “Gmail is different. Here’s what [i] have to know.”

You understood my flaws and you found a way to get over them. you even introduced me to labels. you weren’t too pushy or too demanding. you simply suggested that they may be a good organization tool for me to use.

plus, i also want to remind you that you’re my everything [for searches]. whether it’s blog searching, image searching, or book searching.

i always look to you for direction…even direction about the big picture. and, i’ve trusted you with the photo albums of my life. i’ve even shared some of my most embarrassing pictures with you. the ones that i hide, er, keep unlisted from the public. you know the ones i’m talking about where it’s just me, funny faces, and my bathroom mirror.

it’s true that i’ve been a little more reticent with Google Calendar, Google Reader, and Google Checkout. the only reason that i didn’t fully engage and let myself loose was more about me than you. i’d probably use each of these tools more frequently if i was organized about my day, my reading habits, and my spending.

i’ve given you so much of my life. because we’ve been through so much together, because you’ve been so good to me, i’ve ignored claims that you’re trying to rule the world. i’ve looked away when you asked for my health records.

so, Google, i feel that it’s only fair for me to admit that i’m a little uneasy about downloading Chrome. (though, as soon as the link goes live, we both know i will.) until then, i think we should both take some time to reflect about whether you’ve earned enough trust for me to replace my browser too.

i’m willing to let myself be vulnerable. i want to fall in love (especially because Firefox 3 is not as nifty as i thought it would be).

i guess only time will tell what we’ll make of our relationship.

yours.

Tags: Firefox, gmail, Google, Google Calendar, Google Chrome, Google Reader, Mozilla Firefox, organization, privacy, Search Engines, Searching

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