If I understand this correctly, Google has the right to use and
publish all my work on Google Docs?  So basically all the brainstorm,
requirements, design ideas, research notes, API's, etc that I've
written thus far can become available for everyone to see at anytime
in the future?

No matter how many times I've read Section 11, I can't come to a win-
win conclusion for users (me) of Google Docs.

If I wished to have my highly personal and confidential information
published I would simply have created a public HTML page on my web
site or posted it in a blog.

What is Google thinking?  How can they expect companies to sign on to
this kind of non-sense.  Or do corporate accounts have an alternate
license?

Unless someone can indicate which parts of Section 11 I did not
understand, I will have no choice but to stop using their Docs
services... and most importantly stop telling others how great it is
and recommending it.

My questions to Google:

1. Obviously there are a lot of questions/concerns out there!  Why
stay vague?  Why not clarify your position?
2. Can any private work (those not explicitly published to the public)
be used by Google as to make such work non-private?

A concerned user,

Thanks for so clearly expressing your concern.

The following additional term replacing Section 11.1 of the Docs TOS
should help address that concern:  http://www.google.com/google-d-s/terms.html.

To be clear, you retain the rights to your content.  Your content
remains private, absolutely, until you choose to publish it or share
with others.

This is stated in our help center, here:
http://documents.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=37615&ctx=si...

"What measures is Google taking to protect the privacy & security of
my content?

Rest assured that your documents, spreadsheets and presentations will
remain private unless you publish them to the Web or invite
collaborators and/or viewers. Once you're logged in, you can grant
access to whomever you'd like. Until then, your documents,
spreadsheets and presentations are private."

Your control over your content is also explicitly addressed in our
privacy policy, here: http://www.google.com/google-d-s/privacy.html

"Files you create with Google Docs may, if you choose, be read,
copied, used and redistributed by people you know or, again if you
choose, by people you do not know."

I hope this clarifies our policy for you, and thanks again for
posting.

Cheers,
Syd

On Oct 25, 7:48 am, Jeach! wrote: