Friday, February 13, 2009

Yes, You Can Dodge Google

Most companies judge their success based on how high they can rank on a Google search. But not everyone wants to be found by search engines. (Think members-only sites like Gilt Groupe. Or individuals who actually value their privacy.)

Confidentiality crusaders, rejoice. A small crop of companies makes a business out of helping you hide. File-sharing service Drop.io, for one, stores personal information on web pages that don't turn up on search engines. Users create web pages called "drops" that they can selectively distribute. Drop.io's technology is based on a theory called "casual privacy," which is a bit like leaving your house key under the doormat. The key is safe because only you and friends know to look for it there. Drop.io ensures that the content of its drops isn't tagged, so Google's crawlers can't find it.

The tool is catching on with businesses. MTV Networks International's PR department uses Drop.io to share news releases. The documents are somewhere out thee on the web, but they're un-Google-able.

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