Time tracking blog

In case you’ve been sleeping for the past few days, you’re probably already aware of Google’s new release: Chrome.  Chrome is an open source browser Google’s built to take on the likes of IE and Firefox.  Since it’s another free product coming out of Mountain View, naturally, it ranks high on the coolness factor, and the blogosphere has been abuzz with tips and tricks to already customize the newest offering in your daily surf.

Amongst the buzz, Google’s even produced a comic book detailing Chrome’s features and how it differs from other browsers.  To be fair, I made it about halfway through the comic and figured I knew all I needed to know.  A former college roommate with a dual degree in Computer Science and Bassoon performance (I’m not making this up) came back to me with a few highlights from the end pages, but again…Google’s fun and easy users manual gave me just about all I needed to know.

One standout is the way Chrome handles data.  They’ve of course incorporated a number of today’s standard operating system functionality and protect browser sessions and data from each other.  In other words…one tab can’t crash the other or flummox data in other tabs, or windows via what Google refers to as individual ‘sandboxes’.

I mention Windows here as Chrome is only out in a Windows version (for now), and for the first time since converting to Mac, I actually had a 100% valid reason to crack out Parallels and run the VM.  Chrome runs on Windows only for the moment, mainly due to the complexities that arrived along with sandbox technology when Google acquired GreenBorder a few years back.

Basically, sandbox technology boils down to a checks and balances system for your browser.  Code that runs in it’s own sandbox is free to do whatever it wants, but the second it tries to step outside that sandbox and play with others, big brother steps in, gives the code a once over and decides whether it’s safe or not to join the OS party.  Obviously, Big Brother (The IT department) will be able to set limits and restrictions of any type, thereby leading to tighter security.  On the (slight) downside, since each sandbox is self contained, CPU resources and memory usage will increase, but in my honest opinion, a few more cycles and processes vs. lock tight security is a fair trade off.

Sounds like a dream come true, no?  Well before we head off to the bar and start swinging from the chandeliers, let’s take a look at the EULA.  Google, at the end of the day is a business, and the main goal of any business to turn a profit.  Pulling out the magnifying glass to view the fine print brings up a few points where the ‘enterprise’ community might raise an eyebrow or two:

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

Let’s get this straight:  You own the data that runs through Chrome (and any other Google “Service”), but Google obtains a perpetual, non-revocable license to it.

Google also reserves the right to ‘update’ the software you’ve downloaded.  And of course, the standard EULA copy of you’re not going to hold Google responsible for any malfunction that may occur in it’s code while using it’s product.  So let’s look at this from a pure and simple point of view.  You’re excited about and want to use Chrome as your default browser.  You maintain a number of documents hosted at Google docs.  You own the data, no problem…but Google also has a license on it.

And then there’s the immediate buck coming through the door: Advertising.  Naturally, Google makes the largest turnover from their advertising revenue streams, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Chrome’s gonna be optimized to serve up some juicy adsense-ness.

17.1 Some of the Services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions. These advertisements may be targeted to the content of information stored on the Services, queries made through the Services or other information.

17.2 The manner, mode and extent of advertising by Google on the Services are subject to change without specific notice to you.

17.3 In consideration for Google granting you access to and use of the Services, you agree that Google may place such advertising on the Services.

Ah yes, legalese; the great language spoken by millions of software vendors (and their teams of lawyers) to prevent you from doing just about anything.   Enterprise customers are certainly going to have to sit down at the negotiating table with the Mountain View folks on these ‘small’ caveats, but at the end of the day, once the deals are brokered, I’d hate to be standing in the way of any enterprise solution powered by the great and mighty Google.

For any and all questions concerning Sandbox technology, give the Chromium Developers a visit.

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