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   Randahl Fink (randahl@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 08-Nov-2025 23:51:12 JST Randahl Fink

   This thread is worth reading if you are a Google docs user.

   Short version: When you export a document from Google Docs, Google replaces all your hyperlinks with links that allows Google to monitor the interactions of everyone you share your document with.

   This hidden link replacement can potentially be used to build a model of your professional relations, where people who interact more with your content are considered a stronger relation.

   Think about the implications.
   https://fosstodon.org/@Joe_0237/111145684757912952

   • Rich Felker repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     bjb :devuannew: :emacs: (bjb@fosstodon.org)'s status on Saturday, 08-Nov-2025 23:51:43 JST bjb :devuannew: :emacs:

     in reply to

     @randahl

     Wow, so Google has to keep a database of all these links online indefinitely ... that's robust. For the sarcasm-impaired: that was sarcasm.

     And, they can decide which document's links to "break" when they feel like it.

     Stop. Using. Google. At. All. For. Anythhing.

   • Embed this notice
     Sepia Fan (stekopf@mstdn.social)'s status on Saturday, 08-Nov-2025 23:53:08 JST Sepia Fan

     in reply to

     • Joe

     @randahl

     According @Joe_0237 documents are only affected when exported to html or epub:

     txt - unaffected
     html + AFFECTED
     odt - unaffected
     pdf - unaffected
     epub + AFFECTED
     rtf - unaffected
     docx - unaffected

     https://fosstodon.org/@Joe_0237/111154765203815950

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     jackcole (jackcole@mstdn.social)'s status on Saturday, 08-Nov-2025 23:53:21 JST jackcole

     in reply to

     @randahl Graph theory and email spectroscopy, an HP research paper from decades ago later used by IBM in its NORA (non-obvious relationship awareness) application.