Johnstonian Era

Google Public DNS released – a word of caution

Dec 04

Ryantech dns, internet 3 Comments

Yesterday Google launched their Public DNS and many rejoiced in the future of a faster browsing experience. Not me. I have to admit, this worries me a great deal. Call me a cynic, but all I see here is the potential for Google to control the end user’s browsing experience. Those who use this service have no way to control what sites are blocked and which are allowed. Google takes care of it for you. And that is a scary thought. Let’s not forget that Google is the largest advertising and redirection site on the Internet. Why wouldn’t they use this to their advantage and control your Internet experience?

Don’t get me wrong, I think making the browsing experience faster and more safe is a fantastic idea. I love Google. I use Gmail, Google Docs, Google Reader, Google Code, Google Calendar, Google Wave, etc. But Google is not the company I want to control my DNS.

I prefer the OpenDNS approach to DNS rather than Google’s “Public” DNS option.

Why, you ask?

Because OpenDNS allows you to create your own controls to manage your browsing experience the way YOU want, based on your environment; not the way Google has decided for you.

OpenDNS also allows the community to help dictate what sites are malicious and which are not. They also give the community the opportunity to correct a domain tag if it is incorrect, or add a new domain to the list via Domain Tagging. You can also create your own custom set of filters to block sites for your particular environment. For example, if your environment is at home, then you may want to restrict certain sites from your kids. If you are in an IT department environment, you may want to block malware sites. OpenDNS does all this and more, largely driven by what the community wants. Google Public DNS won’t do any of this for you. You get what Google prescribes, no customization available.

In conclusion, there is no way I would consider using Google Public DNS until it becomes more open and allows me to create my own custom set of filters. But even then, I’m not sure they could provide a better free service with all the features that OpenDNS provides. I will stick with OpenDNS. I want to control my own Internet experience, not the other way around.