ERIC SCHMIDT: We discuss this almost every day in one way or the other. Basically, "Don't be evil" is a reminder that what we do matters, that our decisions need to be transparent and crisp, that we need to understand the impact our decisions have. When there is a gray area we meet and debate until we come to a consensus. We don't know what the next crisis will be but we do have a process and a culture I'm sure will handle it.

How do you see the state funded search engines initiatives, such as those announced by Japan and UE? Do you think they try to make sure they have their on "bank of information" as a info source and propaganda tools in a "supersymbolic" economy? How would you see a section in your history online that would say also the time you logged on gtalk, the time you logged out, the time when you were idle, the time when you were surfing... a more detailed history? A google web activity logger?
Bucharest, Romania

ERIC SCHMIDT: We think more information is good and the initiatives you mention add to the world's knowledge. People are smart and are good at listening to multiple sources of information and deciding for themselves who is right and who is wrong. Google is careful to protect people's privacy and we think this is one of the reasons people prefer Google as their search choice over the others.

Again and again, only one question comes up in my mind "How did you justify China content control issue before you decided to go ahead? Didn't you think even once about 'don't be evil' mantra that you fostered so persistently that I started to believe in".

Sydney, NSW, Australia

ERIC SCHMIDT: We spent about a year debating this. Basically our mission is to serve all the people of the world, and we have to obey all local laws. We believe the information Google offers can help Chinese users even if filtered for certain information.

I worry that information I store on your servers could be open to being 'examined' by the government, is this fear based in reality?
Calgary, AB

ERIC SCHMIDT: Google servers are governed by US laws and we must obey them. Under recent legislation US courts can order us to turn over information in certain situations, mostly related to terrorism.

Google browser? When is it coming out? Everything else on my computer is 'googled'.
Clarksville, TN.

ERIC SCHMIDT: We are working on many new products and services and we are extending browser functionality. You won't see a Google Browser but you will see many products that make your browser much better.

Is there any subject you refuse to include on Google and, if so, how do you make this decision?
Los Angeles, California

MARISSA MAYER: Google aims to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. And we really do mean the world's information -- all of it. There are times where for legal reasons (specific laws in countries, copyright issues, etc.) that we remove web pages, but we try and be as open and inclusive as possible and do this infrequently and only when required.

Why does Google record personal data of Google users? And will this data be made public at any point of time?
Bangalore,India

MARISSA MAYER: Overall, Google doesn't collect very much personal information and when we do we clearly tell the users and get their permission to do so. Our privacy policy governs the future use of that information -- we will not share your information without your explicit consent (unless required to by law).

Have you ever thought of starting a Google Real Estate service? It seems to me that it would be a great compliment to both Froogle and Google Earth...plus real estate agents seem so outdated these days.
Chicago, IL

MARISSA MAYER: Our focus is search - and certainly finding the right house qualifies. However, we're computer scientists not real estate agents, so our focus would likely be more on tools to help the process than to replace it. That said, we don't have any plans to announce in this area.

Does Google ever think about NOT linking to pornography websites?
West Hartford, Connecticut

MARISSA MAYER:We offer a feature on our website called SafeSearch that enables users to elect not to see pornography in their search results. You can use this feature by visiting the Google 'Preferences' page, accessible via the Google home page (just to the right of the search box).

As a fan and shareholder I am constantly singing the praises of Google as the tool of convenience but people don't know how to get the toolbar and how to use it. Google offers so many things --my favorite being Google earth -- you need to advertise a little and have a how to button for those advanced applications that one may use if they had the know how. Can you do that for me google?
Branford, CT

MARISSA MAYER: A "how to" button is a good idea and you may see that or something like it appear on some of our more complicated products. In general, we want the tools that Google creates to be easy and intuitive enough to use that they don't require a long explanation or a lot of teaching up front.

What have you done about predators using your tools to their advantage? (for example where you can enter in a phone number and find exactly where their house is and links to mapquest directions there)
Atlanta, GA

MARISSA MAYER: Google makes publicly available information (like the phone numbers listed in the phone book) more accessible. Sometimes, that draws into question whether or not some of this information should be publicly available. Ultimately, we think this feature helps people understand what information is available and make educated decisions about how to position that information and protect themselves. And for those interested, this feature offers a quick and easy way to remove a phone number.

One word of caution: You need a PC because these applications don't work on Macs. Why are you "not favoring" Macs?
New York, NY

MARISSA MAYER: We want Google's products to reach as many users as possible. In many cases, we either have released a Mac version or will soon - this is an area of a lot of activity and interest for us. However, from a prioritization perspective, we adopt strategies that get our products in the hands of the most users soonest and often that means building for Windows first given its market share.

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