Google“网络加速器”揭秘
为网页浏览提速 Google“网络加速器”揭秘

作者： CNET科技资讯网 翻译：李海
CNETNews.com.cn 2005-05-11 09:32 AM

CNET科技资讯网5月11日国际报道 上周，Google推出了一种全新的网页浏览加速程序。和Google原来推出的Gmail及桌面搜索一样，这个程序一推出就是立即受到了一些人的置疑，一时间，有关于Google不纯的动机，隐私以及安全方面的批评不绝于耳。

其中一些声音只是假设。似乎你变得越成功，越有力量，人们对你挑剔与怀疑就越多。那么，Google“网络加速器” 的真相是什么呢？

“网络加速器”（Web Accelerator）是什么，它如何能够帮助我呢？

如果你用宽带连接上网的话，你会希望自己的速度更快，网络加速器可以帮上忙。这种程序是一个免费，可以下载的软件，利用Google上保存的缓存，它能够加快你访问网页的速度。Google表示，对于那些经常上网的用户，网络加速器一个月可以为他们节省2到3小时的网页浏览时间。

网络加速器如何进行工作？

据Google网络产部的主管Marissa Mayer透露，为了开发网络加速器，Google使用了鼠标运动方面的研究成果，他们开发出了一套算法，这种算法可以监视用户鼠标的运动以及点击链接的情况。通过了解网民喜欢点击的页面情况，Google将那些受欢迎的页面的备份保存在自己的服务器上，以方便随后的网页浏览提速。

Google在自己的服务器上为那些受人欢迎的网页保存了一个缓存拷贝，同时，它也在用户的电脑上预先缓存了一些页面，这样，用户访问页面时会更加的快速。在某些情况下，网络加速器会对网页进行压缩，压缩后的网页大小仅有原来的一半或三分之一，这也能够提高网页的传输速度。

Mayer说：“虽然宽带的速度越来越快，但它的速度还是没有完全发挥出来。你可以将Google作为你的代理服务器。为此，我们将竭力让你的网页浏览速度更快。”

网络加速器对拨号用户没有用吗？

对这部分用户，使用网络加速器没有什么必要。技术专家表示，在页面信息从路由器传输到路由器的过程中，好的网络加速器能够减少“信息包”（packet）的丢失。网络加速器能够优化那些具有很多图片的网站。

Google网络加速器有一个安全漏洞吗？这个漏洞会不会影响我呢？

是的，Google上周已经在测试版的网络加速器中发现了一个漏洞。

这个软件能够将私人讨论组或者受密码保护的网页上的信息传送给使用这个软件的人。比如，使用网络加速器，一个网民可以进入一个讨论组的网页，他可以看见这个讨论组中其它人的名字，这个人还可以以注册用户的身份登陆这些讨论组，就像那些真的注册用户一样。

Google的Mayer表示，他们正在开发相应的补丁，这一问题仅仅影响部分的讨论组网站。Google已经解除了对存在漏洞网页的缓存机制，他们正在开发新的算法，以防止未来发生类似的问题。

我的财务信息以及其它安全交易的数据信息危险吗？

不危险。Google方面的解释是，网络加速器不会对使用了HTTPS（加密网页－编者注）的网站进行缓存工作，因此，诸如银行，信用卡等网站上的交易信息不会泄漏的。

除了漏洞问题，我的隐私会因为使用网络加速器受到影响吗？

可能会，这要看你的具体情况。根据Google的隐私保护条款，网络加速器会对你访问过的网页进行记录以及缓存工作，而这些页面访问请求会包括你的个人信息。此外，Google网络加速器还会对包含了个人数据的第三方cookies进行临时的缓存工作。

例如，如果你在一个没有加密的网页表单中键入了电子邮件或者你的住址等信息，Google可能从网络加速器中挑选这些信息出来。另外，这个网络加速器还能够收集“点击流”（clickstream）数据信息，比如你访问的URLs以及IP地址信息等等。

Google表示，如果没有用户的许可，他们永远不会出租或者出售用户的个人信息给第三方。但是，隐私保护方面的拥护者们却认为，人们对Google到底如何处理这些私人信息了解的还不够。这些人尤其担心，Google 会用这些个人信息，点击流量数据同用户的搜索历史数据进行结合，以勾画出Google用户的清晰轮廓。

Mayer说，Google不会将搜索历史数据与网络加速器收集到的点击流量或者个人数据信息相结合。然而，如果用户使用网络加速器访问Google.com站点的话，那么用户的访问活动会被加速器的代理服务器记录下来。

好在，用户可以经常清除缓存或者删除cookies信息。

当我使用这个软件的时候，Google对我承担的责任是什么？

没有责任，真的，如果你阅读并同意Google的服务条款的话。目前，Google不会对使用网络加速器进行安全与性能方面的担保。换句话讲，你需要自己承担风险。

如果这个软件是免费的话，那么Google图的是什么呢？

Google的Mayer说，如果人们冲浪的速度越快，浏览网页的时间越多，那么最终就会导致越来越多的人使用 Google来进行搜索。（1至3月，Google广告方面的收入超过了10亿美元。）

网络加速器的测试期已经结束了吗？

是的，目前，Google的网页上已经停止了软件的下载。Google方面说，已经达到了容量的总和，他们正在努力工作，以便让更多的用户使用上这个软件。但是，人们仍然有办法获得这一软件的下载。

Google会改进网络加速器吗？

由于这个程序仍处于测试期，因此，Google 希望获得用户的反馈，你可以给以下邮箱反映情况或者获得升级信息：labs+webaccelerator@google.com 。 （编辑：孙莹）

FAQ: Hard facts about Google's Web Accelerator

Published: May 10, 2005, 4:00 AM PDT
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Google last week unveiled a new application for speeding up the delivery of Web pages. As has become routine with several of the company's recent announcements, including Gmail and desktop search, critics immediately looked for ulterior motives, privacy breaches and security slipups.

Some of it was to be expected; the more successful and powerful you become, the more scrutiny and conspiracy theories you spawn. So what is the truth about Google's latest move beyond search?

Some of it was to be expected; the more successful and powerful you become, the more scrutiny and conspiracy theories you spawn. So what is the truth about Google's latest move beyond search?

What is Web Accelerator, and how can it help me?
If you're surfing the Internet with a broadband connection, and you're hungry for more speed, Web Accelerator could be the ticket. It is free, downloadable software designed to speed access to Web pages by serving up cached, or compressed, copies of sites from Google's servers. For frequent Internet users, the company says the tool could save two to three hours a month in browsing time.

How does Web Accelerator work?
To create the Web Accelerator, Google used research on mouse movements to help develop algorithms that monitor where people, in aggregate, are mousing and clicking on links, according to Marissa Mayer, Google's director of Web products. With that understanding of where people will likely click, Google grabs and stores copies of prospective pages for speedy retrieval.

Google keeps a cached copy of requested Web pages and precaches some other popular pages on the user's computer to load pages faster. And in some cases, it compresses pages to half or a third their size, also speeding their delivery.

"As fast as broadband is, it's still not as fast as it could be," Mayer said. "Think of Google as your proxy. In exchange, we'll try to make the Web faster for you."

Still, aren't Web Accelerators technically best for people using dial-up?
Not necessarily. Technology experts say a good Web accelerator can mitigate packet loss, or latency, as page information is sent from router to router. It also can optimize how a graphics-heavy Web site is compressed and sent to a visitor.

Is there a security flaw in Google's Web Accelerator, and how does it affect me?
Yes, Google acknowledged a vulnerability in the beta software last week, after several online critics spotted the flaw.

The software can serve cached copies of private discussion groups or password-protected pages to people using the software. For example, using the software, a Web surfer might call up a discussion group page and see the name of another group member, making it appear as if the surfer is signed in as that other user.

Google's Mayer said the company is working on a fix and that the problem has affected only small discussion group sites. Google is deactivating the mechanism that caches vulnerable Web pages and is looking at possible mathematical algorithms to prevent the caching from happening in the future.

Are my financial information or any other secure transactions at stake?
No. According to Google, the Web Accelerator does not cache

Web sites using the "HTTPS" specification--a variation of HTTP that provides security for online transactions such as banking or credit card pages--so such transactions are not at risk.

Apart from the flaw, is my privacy in jeopardy by using Web Accelerator?
It could be, depending on your comfort level. According to Google's privacy policy, the Web Accelerator retrieves and caches Web pages you've visited, and those page requests can include personal information about you. It also temporarily caches third-party cookies that can contain personal data.

For example, if you've entered information such as e-mail or a physical address into a form on an unencrypted Web page, Google might pick up that data through the Web Accelerator. It also collects "clickstream" data such as URLs you've requested, the date and time of the request, as well as your Internet Protocol address and computer and connection information.

Google says it will never rent or sell a person's personal information to third parties without that user's explicit permission. But privacy advocates say people still don't know enough about what Google does with the personal information. Specifically, they are worried that Google will combine personal and clickstream data with existing search history data contained in Google's own cookie to create a far-reaching profile on Google visitors.

Mayer said Google is not combining search history data with clickstream or personal information collected by the Web Accelerator. However, if people visit Google.com while using the software, the activity will be logged by the Accelerator proxy.

Still, people can dump their cache and delete cookies often, as privacy advocates urge.

What is Google's responsibility toward me when I use this software?
None, really, if you read and agree to Google's terms of service. Like most software disclaimers, the terms of service say Web Accelerator is offered "as is" and provides no warranties regarding security and performance. In other words, use at your own risk.

If the application is free, what's in it for Google?
Google's Mayer said if people are surfing faster and using the Web more, then it will ultimately result in more searches at Google. (The company made more than $1 billion from January to March from text advertisements that appear next to search results.)

Is the beta closed?
Yes, for now, according to Google's information page. The site says it has maxed out on capacity and is "actively working to increase the number of users we can support." Still, the download page is active.

Will Google improve Web Accelerator?
Because the application is in beta, the company wants your feedback and ideas for updates at labs+webaccelerator@google.com.
 

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