Google’s new Web History is both exhilarating and quite scary. While Google has had the option to keep track of your personal search history for a while, this new addition (which requires the Google Toolbar to work) expands the tracking to any site you visit whether you searched for it or not.

On one hand this potentially addresses some of the qualms I had about Google’s new StumbleUpon-esque toolbar feature by adding more into the equation than searches (which, as I noted, many people use for a variety of reasons). On the other hand there is of course the privacy question of allowing Google to know every single page you go to.

But the only way Web History is going to be useful is if you throw you inhibitions to the Google…er, wind…and let the big G know what you are surfing at all times.

I always thought the personal search history data was pretty interesting, but I never really used it for anything simply because searching for me is usually a one-time and done deal. Being able to go back through any pages I’ve visited though is very intriguing to me as someone who reads a ton of sites and often can’t remember where I read what.

Wow, just looking at the old Search History data now I see that my first recorded query was on April 22, 2005, almost exactly 2 years ago. I searched for what else – myself – but didn’t click on anything. Oh, and I had completely forgotten about the ‘Trends’ in Search History. Wow, Google has a lot of data.

Will Google Web History bring about the rise of Digital Reminiscing? Two years from now will I look back and say ‘ahh yes, I remember that day 2 years ago when I visited that site – those were the days’?

Note to Google: Your new ‘Google Product Search’ is still listed as ‘Froogle’ on the history sidebar. Also note to Google: why are you showing me what sponsored links I clicked on? I guess it’s good to be transparent about the data you are collecting, but honestly what is the point of this?

Pretty soon if Google has their way it seems like I might be able to get away without having to remember a single thing. I’ll just go on Google and search for what I was talking about the other day, whom I was talking to, and what I did immediately before and after.

Google will be Santa Claus. They’ll know when you are sleeping (no web activity). They’ll know when you’re awake (browser opens – RSS reader loads up, maybe the news, maybe the weather). They’ll know if you’re being bad (porn) or good (donating to charity).

So be good. For Google’s sake.