can we, for once, implement something… have something exist… that is not sought after for bringing the highest profit to our pockets in this country. i understand the whole business model yadda yadda, but why do we all feel that happiness and success is defined by the amount of money we make in the end? seriously, we are nothing but greedy-bastards in this country who care nothing more than our wealth and social status (well, most of us… there’s a small percentage of us who are capable of existing and thinking outside of the matrix that consumes everyone else).
so, i’m sure you’re wondering what set me off this time. many of us have heard about the outcry over facebook’s recent advertising schemes they let loose last summer/fall and then the release of their highly-acclaimed third-party applications API. if you know anything about the internet and how these applications really work behind the scenes (most people are oblivious as they are not very computer- or internet-savvy in the first place), then you will be aware of the major privacy concerns that arise out of so many people having access to your personal data. recent articles have explained how difficult it is to really delete your facebook account, and even then your data remains on their servers for an unknown period of time. even if you read facebook’s privacy policy on the matter, it remains very vague on what happens to your data and how it is used–stating that there are archived backup copies of your data when you change information or “delete” your account for a time period they fail to define.
seriously though, i don’t really care if someone reads about what’s going on in my life…it’s not all that entertaining. the thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that everything is so hidden and deceitful. if you are going to use my data, at least let me know you are rather than trying to develop conniving ways to pull it or to get me to provide more details. the third-party applications on facebook are probably the most scary facet because facebook doesn’t control how those applications use your data, and each one of them require the ability to access your data before you can install and use them. thus, i have removed all applications from my profile in favor of a more minimal interactive experience. however, that doesn’t mean i’m safe as applications my friends have installed can also access my data (um… i don’t recall to agreeing with that!). as this article points out:
“Corporations aren’t exactly sneaking into our bedrooms; we’re inviting them in. The problem is that most people who perfunctorily fill out social networking forms don’t understand the privacy risks. It’s not just the publicizing of data that endangers privacy, after all; as other analysts have articulated, it’s also the ability to search, aggregate and find uses for that data. Unlike newsfeeds and Beacon — controversial features that broadcast users’ activities to their friends — data mining by Facebook, third-party advertisers and applications is hidden. Consumers, plain and simple, are too unsophisticated to realize what can be done with their data. Besides, users may have offered up information before even Facebook realized what it could do with the data, since the company only recently developed a coherent plan for making money through advertising.”
i am a huge proponent of greater social interaction through digital technologies. but as long as the majority of us are corrupted in our desires to take advantage of that technology in order to secure our millions, then any major advancement socially will repeatedly be stifled.