privacy

Last week during #journchat, I saw a reference to a post titled Does Your Twitter Handle Belong on Your Resume? The author is a PR college student, and the conversation around the post is mainly tactical, but the bigger picture surrounding our online identities is one I've been wanting to address for some time, so this gives me the opportunity.  Read More »

Have you noticed there is an omni-presence of cloud computing in the popular technology media these days!?  I am currently reading an excellent social informatics book on Computerization Movements and Technology Diffusion by Elliott & Kraemer that I think can help provide a way to view the various ongoing technological hype with a clear head and a fresh perspective.  In brief, computerization movements refer to a kind of social and technological movement that promotes the adoption of comp  Read More »

The swift infiltration of reality television over the networks and cable stations have redefined concepts of privacy, celebrity and entertainment. We've watched our friends and neighbors live together on Big Brother, Survivor and The Real World; we've seen lonely men and women find the love of their life; we've watched destructive families swap moms; we've watched some of America's most obese shed weight and tears on The Biggest Loser; we've watched folks face their worst nightmares on Fear Factor; and we've watched B-list celebrities battle drug addictions on Celebrity Rehab.  Read More »

Back in 2007 I wrote a post called "Disclosure vs Consent: What Software Can Learn From Medicine," in which I argued that software companies ought to include an informed consent process with their EULAs, in an attempt to make sure their users actually understand what they are agreeing to, instead of blindly checking the "I Agree" box without reading the document.  Read More »

Late last year, Facebook launched a new system called Facebook Connect. Haven't heard of it? Facebook probably thinks that is a good thing.

Facebook Connect is a system that allows third-party sites to access your Facebook information and post your web behavior to your Facebook account. Sound more familiar? Facebook's first attempt to integrate with third-party sites via their "Beacon" system was received with such hostility that it eventually was disabled after Facebook was overwhelmed with privacy complaints. The most memorable case was probably that of a young man who purchased an engagement ring on Overstock.com, only to later find his purchase broadcasted to his friends via his Facebook newsfeed -- including his girlfriend. Facebook Connect, however, promises to be different, if for no other reasons than someone thought it might be a good idea to ask users for permission to access their data and post on their newsfeeds. Still, there is a lot of buzz in the blog-o-sphere, comparing Connect to Beacon and weighing the probability of a reprise.

Yeah, yeah... so Facebook is awful at privacy. Am I a horrible person if I think we should cut Facebook a break?

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