Privacy concerns have the ability to make and break products. Facebook's Beacon, and now Google's Buzz are two examples of products that just didn't sit well with people because of privacy concerns. As our lives move towards an increasingly digitally connected and broadcasted world privacy seems to be less of a pressing concern. Yes, I just said privacy concerns were responsible for the death of Beacon, and then said that privacy wasn't important. I don't know how else to explain the fact that Beacon was met with incredible backlash, but Blippy is gaining popularity. Beacon was an opt-out service and Blippy an opt-in, but they both share the same amount of information. The issue here seems to be users desire to control what gets shared, and what stays private. This would certainly explain the backlash against Google Buzz.
I believe that many people using the web 2.0 social tools that have allowed us to share anything really don't understand the consequences of sharing. I was delighted to see the newest social network aggregator Please Rob Me. In short, the website sees where you checked in via twitter and foursquare feeds, and notifies the world that you are not home. A location-based social network for burglars. I'm really glad that the site was created because I think there needs to be more of a dialogue about what privacy you are giving up in exchange for the opportunity to tell your friends what flavor smootie you decided to order. I'm not against any of the new social tools, but I think there needs to be a greater general awareness of the potential consequences of using them. Please Rob Me may be a bit of a joke, but what about young kids who are quick adopters of new technology? Do you really want your young child publicly broadcasting their location to the world? Does someone need to make the website Please Kidnap Me to get some parents thinking?
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