Comments on: Online Privacy is an Illusion http://fastwonderblog.com/2010/01/10/privacy-illusion/ Thoughts on online community strategy, community management, blogging, social media, Yahoo Pipes and open source. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:59:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Erica McGillivray http://fastwonderblog.com/2010/01/10/privacy-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-116581 Erica McGillivray Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:38:06 +0000 http://fastwonderblog.com/?p=2430#comment-116581 I highly agree that the internet privacy is mostly an illusion, but so are a lot of other things in our society, e.g. the stock market fluxing depending on stock brokers' feelings on the market. However, my problem with Zuckerberg & FB is that they're drawing the line in the sand for me. They're trying to decide for me how open I should be on the internet and that's not cool. I highly agree that the internet privacy is mostly an illusion, but so are a lot of other things in our society, e.g. the stock market fluxing depending on stock brokers’ feelings on the market.

However, my problem with Zuckerberg & FB is that they’re drawing the line in the sand for me. They’re trying to decide for me how open I should be on the internet and that’s not cool.

]]> By: Private or Personal in Social Media? http://fastwonderblog.com/2010/01/10/privacy-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-116573 Private or Personal in Social Media? Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:02:43 +0000 http://fastwonderblog.com/?p=2430#comment-116573 [...] recent discussions about the changes to Facebook’s privacy policy. I actually believe that online privacy is more of an illusion than it is reality, but maintaining our privacy is something that deserves more thought than many of us devote to [...] [...] recent discussions about the changes to Facebook’s privacy policy. I actually believe that online privacy is more of an illusion than it is reality, but maintaining our privacy is something that deserves more thought than many of us devote to [...]

]]> By: Logical Extremes http://fastwonderblog.com/2010/01/10/privacy-illusion/comment-page-1/#comment-116566 Logical Extremes Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:49:52 +0000 http://fastwonderblog.com/?p=2430#comment-116566 The problem comes when we try to think of privacy as a binary secret. Far from it, privacy in the offline world is very nuanced and contextual. I may trust some people with certain information, but I have a right to be upset if they breach that trust. The same is true online. Social networking services market certain features for privacy control, and we should hold them fully accountable. Likewise, our trusted friends and family need to understand that it doesn't matter whether we whisper in their ear or post it to only three people on Facebook. The expectations are still there. Marshall is very right about Facebook. Facebook built itself up on the notion of privacy, amassing tons of personal data, then pulled a bait and switch by forcing to public many types of information that could be controlled previously, and by strongly guiding people into new defaults that are more public. The network effects, the proliferation of single sign-on with Facebook Connect, and the ongoing non-portability of contributed data skew people's incentives. Surely there's a happy medium where people can have the kind of online relationships they desire, without being undermined by the very services that rely on their accounts to stay in business. The problem comes when we try to think of privacy as a binary secret. Far from it, privacy in the offline world is very nuanced and contextual. I may trust some people with certain information, but I have a right to be upset if they breach that trust. The same is true online. Social networking services market certain features for privacy control, and we should hold them fully accountable. Likewise, our trusted friends and family need to understand that it doesn’t matter whether we whisper in their ear or post it to only three people on Facebook. The expectations are still there. Marshall is very right about Facebook. Facebook built itself up on the notion of privacy, amassing tons of personal data, then pulled a bait and switch by forcing to public many types of information that could be controlled previously, and by strongly guiding people into new defaults that are more public. The network effects, the proliferation of single sign-on with Facebook Connect, and the ongoing non-portability of contributed data skew people’s incentives. Surely there’s a happy medium where people can have the kind of online relationships they desire, without being undermined by the very services that rely on their accounts to stay in business.

]]>