DamianTV
04-08-2012, 12:36 PM
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303302504577327744009046230.html?m od=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories
Not so long ago, there was a familiar product called software. It was sold in stores, in shrink-wrapped boxes. When you bought it, all that you gave away was your credit card number or a stack of bills.
Now there are "apps"—stylish, discrete chunks of software that live online or in your smartphone. To "buy" an app, all you have to do is click a button. Sometimes they cost a few dollars, but many apps are free, at least in monetary terms. You often pay in another way. Apps are gateways, and when you buy an app, there is a strong chance that you are supplying its developers with one of the most coveted commodities in today's economy: personal data.
(story continues on link)
Im sure most of you dont care. But that isnt the point. The point is that even if you use Privacy Settings on your Facebook acct, if you talk about your friend on Facebook, those kinds of posts are not covered by the Privacy Settings. Hey wait a sec? Who gave you permission to decide for someone else what some other company is going to do with that data?
And for those of you that "do nothing wrong", remember the word "Wrong" is a Subjective Term. If you drink "Pepsi", then in the eyes of "Coke", you are doing something wrong. Or, if you are Jewish, in the eyes of a Baptist, you are doing something wrong. The extent that the information is being "used against you" may or may not be as extreme as life and death, but to treat you like a Resource to be Harvested. You earn money, which, to them, is the Harvestable Resource you are after. And guess what. Advertising is alive because it is effective. Do you think that personalized Advertising will result in Less Ads for you, or a whole slew of more effective ones? Since you drink Pepsi, I'll be sure to show you an ad that says Pepsi is on sale so you are more inclined to buy Pepsi. But if Coke was on sale, showing you an ad for Coke would be ineffective, so lets market to you some other product you have purchased before. So, by showing you personalized ads, you are now going to spend money you dont have on crap you dont need. Congratulations! You've just been Harvested. And when you are Depleted, bankrupt, dried up and used up, you will be disposed of. But, you didnt "do anything wrong".
Not so long ago, there was a familiar product called software. It was sold in stores, in shrink-wrapped boxes. When you bought it, all that you gave away was your credit card number or a stack of bills.
Now there are "apps"—stylish, discrete chunks of software that live online or in your smartphone. To "buy" an app, all you have to do is click a button. Sometimes they cost a few dollars, but many apps are free, at least in monetary terms. You often pay in another way. Apps are gateways, and when you buy an app, there is a strong chance that you are supplying its developers with one of the most coveted commodities in today's economy: personal data.
(story continues on link)
Im sure most of you dont care. But that isnt the point. The point is that even if you use Privacy Settings on your Facebook acct, if you talk about your friend on Facebook, those kinds of posts are not covered by the Privacy Settings. Hey wait a sec? Who gave you permission to decide for someone else what some other company is going to do with that data?
And for those of you that "do nothing wrong", remember the word "Wrong" is a Subjective Term. If you drink "Pepsi", then in the eyes of "Coke", you are doing something wrong. Or, if you are Jewish, in the eyes of a Baptist, you are doing something wrong. The extent that the information is being "used against you" may or may not be as extreme as life and death, but to treat you like a Resource to be Harvested. You earn money, which, to them, is the Harvestable Resource you are after. And guess what. Advertising is alive because it is effective. Do you think that personalized Advertising will result in Less Ads for you, or a whole slew of more effective ones? Since you drink Pepsi, I'll be sure to show you an ad that says Pepsi is on sale so you are more inclined to buy Pepsi. But if Coke was on sale, showing you an ad for Coke would be ineffective, so lets market to you some other product you have purchased before. So, by showing you personalized ads, you are now going to spend money you dont have on crap you dont need. Congratulations! You've just been Harvested. And when you are Depleted, bankrupt, dried up and used up, you will be disposed of. But, you didnt "do anything wrong".