I recently had a debate with somebody about the pitfalls of social networks to the general public. He is of the firm opinion that they do not do enough to explain what happens to your information, are misleading the general public in what they do in order to release further products that track more of what WE do, and provide little to no assistance when you wish to close your account and remove your information, the whole process being very convoluted.
I've read articles by prolific IT journalists who agree, although most in recent times have gone silent, primarily due to the fact that Facebook and Google+ have made all of the above substantially more accessible and easier to understand, bowing to pressure from these journalists and the general public.
Personally, I also believe that it's because as each day that's passed and continues to pass, people understand that much more about what they are doing. It's called learning. We do it all the time, we go to school to learn, learn within our day to day routine. Every single action we take results in us understanding that much more about the world we live in. As IT related products continue to play a larger role in our day to day lives we will continue to learn more about them.
As IT becomes more and more prevalent in our lives people cannot continue refusing to understand how the vast majority of the Internet operates so my questions are these:
Why are people given soap boxes to complain, that it's the IT companys fault that they failed to understand how to use their product?
Why do members of the general public listen to them and why are these peoples opinions supported by those who deliberately choose not to take the time to understand what they are even talking about?
I don't buy in to the arguement that they should make privacy controls and terms of use easier , despite the fact they have. If you don't understand a technology it's not technologys fault.
If somebody who has never driven before gets in a car, smashes the accelerator to the floor and proceeds to mow down 3 old grannies, a cat, 2 iPhone hipsters and a Facebook employee before embedding themselves forehead first into a concrete wall, you don't blame the Ford Fiesta. You blame the idiot who did not understand how to drive a car but who felt they'd try to drive it anyway.
Facebook and Google+ do nothing with your information that is illegal, questionable, yes. It is firstly, under your control. They provide the means for YOU to set what is and is not shared with friends, co workers, family and the rest of the world.
If you learn about the tool you wish to use and find that you don't agree with how it uses your information or the control you'd have over it's use, you would not sign up. That is in your control. Nobody is holding a gun to your head.
Secondly, they also completely outline what is stored and how it's used should YOU provide it to them, in their privacy policy as well as the terms and conditions.
Now, I'll admit I'm as guilty as the next person but nevertheless when did it become acceptable for people to act shocked, and to criticise how a voluntary membership website uses data because WE couldn't be bothered to read and learn about the tool we are about to use. When they put the links 'Privacy Policy' & 'Terms and conditions' right before the Sign Up button what right do WE have to say they didn't make it clear enough.
Now some people think that Facebook and Google+ are selling your personal information you supply in return for advertising revenue and that is 100% true. They do. And that it's wrong. It's not.
Facebook was recently valued at over 100 billion dollars because of this fact.
As an interesting side note, if you divide their valuation by the number of members you get roughly $166. That is how much each person is worth, not directly to Facebook, but more to the people who use the information that Facebook provides to them.
Information that YOU willingly accepted could be shared by agreeing to the terms and conditions that YOU chose not to to read, and whether you want to believe it or not, information that by being sold benefits YOU.
How? Well the Internet in it's most distilled definition is an encyclopedia. Information and nothing more. Whether your looking at information on wikipedia about the Falkland war (past and possibly present) or looking at cute pictures of cats it's all information that YOU choose to look at. So how does the information you give Facebook correlate? Thanks to what you tell it about your likes, dislikes, age, sexual orientation and whatever else you choose to share, Facebook tries to tailor the adverts you see so that they'd be of interest. They offer an entirely free non compulsory service yet need to operate and advertising is really the only method they can use to provide this. Nobody likes adverts, that's a given, but the alternative to targeted advertising is men seeing adverts for Tampax, children seeing adverts for SAW XVI or Bill Gates an iPhone.
So what am I getting at?
Ignorance is fast becoming a legitimate defence as well as the norm and not only is that a slippery slope to be on, but is one that extends far beyond the social network example. One that we often see applied to the public view on governmental operations and policy.
Here's an example. I'm willing to bet many of you know all about SOPA, and maybe even PIPA (Bonus points if you also know ACTA). These issues have been opposed for over a year by people who over their lives have taken the time to learn about the tools they use, not just in the last few weeks where it's gathered enough public interest that the mainstream media have started covering it. And not just people in the IT industry but all walks of life.
If not for these people a crippling law may have passed, and may YET pass in another form should opposition not continue to increase in the general populace.
Right, I better lay my cards on the table...
Imagine a world where everybody who used a computer (which is a world we're rapidly approaching in one form or another) actually took the time to understand what they were doing, how to use the websites they spend hours a week on. Actually spent time understanding how one of the most influential pieces of technology to ever touch their lives operates.
Would companies be able to use our information as freely as they do? Possibly, although I very much doubt it; I'd expect that a large portion of the public would flatly refuse to use their service, instead of as it now where people choose not to understand what they are doing, choose to blame others, choose ignorance.
Imagine a world where people took a real interest in the way the world operates, how potential government policies would stifle and cripple the Internet, freedom of speech, expression, creativity...
If you are one of those internet users who chooses to use Facebook, Google+, fuck it, ANY WEBSITE for that matter, yet do so with no understanding and a refusal to spend the time learning about the technology regardless of how much it affects the whole world quite honestly you are to blame for how companies have the power to use information the way they do and how governments can get away with atrocious policies.
Now I understand not everybody has the time or will to learn, and that's OK, it really is, but at the same time people with this mindset are the most vocal about how poor certain companys policies are.
If you choose not to learn about something that affects you in every facet of life, you may as well refuse to learn how to use a gun, refuse to listen to those who do know how it works and then proceed to shoot yourself in the foot and blame everybody but yourself.
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