TMI on Twitter?

While my previous post was about websites like Google and Facebook bypassing cookie settings in Safari, and Internet Explorer this issue of privacy and potential marketing possibilities has me in a trance.

THEN,

I come across this article on MSNBC about Twitter selling users tweets dating back from January 2010 to companies to sell to marketers. After reading the article, which suggests going and deleting tweets that you believe carry "TMI" in the eyes of potential marketers my first thought was, "What have I tweeted?"

THEN,

I started thinking like a marketer,

In my 11,493 tweets since 2009 I have expressed a multitude of things that a potential marketer could improve, fix, and create. As a marketer, using the "TMI" of twitter users seems amazing.

So...

A marketer doing research to improve, we'll say, the condition of certain retail establishments (I'm using this example because I just left Target, where I tweeted about the ridiculous lines).  If these marketers gather enough tweets from consumers saying that these lines at Target are outrageous, they could possibly work to fix the situation.

OR...

I think back to every time I've expressed my LOVE for something or complete DISGUST for something. This is excellent information to a marketer, and, as a future marketer...I completely support it.

There are no doubt a large number of people who are going to have distaste for their twitter feeds being sold to random strangers to use to further their business ventures; but as a future marketer and business person I would be crazy to fight this. It's not as if I'll be watching a news story and see "Ashley Hurd tweets about her hate for the cobblestone quad on the University of Missouri - St Louis' campus" 

Seriously, no one cares THAT much what I think. (if only....)

"Think about all those seemingly innocuous things you write that a marketing company could build a profile upon: tweets about your alma mater, organizations you support, donations you've made, retweets from all over, people you know, activities you like, and most importantly -- where you spend your disposable income." --Athima Chansanchai

Ask yourself, what is in your twitter past?

-Ashley-


(http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/tmi-twitter-marketers-searching-through-your-old-tweets-now-236475)

Internet Privacy: fact, or fiction?

You may think that by manually going into your internet browser such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Apple's Safari and setting your privacy settings will regulate what various sites are able to collect from you, or do you?

Microsoft's Internet Explorer uses a protocol called P3P, adopted in 2002, and developed five years ago to allow the user to control the cookies allowed on their browsing habits.  Where other browsers allow users to either "accept" or "do not accept" cookies, P3P allows the user to dictate cookies by low, medium, medium-high, and high. These terms are incredibly vague, and leave both users and and Web developers frustrated.

It seems as though even if you think you're being safe in your internet adventures, you probably aren't. Google isn't the only company who seems to be bypassing these internet cookie settings. Popular sites like Amazon, AOL, GoDaddy, Hulu, IMDB, and even the most popular social networking site, Facebook aren't compliant with Microsoft's P3P.

The biggest argument Facebook and Google are opening voicing against P3P is that the protocol is outdated for current internet users.  Facebook argues that P3P is not effective for the current social networking services that weren't what they are today five years ago when it was put into act.

Moral of the story....Never doubt the ability of a Web powerhouse like Google to by sneaky and still get information from you, whether you want them to have it or not.

"Helllllo web personalization!"


Ashley

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/21/technology/google_microsoft_ie_privacy/

The Digital Doppelganger

Talks of Second Life, World of Warcraft, and other virtual world simulators made me wonder if they were still holding a presence in the internet world. So, I set out in search of virtual life on the interweb. While I found various articles about companies in India using Second Life to predict climate changes, I needed something more relevant to me personally, or at least the United States. That’s when I found the Digital Doppelganger plan for the U.S. Army.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/army-virtual-reality/

 The program would go beyond just a physical doppelganger. Each achievement, and results from training would be inputted into each soldier’s virtual world. If a soldier does poorly on a Physical Training Test, they can expect their virtual doppelganger to be lacking in the same area.

Furthermore, Peter Singer wrote:

“The method threatens to churn out soldiers who are seasoned pros on Xbox – but aren’t cut out of the rigors of real-world war.”

While playing Call of Duty (I will apologize ahead of time for making any false assumptions) your avatar is somewhat of a superhero type. I assume that if you die in battle, your gaming experience isn’t over.  In essence, the war and your avatar is on a constant reset cycle. Obviously, this is not the case for the current War in Afghanistan. If you are injured or killed during battle, that’s the end. There is no reset button in the war.

The idea that this virtual world can give soldiers an additional outlet to train with other soldiers, while also being more exposed to real life war experiences before being deployed is revolutionary, and amazing.

"The last thing soldiers need, before deploying to a real-life combat zone, is the impression that they've got mad superhero skills." -Katie Drummond

Ashley