At the start of my "Tools of the Digital Age" class I already had a Facebook account. I signed up for Twitter during the first week. Today, however, I started to build my blog site because it is part of my assigned work. Now THAT was an experience! The profile questions that were asked started out with a REQUIRED email address. I suppose that is so the site owners can mine the other demographic data and have a welcome and open inbox with which to flood information on a variety of products and services. It was like when you roll doubles in Monopoly too often… “Do not pass GO! Do not collect $200!” (As a side note: I have often wondered when inflation will catch up with Monopoly and the $200 will be adjusted with a Cost of Living Allowance increase… but perhaps that is better discussed on my new blog?)
The misuse of this type of information would vary depending on the intent of the person who obtained the information. Certainly I see it as a misuse of the information if an advertiser were to decide that just because I am 42, single and like dogs, that I would also be interested in “Dog-Lover’s-Lane”, a new website to connect singles who want to mingle with their dogs in tow! However, more seriously I was asked to give my birthdate, where I lived, and what my interests are. In the wrong hands, someone could pretend to be me to gain access to credit reports, financial records and other items that are better left private.
But on the other side, because I assume the appeal of a blog is that the author shares some personal insight and connects with other people out in cyberspace, then you would need to share a bit of yourself in order to make that first connection. So, like I have said on previous posts, I believe the internet is like a big city where you have to be cautious, but not stay shut up in your house all the time. Go ahead, open up… make friends!
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