Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Ofcom says mobile contracts should ditch inflation-related price rises

Ofcom says mobile contracts should ditch inflation-related price rises

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom wants to ban inflation-related rises in phone and broadband contracts. Instead, it says any potential mid-contract price rises should be set out in pounds and pence.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Global smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast

A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

New Hutchison/Vodafone network would be biggest UK operator

Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

UK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023

UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Which? seeks payout for Samsung and Apple smartphone owners

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS

Opinion Articles

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Why Facebook is a friend of anonymity

Mark Bridge writes:

Mention 'anonymity' to anyone these days and it's pretty likely they'll start talking about Facebook. Maybe Google Street View, maybe RF chips in passports... but probably Facebook.

This 'over sharing' of personal information is a far cry from the situation a few years ago. Once, no-one on the internet really admitted who they were. That New Yorker cartoon - "Nobody knows you're a dog" - wasn't far off the truth. You couldn't tell a dungeonmaster from a librarian when they were online.

But then, as 'normal people' began to get famous by blogging and having an opinion, the appeal of anonymity began to wane. No-one wanted to be mistaken for a dog. They wanted their name in lights, a reality TV show and fame for 15 minutes.

Facebook encouraged - nay, insisted on - real names, although a few fakes slipped through. And doom-mongers warned that mobile phone users were all carrying tracking devices in their pockets. It seemed that anonymity was dead.

But, as Jeff Goldblum warned us in Jurassic Park, life finds a way round things. Today that way is BlackBerry Messenger, which offers the option of PIN codes instead of names. It's Twitter, which lets you be anyone you want. It's instant messaging, one of our oldest online companions. And it's all available from those ubiquitous mobile devices.

Even SMS has evolved. Conventional text messages show up on a monthly bill. It's the same problem as itemised phone calls. They may not reveal what you're saying - but they'll reveal who you're talking to. Yet send your texts to Twitter or Facebook (admittedly not available in all countries) and 'nosy parents' won't learn anything from your mobile bill. Chat online using Windows Live, ICQ, Nimbuzz – and yes, Facebook - and your contacts can remain secret even if someone checks your phone. (Talking of phones, it's now easier than ever to do your social networking by mobile, thanks to SNS-friendly manufacturers such as INQ).

Oh sure, governments, police forces and network operators can still identify you. But unwelcome contemporaries and peers won't track you down. Which means - certainly for many younger mobile phone users - Facebook isn't an enemy of anonymity. It's a trusted friend.

Facebook friend

 

 

 

[Article inspired by a tweet from GuamGuy]

Print
Author: The Fonecast
1 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

1 comments on article "Why Facebook is a friend of anonymity"

0
0
Avatar image

Mark

7/19/2010 8:13 PM

This article's made it into Carnival of the Mobilists: bit.ly/95NZBL

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Recent Podcasts

Podcast - 1st May 2007

This week the team review the Samsung Ultra Music F300 and Nokia 6120 Classic, review the past 7 days mobile news, debate the merits of 6 and 24 month contracts, and reviews of Minimo & Air Traffic Controller 2007

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 24th April 2007

An update from the past few weeks mobile news following our Easter break, plus a review of the Nokia 3110 Classic.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 27th March 2007

The team pick over the winners and losers of the Mobile News Awards, review the Alcatel OT-C825 and look at Midnight Pool & PhotoProfessional V2.20 for your mobile.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 20th March 2007

The team review the Nokia 6300, take a look the latest news including Virgin sponsoring Big Brother and the latest on Vodafone's deals in India. SiL a new games for Mobile and PC, plus Instant SIS allows you to move applications between mobile devices.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 13th March 2007

The discuss the rumours behind the Google Phone, plus review the Motorola F3 and Nokia 7390 and the latest happenings in the Mobile Phone industry.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First9899100101103105106107Last

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«March 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
26272829123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
1234567

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement