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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]

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Mark

7/19/2010 8:13 PM

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

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Opinion Articles

Privacy in Mobile Apps: MEF roundtable in Barcelona

During Mobile World Congress 2012, TheFonecast.com was invited to record a roundtable on Privacy in Mobile Applications. This event was hosted by MEF, the global community for mobile content and commerce, and was supported by SNR Denton.

Our recording is now online at TheFonecast.com and on the MEF blog.

Author: The Fonecast
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Last week at The Fonecast: 19th March 2012

Mark Bridge writes:

Mobile financial services were making the headlines yet again last week. Not once. Not twice. No, we noticed at least three separate (and all pretty big) stories to talk about.

First came Nokia’s planned withdrawal from its mobile money service, which will leave around a million people in India looking for a new mobile wallet.

Author: The Fonecast
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Apple iPad dictation isn't perfect but customers love it anyway

Mark Bridge writes:

Excuse me a moment while I climb onto my soapbox.

Right. Ooh, it’s busy up here.

For a number of years, various companies have worked on computer-powered dictation and transcription services. Now Apple has entered this space.

Author: The Fonecast
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Rebtel: the mobile VoIP rebel that speaks its mind

Mark Bridge writes:

Back in the 1960s, Hertz was the number one hire car company in the USA. Avis was trailing a long way behind. Looking for a new advertising campaign, CEO Robert Townsend spoke to Bill Bernbach - the ‘B’ in ad agency DDB - and a few months later “We try harder” became the Avis tagline.

“Avis is only No.2 in rent a cars” the headlines admitted. “We try harder. When you’re not the biggest, you have to.”

It’s a message I was reminded of when I met Andreas Bernström at Mobile World Congress last month. Andreas is CEO of Rebtel, the world’s second-largest mobile Voice-over-IP company. With Skype seen as market leader for VoIP services, I asked Andreas whether Rebtel also needed to try harder.

Author: The Fonecast
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Has Apple messed up the user experience by creating its new iPad?

Mark Bridge writes:

The new iPad has a better screen. Higher-resolution. Clearer. High Definition. Just what everyone wants, right?

Apparently not.

Author: The Fonecast
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