Posts tagged Privacy
Poll: Is There a Right To Privacy Online?
0Today, our Information Thought of the Day (ITTOD) is a poll subject.
I find that most Information Technology (IT) organizations are either privacy protection obsessed or challenged. I wonder where yours is on the scale. I also find that most Information Technology Professionals vary widely on their opinions on this topic, too.
Hence today’s poll topic:
Loading ...I will be sure to share the results. Feel free to add a comment below to add other thoughts that should have shown up on the list.
Do you like polls as a daily topic? Do you have a recommended one for another week? Please let me know.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for February 25, 2010 ©Scott Coughlin.
Image credit: easyhealth.org.uk
News Commentary: The Beginning of the End for Privacy
0On some days I offer comments on some of the most interesting information technology stories that I have found on the web that week. Please feel free to join in the discussion or suggest other stories.
Frankly, this scared me. As I read it, I kept on thinking about Machiavelli’s The Prince and its paraphrased theme that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Here is a story from the Telegraph reporting on the founder of Facebook and his thoughts on how privacy is no longer required. Give it a read:
The Telegraph – Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg says privacy is no longer a ‘social norm’
Talking in San Francisco over the weekend at the Crunchie Awards, which recognise technological achievements, the 25 year-old web entrepreneur said: “People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people.”
He went on to say that privacy was no longer a ‘social norm’ and had just evolved over time.
Hmmm… this is scary stuff. What is worse is that it is being said by the person most responsible for protecting the expectation of privacy online. If they fold so goes the rest of the online world by convention. I suppose that this was inevitable, but it is still disappointing and profit driven. As an Information Professional, I know that with the resources available to Zuckerberg, he could easily provide data set based security and privacy controls on every discrete piece of information on Facebook. He could also provide a user interface that made it easy for people to customize from no to full protection and even has the lawyers to design an end user agreement to protect him. Why in the world would he go down this path?
I am frightened….
What do you think about this topic? Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you have a recommended news story for next week? Please share your ideas below.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for January 12, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.
Image Credit: Those who came in late…
News Commentary: One Webcam Per Child
1On Sundays I offer comments on some of the most interesting information technology stories that I have found on the web that week. Please feel free to join in the discussion or suggest other stories.
Well I think that we can all agree that using webcams on school provided computers to spy on students without parental consent is a really bad idea. I also think that attempting to cover it up and denying it when caught with your hand in the cookie jar is a far worse one. Nevertheless, this story will shape the landscape of information technology and mobile computing for years to come, so all Information Technology Professionals need to be conversant on both the facts and the implications.
hothardware.com – Laptop Monitoring: It’s Not Just In Pennsylvania
There was so much written about this topic that there is no single news story to cover all bases. I recommend that you review Google News’ aggregation site for this topic. You can find all angles, opinions, and levels of engagement there.
At its essence, this is a great cautionary tale for IT Pros… just because you can do something does not mean that you should. Also, it is a story of the best of intentions being carried out in the worst possible ways. Also, the great ends that were realized by this program have now been completely erased by the means that were used to obtain them. Really a sad tale… imagine how well this all could have gone if they had simply sent home a permission slip. My kids’ school sends them home for everything from zoo trips to in-class videos. How did these school administrators miss the boat by so much?
Well, as they say, knowing is half the battle. Be warned….
What do you think about this topic? Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you have a recommended news story for next week? Please share your ideas below.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for February 28, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.
Image Credit: xomba.com