Making Social Networks Profitable
In its nonstop effort to redefine everything, Google is now trying to change how we depict influence. Using an algorithm similar to that which the company used in its popular search engine, Google is now trying to measure your influence on social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, to provide a new tool for online advertisers to measure the efficacy of internet marketing initiatives. Here's how it would work. Depending on factors ranging from how many friends your friends have to how often you are successful in getting others to view internet media, a "Google Number" would be generated to measure your influence, which could then be used by Google to sell its online space to advertisers.
Google is anxious to enhance their social network influence (no pun intended) after their 2006 investment in MySpace has so far failed to prove especially profitable. Not to sound like an antiquated individual, but this is another example of why I'm not all that eager to participate in online social networking. I may sound like an alarmist, but doesn't such an mechanism beg the question of just how much farther Google or other online companies (or anyone for that matter) can intrude upon your privacy? Do I really want some complex mathematical algorithm tracking who I speak with, and do I really want to define my influence by the comparative superiority of my Google number? I'm not sure I have much of a choice. I suppose the real solution is to accept there is no such thing as privacy on the internet.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
College Applicants & Their Facebook "Secrets"
http://wsj.com/article/SB122170459104151023.html
Amongst the ever-increasing competitiveness of college admission, universities are starting to peruse social networking sites to learn more about their applicants. Within this we discover yet another controversial aspect of the social networking phenomenom and its inherent breach on pre-existing notions of privacy.
A quick synopsis of the story: among the 500 colleges surveyed, 10% of admissions officials divulged that they do indeed search internet networking sites to learn more about potential students. Of these, 38% reported finding something on the applicant that "negatively affected" their view. All of the high school students interviewed for the story conceded they have re-considered some of the material on their Facebook pages to ensure nothing is present which could harm their acceptance chances.
What I found most intriguing in this story was the actual question as to whether information published on social networking sites was "private." As I understand, social networking and personal webpages were the accepted tool precisely intended to break the traditional privacy and isolation barriers. In my humble opinion, it seems slightly hypocritical for anyone to complain when this tool backfires by disseminating information to unintended parties. Moreover, it should in the least be clear that whatever is published on networking sites is both the responsibility of that person and entirely non-private material. In one part of the article, a college admissions officer actually dismisses the relevance of examining these sites, claiming that information contained within amounts to "casual conversation...equivalent with street-corner banter." This sentiment seems to drastically underestimate the thought, attention and time that is paid to these sites by many of its members, which would clearly make it decidely unequivalent to casual conversation.
We are obviously treading unchartered waters, and I suppose there is an always-present question as to the precise definition of "privacy." However, it seems rather sensical to me that when one decides to utilize internet networking tools, they do so at their own risk, and must recognize the unknown and unintended consequences of these tools. In other words, tread carefully.
Amongst the ever-increasing competitiveness of college admission, universities are starting to peruse social networking sites to learn more about their applicants. Within this we discover yet another controversial aspect of the social networking phenomenom and its inherent breach on pre-existing notions of privacy.
A quick synopsis of the story: among the 500 colleges surveyed, 10% of admissions officials divulged that they do indeed search internet networking sites to learn more about potential students. Of these, 38% reported finding something on the applicant that "negatively affected" their view. All of the high school students interviewed for the story conceded they have re-considered some of the material on their Facebook pages to ensure nothing is present which could harm their acceptance chances.
What I found most intriguing in this story was the actual question as to whether information published on social networking sites was "private." As I understand, social networking and personal webpages were the accepted tool precisely intended to break the traditional privacy and isolation barriers. In my humble opinion, it seems slightly hypocritical for anyone to complain when this tool backfires by disseminating information to unintended parties. Moreover, it should in the least be clear that whatever is published on networking sites is both the responsibility of that person and entirely non-private material. In one part of the article, a college admissions officer actually dismisses the relevance of examining these sites, claiming that information contained within amounts to "casual conversation...equivalent with street-corner banter." This sentiment seems to drastically underestimate the thought, attention and time that is paid to these sites by many of its members, which would clearly make it decidely unequivalent to casual conversation.
We are obviously treading unchartered waters, and I suppose there is an always-present question as to the precise definition of "privacy." However, it seems rather sensical to me that when one decides to utilize internet networking tools, they do so at their own risk, and must recognize the unknown and unintended consequences of these tools. In other words, tread carefully.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Blogging 101
My first ever blog. It should be interesting and exciting to learn a new facility by which to communicate, discuss, and publish my views on various issues related to the course.
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