(!) just another weblog
…is similar to the difference between hanging up on a telephone conversation and actually killing the caller on the other end. Both end the conversation, but the end results are a little different.
…as read somewhere online
I am paranoid.
Especially when it comes to dealing with online activities.
For a long time, I was scared to do monetary transactions on the Internet … I still am, but that attitude had to change. Internet has become a way of life these days.
Now I pay my bills, shop and bank online. Heck, I have to look up addresses and directions online before even stepping outdoors. Now, I simply cannot imagine a life off the grid.
Even then, I am still paranoid about putting up important details out there on the Internet. My fears are confirmed when I hear reports about leaked information either via stolen/ lost digital storages or some enterprising new age crooks compromising secure databases.
Conclusion: the fewer details are out there, the better the chances are that they leak out.
Not all, however, subscribe to this school of thought.
People put up elaborate profiles on social networking sites, personal resumes and contact details, even birthdays! It’s like putting up a neon sign welcoming those on the prowl for new victims.
Every now and then I get this email from birthdayalarm saying someone or the other I know wants me to enter my birth date on their website so that they can be notified when the date arrives. Right! Should I add my SSN and drivers license number as well while I am at it?
I feel like screaming “Come on guys, this is 2007 for Gods sake! Wake up!”
Then there’s online personalisation. It was good till it was only the colours, viewing panes and placement of portlets on news and content sites. Then they turned to customizing where the content was coming from, what feeds to show and stuff like that.
Now-a-days, it is at an entirely new level. “Recently browsed items”, “Search history”, “if you liked this, you might also like …”
The latest, according to this post on the Official Google Blog, is that they are taking the next big step towards world domination combining personalisation and content services.
Personally (heh!), I don’t want my search engine queries to be optimised for me, neither do I want news to be filtered based on my previously viewed/read news articles nor do I want that history to be recorded anywhere, let alone Google.
…“If you don’t want to see personalized results, just sign out of your Google Account.”
Well, to each his/her own, but I have a better idea. Why not permanently disable the personalisation? Fortunately for me (and for those of the paranoid type), there is a little advertised place to do just that.
I realise that I’ll have to change with the times and that somewhere down the line, I’ll relent.
Then I can always go and undo the unpersonalisation.
As it were, I have heard that only the paranoid survive!
