Comments on: Is there a generation gap in views on privacy policy (violations)? http://circos.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/is-there-a-generation-gap-in-views-on-privacy-policy-violations/ Official Blog of Circos.com Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:56:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Morris http://circos.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/is-there-a-generation-gap-in-views-on-privacy-policy-violations/#comment-74 Morris Thu, 22 Nov 2007 17:33:51 +0000 http://circos.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/is-there-a-generation-gap-in-views-on-privacy-policy-violations/#comment-74 Yes. I agree that there is a definite difference between information that is private to me, private to my network, and public for all to see. It would appear that Facebook has made it so that users have to opt-out in order to have ecommerce transactions be "private to me." For me personally, ad targeting as I described in my post is OK, but ecommerce transaction details is not OK. But then again, I am in my 30s. The point of my post wasn't about the policy per se, it was about how generation gaps may expose different intensity in people's feelings about privacy. Mark Zuckerberg is in his 20s, as I'd guess quite a few people over at Facebook. From their perspective, what Beacon does was OK and still is. Nonetheless, I'd love to be a fly on the wall to hear the discussions going on over there on this topic. In any case, I hope your petition will inspire more thoughtfulness for users not just on their part, but everyone who's working in this space. Yes. I agree that there is a definite difference between information that is private to me, private to my network, and public for all to see. It would appear that Facebook has made it so that users have to opt-out in order to have ecommerce transactions be “private to me.” For me personally, ad targeting as I described in my post is OK, but ecommerce transaction details is not OK. But then again, I am in my 30s.

The point of my post wasn’t about the policy per se, it was about how generation gaps may expose different intensity in people’s feelings about privacy. Mark Zuckerberg is in his 20s, as I’d guess quite a few people over at Facebook. From their perspective, what Beacon does was OK and still is. Nonetheless, I’d love to be a fly on the wall to hear the discussions going on over there on this topic.

In any case, I hope your petition will inspire more thoughtfulness for users not just on their part, but everyone who’s working in this space.

]]> By: Adam Green http://circos.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/is-there-a-generation-gap-in-views-on-privacy-policy-violations/#comment-73 Adam Green Thu, 22 Nov 2007 06:50:01 +0000 http://circos.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/is-there-a-generation-gap-in-views-on-privacy-policy-violations/#comment-73 Hi - this is Adam with MoveOn. Interesting topic to ponder. I think what changes this from a gray area to a black and white issue is your phrase "whatever they put online." Obviously, if someone posts a picture or other stuff on their Facebook page (opting in, making the choice to do that) there is a high chance it'll be out there publicly on the Internet for a long time. But if I buy a train ticket online, or if I make a political contribution online, or if I buy a political book from Amazon, is that really "putting something online" in a way that one would expect their friends or employer to be able to see it? I don't think any reasonable person of any age would say yes. Those are private transactions. And that is what is at issue here. Facebook is putting private transactions that take place on other sites into Facebook user's news feeds that are seen by everyone they know --- and potentially thousands of people in their network (300,000 in my DC network). Make sense? Hi - this is Adam with MoveOn. Interesting topic to ponder. I think what changes this from a gray area to a black and white issue is your phrase “whatever they put online.” Obviously, if someone posts a picture or other stuff on their Facebook page (opting in, making the choice to do that) there is a high chance it’ll be out there publicly on the Internet for a long time. But if I buy a train ticket online, or if I make a political contribution online, or if I buy a political book from Amazon, is that really “putting something online” in a way that one would expect their friends or employer to be able to see it? I don’t think any reasonable person of any age would say yes. Those are private transactions. And that is what is at issue here. Facebook is putting private transactions that take place on other sites into Facebook user’s news feeds that are seen by everyone they know — and potentially thousands of people in their network (300,000 in my DC network). Make sense?

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