I feel you about the whole information thing. I think it is interesting that in the name of "marketing" they can go in and take your info or trick you (by providing a simple app for your to download). It's like when we were in university where they offer you a "free" sandwich only if you sign up for a credit card. Then at the same time, all these things are happening that show that it is clear companies are afraid of "piracy" and think they're losing money because of sites like MU and so they support PIPA, SOPA, and ACTA. So basically all this boils down to is money and making money off of us. I just wonder when along the line did information/knowledge become something you had to pay for?
So get this...When looking up scientific articles for research, I often come across an abstract for a paper that fits exactly the question I have/am researching. Unfortunately the publisher of that article wants me to 1) give them my information so I can sign up for an account on their site and 2) pay or have my employer pay them for a subscription so I can actually read the full article. This is just looking up papers so that I can perform my job better and perhaps add to academia myself. So it really makes me wonder when did knowledge or at least information become something you have to pay for? I think people should be allowed their personal privacy and that information (i.e. music, books, public TV shows, scientific papers, etc) should be free. Again, I really wonder what these companies think about libraries. Libraries are wonderful places and stand for the noble cause of free access and open information. The only things stopping a person from learning anything new is the person's own drive. I'm sure you remember when the internet first became "user friendly" for the public, so to speak, it initially had much promise for opening up channels of communication and the sharing of information. It's a shame that the influences on the internet are pushing it away from that now.
YES. I think it's the whole "in the name of marketing" thing that really gets me. I mean, normally, you have to pay money to get the information you need from people to market...well, anything! And here it's like all this information that we put up with no intent of it being used in this way, simply because we see it as a way to share things with friends and family, is suddenly valuable, yet... Well, we never see a cent from it, you know? In fact, these companies all seem to think it's up for grabs simply because it's there. On the internet. Which, as you mentioned, is an EXCELLENT segue into the whole piracy thing. It seems that there's a bit of a double-standard going on, you know? >_>
That would make me so mad with those papers though! ARGH. I do feel like all of that information should be readily available to you as a researcher/academic. And oh, your library argument makes me all impassioned all over again, lol. I think my anger about the Megaupload thing has subsided a bit, but this just gets it going again. ;) Because I agree. It should be free. One big free internet library where you only pay for physical content if you want it. Just because companies like Netflix, and these premium subscription TV services have decided that it's a nice idea that people should pay for downloads, or pay a monthly fee for service, that doesn't mean it has to be the only way people access the content! It just doesn't work for some people and they need to INNOVATE if they want people like ME to want to pay them for anything. ARGH.
Sorry. Tangent. :D And you know, I think it's pure greed, and also just poor business models that have led to this push towards controlling all this information. Companies want to push themselves out of the red and they'll do that any way they can. If it's easier to waste their time pushing through legislation like SOPA and PIPA to put a little extra cash in their pockets, rather than come up with a viable solution to their problems with declining sales, that's the route they'll go.
This is why I have no apps on fb. It's just... too scary to contemplate giving companies permission to have my information. Everything on fb is locked to friends only (or friends of friends for certain things). This is also why I don't post on fb that often...
And yeah, that's me too, with FB. I went through the other day actually, and was kind of shocked by how many apps I did have, since I feel like I usually decline most of those invitations? I think some end up on there kind of suspiciously anyway though. >_< So I deleted a bunch. I should just delete them all. :P
But yeah, in general, this is the same reason I don't post on FB very much. :/
Pinterest is fun and you don't have to sign up using your facebook. There should be a link somewhere in that invitation email to sign up directly.
and I totally understand your feeling. I avoid everything on the net that requires paying except if I were looking for pictures to be plastered on client's website. But that's a whole different matter XD;
Digital agencies think this is convenient because then we don't have to make a registration form for any campaign we made because Facebook has provided that for us. But that is why they also put a consent page that will appear every time we click on an app. You know, the one that notifying us that this/that app can access all of our data and do we allow them to do so etc. So I think the control is fully on our own hands.
We can not fully blame them for aiming for money (hey, they're doing business) but we have to be aware that we can say no by not using an app. If we still want to use the app, well, we have no choice. Maybe give as minimal information as possible.
Mm, yeah, I saw that there was another option for signing up, so... I may do that at some point. I don't know. I kind of just...don't know if I want to give the internet another way to learn about my interests and market stuff to me though. :P Not that it's only about that? But still. ;)
I think it is and isn't in our hands, really. Because to me, signing up for some of these things has become second nature? And we have to use things like this for work, etc., and while sure, you can read all the fine print if you so choose, a lot of these places don't have a good way to "opt out", so you either cut yourself off from whatever you're being invited to join/access/whatever, or you play by their rules. And that annoys me, at times.
And yeah, I'm torn too about the money aspect. Because all these sites are businesses, and I respect them making a go of it. I just wonder if it's all become too easy, at times. Where in the past you would have to work to find this information, here, it's like we're offering it all up for free. Jeremy argued that we're also getting value from these services too though (like Facebook, which we use for free) which is a good point? I don't know. ;) I just...think it's an interesting thing to keep an eye on, I guess. ;)
So get this...When looking up scientific articles for research, I often come across an abstract for a paper that fits exactly the question I have/am researching. Unfortunately the publisher of that article wants me to 1) give them my information so I can sign up for an account on their site and 2) pay or have my employer pay them for a subscription so I can actually read the full article. This is just looking up papers so that I can perform my job better and perhaps add to academia myself. So it really makes me wonder when did knowledge or at least information become something you have to pay for? I think people should be allowed their personal privacy and that information (i.e. music, books, public TV shows, scientific papers, etc) should be free. Again, I really wonder what these companies think about libraries. Libraries are wonderful places and stand for the noble cause of free access and open information. The only things stopping a person from learning anything new is the person's own drive. I'm sure you remember when the internet first became "user friendly" for the public, so to speak, it initially had much promise for opening up channels of communication and the sharing of information. It's a shame that the influences on the internet are pushing it away from that now.
Just my 2 cents. Hehe. :p
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That would make me so mad with those papers though! ARGH. I do feel like all of that information should be readily available to you as a researcher/academic. And oh, your library argument makes me all impassioned all over again, lol. I think my anger about the Megaupload thing has subsided a bit, but this just gets it going again. ;) Because I agree. It should be free. One big free internet library where you only pay for physical content if you want it. Just because companies like Netflix, and these premium subscription TV services have decided that it's a nice idea that people should pay for downloads, or pay a monthly fee for service, that doesn't mean it has to be the only way people access the content! It just doesn't work for some people and they need to INNOVATE if they want people like ME to want to pay them for anything. ARGH.
Sorry. Tangent. :D And you know, I think it's pure greed, and also just poor business models that have led to this push towards controlling all this information. Companies want to push themselves out of the red and they'll do that any way they can. If it's easier to waste their time pushing through legislation like SOPA and PIPA to put a little extra cash in their pockets, rather than come up with a viable solution to their problems with declining sales, that's the route they'll go.
*sigh*
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But! I will try to stay positive! ;)
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And yeah, that's me too, with FB. I went through the other day actually, and was kind of shocked by how many apps I did have, since I feel like I usually decline most of those invitations? I think some end up on there kind of suspiciously anyway though. >_< So I deleted a bunch. I should just delete them all. :P
But yeah, in general, this is the same reason I don't post on FB very much. :/
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and I totally understand your feeling. I avoid everything on the net that requires paying except if I were looking for pictures to be plastered on client's website. But that's a whole different matter XD;
Digital agencies think this is convenient because then we don't have to make a registration form for any campaign we made because Facebook has provided that for us. But that is why they also put a consent page that will appear every time we click on an app. You know, the one that notifying us that this/that app can access all of our data and do we allow them to do so etc. So I think the control is fully on our own hands.
We can not fully blame them for aiming for money (hey, they're doing business) but we have to be aware that we can say no by not using an app. If we still want to use the app, well, we have no choice. Maybe give as minimal information as possible.
That's what I thought, btw :)
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I think it is and isn't in our hands, really. Because to me, signing up for some of these things has become second nature? And we have to use things like this for work, etc., and while sure, you can read all the fine print if you so choose, a lot of these places don't have a good way to "opt out", so you either cut yourself off from whatever you're being invited to join/access/whatever, or you play by their rules. And that annoys me, at times.
And yeah, I'm torn too about the money aspect. Because all these sites are businesses, and I respect them making a go of it. I just wonder if it's all become too easy, at times. Where in the past you would have to work to find this information, here, it's like we're offering it all up for free. Jeremy argued that we're also getting value from these services too though (like Facebook, which we use for free) which is a good point? I don't know. ;) I just...think it's an interesting thing to keep an eye on, I guess. ;)
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