Keep your privacy but do us a favor, leave the rest of us the hell alone
I thought I should share my opinions on this whole “controversy” with Facebook’s new location based feature called Places. First and foremost I find it amazing that Facebook all of a sudden (say in the past couple of years) is the undisputed “privacy offender” in this new revolutionary time of social media networking.
In case you didn’t already figure out, can I say I happen to be one of the people who doesn’t mind location based networking? I use Foursquare and Gowalla and I would use Facebook’s platform but Android hasn’t obliged their users with the new feature through the app just yet. I mean what’s wrong with sharing to your friends what cool restaurant or social hang out you are visiting?
All I hear from the critics is you know, the basic scare tactics with anything that’s semi revolutionary “it’s dangerous”, “it’s evil” or “it’s an invasion of your civil rights” [laughing] but seriously it’s ridiculous people. What you must understand is none of these social media companies actually make you do anything you don’t do yourself.
I think of only one argument that may or may not have any merit in this privacy discussion and that’s the safety of people from potential predators. It’s amazing to me that we (Americans) only think about negativity in anything by saying such things. I never heard anyone mention a potential positive in the location based networking like tracking down someone whose missing– shocking right?
Bottom line is this people if you don’t like it don’t use it, no one is forcing you to be apart of something you fundamentally disagree or feel unsafe about. But I warn you if you choose to stubbornly stay trapped in the 19th and 20th centuries; us who are more open minded and receptive to innovation in the social media field will begin to leave you so far behind you will not be able to catch up especially if your a business or someone who is crafting a brand.
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