Dear social media site/app creators,
I really enjoy some of the new services available you’ve created on the internet. You’ve also made some cool applications on mobile devices that allow us to share our experiences and interesting finds with others. They can help build community, help us entertain, and allow us to provide knowledge or information to others. Besides Twitter and Facebook, we have apps and services like Pinterest, Path, FourSquare, Waze, Viggle, GetGlue, and many many more. You are doing great with some of these despite some hiccups along the way. You integrate with my favorite services like Facebook and Twitter so I can share to my heart’s content.
However, I have to get something off my chest. Some of you do one thing that I have a problem with. You want to peek “under the covers” before I’m ready. You know what I mean… you saunter up with some cool new interface or some new take on an old idea and you want me to give up the goods right off the bat. Some of you want me to share all my contact and personal information (via Facebook or Twitter logins) immediately frankly that’s just not cool. Not on the first date.
Why can’t I test you out first? Maybe I try out your functionality a couple times… I check your features; you get to analyze my usage habits. We each get a little something. What’s so wrong with that?
I have to call a couple of you out right now.
Chill, why do you want my facebook data before I even have a chance to check you out? You look like you might be ok but I barely know ya’. Showyou, I like the interface but why can’t I just use any ol’ email address to sign up? After that, I might want to link my social sites later. Give me that functionality and I’ll jump on board.
Maybe I’m old fashioned but if I am going to give you my information… and potentially all my friends’ information, I need to see more than a glossy sign up screen and a youTube video showing me some neat functions. Let’s get to know each other a little bit first. Only after that do I want to give you the keys to the information kingdom.
Thanks for listening,
Lance
What do you readers think about privacy in applications?
Do you provide your facebook information willingly or do you want to try before you “buy”?
Related articles
- Pinterest & Path – Privacy Issues (thebluedoor.com)
- Twitter Under Fire Post Mobile Privacy Row (socialnetworkingwatch.com)
- Congress asks, Apple replies: Changes coming to address book security (macgasm.net)
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