Google To Kill Off Private Profiles

As Google rejigs its entire user interface and renames a bunch of its services to fit in with its new web 3.0 (or whatever) vision user profiles are being changed. ….

From July 31st 2011 private profiles are being not only disabled, but actually deleted:

The purpose of Google Profiles is to enable you to manage your online identity. Today, nearly all Google Profiles are public. We believe that using Google Profiles to help people find and connect with you online is how the product is best used. Private profiles don’t allow this, so we have decided to require all profiles to be public.

Keep in mind that your full name and gender are the only required information that will be displayed on your profile; you’ll be able to edit or remove any other information that you don’t want to share.

If you currently have a private profile but you do not wish to make your profile public, you can delete your profile. Or, you can simply do nothing. All private profiles will be deleted after July 31, 2011.

The Social Network On Release In Ireland – What Do People Think Of It?

The social network

The Social Network is on general release in Ireland and the UK

Last weekend The Social Network went on general release in the UK and Ireland.

It’s currently playing in most of the cinema chains across Ireland and seems to have been well received.

Have you seen it?

If you have, what did you think of it?

Seemingly Mark Zuckerberg isn’t overly impressed with it, but then again I doubt if many Facebook users are impressed with the latest revelations regarding privacy issues on the popular social networking platform.

German Lawmakers Seek To Limit Usage of Social Media Info By Employers

Image representing Facebook as depicted in Cru...
Image via CrunchBase

Germany seems to take privacy pretty seriously.

According to reports this week Germany is seeking to enact legislation that would restrict the usage of information about prospective employees garnered from social media sites by employers. The legislators are drawing a line between “pure” social networking site and the more professional ones.

“The bill would allow managers to search for publicly accessible information about prospective employees on the Web and to view their pages on job networking sites, like LinkedIn or Xing. But it would draw the line at purely social networking sites like Facebook, said Philipp Spauschus, a spokesman for the Interior Minister, Thomas de Maizière”

No idea how they’ll classify Twitter or FourSquare .. though I can see FourSquare being used to keep track of supposedly sick staff … .. Or am I just cynical?

Full story here

Zuckerberg Redefines Pretentious

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has been getting a lot of flak in recent weeks about Facebook’s attitude and handling of privacy for its users.

During a recent interview Zuckerberg was asked several times about privacy. He failed to give a convincing answer.

Watch the entire interview to see how Zuckerberg, yet again, redefines “pretentious” once again.

At the same conference Apple’s Steve Jobs also fielded a question on privacy. Jobs’ reply is so different to the attitude of Zuckerberg that it’s worth quoting:

Silicon Valley is not monolithic….We take privacy very seriously….We do a lot of things to ensure that people understand how their data is being used. That’s why we curate the App Store….Privacy means people know what they’re signing up for–in plain English

Twitter Is Not A Private Phonecall

Companies have embraced Twitter (or at least tried to).
You’ll find companies of all shapes and sizes attempting to get to grips with the new medium.

Unfortunately not all interactions will work out well for people, but they can always try again.

But one thing people need to remember is that Twitter is very public. It is not private.

If you wouldn’t feel comfortable discussing certain details in public, then why would you do it on Twitter?

Even if you felt comfortable talking about things it may not be appropriate to do so. So while it’s fine to give and discuss general things, would you really want a supplier discussing your account’s finances?

I know how I’d feel about that….

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