Gowalla Integration to be Phased out of WDW

[Bairstow]

We're ultimately going to loose the war, once facial recognition software becomes fast and cheap enough and commercial databases start licensing access to retailers, but if we've got a few more years left we may as well enjoy them.

 

[wm49rs]

That's why I only barter with chickens and wheat.

I prefer wampum....

And fortunately "social media" is only as frightening as one allows it to be.

 

[c-one]

Perhaps not knocked, but feared.
Social Media and mass electronic information gathering by business in general is a tool by which a company intrudes into consumer privacy in order to better exploit them. Information about your shopping habits is constantly collated, traded, and sold to other companies as well.

Why someone would want to play into their hands on purpose baffles me.
If anything, wary consumers should band together to frustrate these kinds of initiatives.

You're only talking about the negative side of social media. There are SO many benefits and useful aspects to using it. And a savvy user is well aware of the privacy risks and knows how to minimize them.

Big evil corporate conglomerates have been placing their financial interests before your own well-being since WELL before social media was around. This is not a new story, it's an old story taking a new twist.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Perhaps not knocked, but feared.
Social Media and mass electronic information gathering by business in general is a tool by which a company intrudes into consumer privacy in order to better exploit them. Information about your shopping habits is constantly collated, traded, and sold to other companies as well.

Why someone would want to play into their hands on purpose baffles me.
If anything, wary consumers should band together to frustrate these kinds of initiatives.

But Social Media is a choice, no one mandates anyone to use it. If you fear it, then simply don't sign up for anything and they won't be tracking things you do (but in that regard as well you would have to stop using the internet entirely at this point since everything is tracked). In that regard though, you can't fault any company for hopping on the social media bandwagon when it is clear that huge populations around the world have decided to embrace it. The world isn't slowing down anytime soon, and you have to go to where the largest potential markets are.

 

[maxairmike]

Oh wow little Timmy just checked in at Disney World, I've got dibs on his Flatscreen!! ... Just leads to all kinds of trouble. You'll come home to an empty house

Luckily I've got a match so I can watch the strawman go up in flames while the fire keeps me warm. Win-win!

 

[Clever Name]

But Social Media is a choice, no one mandates anyone to use it. If you fear it, then simply don't sign up for anything and they won't be tracking things you do (but in that regard as well you would have to stop using the internet entirely at this point since everything is tracked). In that regard though, you can't fault any company for hopping on the social media bandwagon when it is clear that huge populations around the world have decided to embrace it. The world isn't slowing down anytime soon, and you have to go to where the largest potential markets are.

Putting the "WeatherBug" on your computer was a choice too. Many people found out later the only way to remove it was to format their hard drive. Some people who think they removed that old program may be surprised to learn that it is still on their hard drive and reporting back to its master.

Eric Schmidt (former CEO of Google and now executive chairman) said, “Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line but not cross it. I would argue that implanting things in your brain is beyond the creepy line. At least for the moment, until the technology gets better.”

It is just naive to think that Facebook, Forursquare or any other social media has any reason to protect their user’s privacy. After all, their prime objective is to exploit their users. I hope all those who have embraced social media will be pleased with their future brain implants. :wave:

 

[c-one]

If you think staying off social media sites is all you need to do to keep companies from tracking you, you better check your cookies folder.