Idiot or not?
Observing behaviors fuels curiosity and introspection. This month, I have had the opportunity to hear many people1, within my circle of influence, express their direct or indirect fear of being identifiably online. Google, Flickr, Facebook, et al., intimidate their sense of privacy.
A student who refuses to have his email on Gmail, avoids Facebook. A knowledge manager expresses her concerns about Google Appliance and why it may not be right for the organization’s intranet. Coffee table chats are synonymous in their disapproval about Facebook and identifiable information; and blogging is a gone too far scenario, approached with disbelieving looks that seem to yell: “Are you nuts?”
These conversations seem to tell me that a lot of people are making a conscious decision in avoiding Google out of fear—of possible loss of privacy.
I wonder why such things don’t bother me anymore. I wonder if I have become immune to such sensitivities. By publishing thoughts here openly, I wonder whether I am really trying to kick the idiot out of me, or actually becoming one instead without realizing.
- Normal people—the type you’d identify as users, consumers and non-geeks. [←]