Legal, Policies, and Ethics.

Time and time again I have heard that nothing you ever post on the internet is safe. Whether it be on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., when you post something for the internet to see, it can never be erased. At least that’s what I’ve been taught my whole life.

When it comes to Snapchat though, there is a broader sense of security; even if it’s false. The idea that the picture and comment you post with it will disappear within 1-10 seconds makes it seem like your content will somehow cease to exist. Sorry to burst all of your privacy bubbles, but Snapchat has the ability store and use the pictures you take. According to snapchat.com, “We collect the content you provide and information about that content, such as if the recipient has viewed the content, replayed the content, and the metadata that is provided with the content.” Yeah whaaaat. It’s not a complete surprise to me though that this app has the rights to whatever you post to it. It’s a smart idea for anyone in the cyber business.

Within this modern day and age, there are very few things that are completely secure and locked away where no one but yourself can view. There is very little privacy while we’re being bombarded with news, media, and social platforms that almost beg for your immediate attention and feedback. Without thinking twice, in a split second you can irrationally send something out into the internet world and have it be there for the rest of your life. Even if you delete it seconds later.

There is a certain app that I think offers more security than others… and it is called PhotoVault. This app lets you take certain photos from your camera roll and transport them to a separate folder within the PhotoVault app that is then password protected. Why you would want to hide certain photos from possibly being seen by your friends and family is your scandalous business. BUT if you have the need for this, then this app sounds like a pretty good idea, right? Wrong. After further investigation I found reviews online of customers who bought this app in confidence that it would protect their privacy. It didn’t quite do that. Upon plugging the device into a computer, the photos were displayed for everyone around in the near vicinity to see. I think that this app should have more explicitly stated the type of security that it provides… instead of being so vague and providing false confidence to the user.

Have you ever robbed a bank? Committed a felony? Lied to your people? Well then my advice to you is to write all of your experiences down in a journal like your ancestors did. Instead of texting about something you don’t want other people to know, send a carrier pigeon. Instead of sharing your location with all of your Instagram followers, send them all a postcard from your trip because that is about the only way you can be sure that your information is safe these days.  

http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Software-Solutions-PhotoVault/product-reviews/B004JJGLHO

https://www.snapchat.com/privacy

Collaborative and Distance Communication Platforms

Skype. Facetime. Google Hang-out. What do these three things have in common? Well, they are all collaborative and distance communication platforms.

In my experience using these platforms, Facetime is my go to. I’ve tried using Skype. Skype is literally my worst nightmare. The buffering and the account set up and the glitches makes me want to stab my eyes out with my fingernails. Dramatic, but true. And not to mention that you have to pay for services that Facetime already lets you do. Bleh.  As I was researching though, I realized that this communication tool has a lot more than just video calls. You can text, send images, and send video messages all within the app. Which is cool I guess… but not cool enough for me to want to use it over using Facetime.

Another option other than Skype is Google Hang-Out. I have only ever tried this once… back in the day when I was a senior in high school. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty cool. I could chat with my friends that lived an hour away and we could see every single one of our faces! At the same time. That was monumental. There still were a few glitches though. The main thing that turned me off to Google Hang-Out was how confusing the setup and maintenance was of the site. If I were to get on today and try and figure out how to navigate that now, I would have zero idea… and I feel like it would be hard to find resources to help me.

And then came Facetime. What a glorious sentence that is. I don’t want to say that I’m an apple snob but like… I probably am. Facetime might not have the same capabilities as Skype and Google Hang-Out does when it comes to group communication, but it is SO much more user friendly. And simple. And accessible. That is what I think trumps every other communication platform in the tech world these days; accessibility and quality of service. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype

http://www.differencebtw.com/difference-between-skype-and-facetime/

Location Based Platforms

Location based platforms. Not going to lie, when I first heard that I didn’t have the slightest idea what that meant. But after further research, I get it. It means that within the social media universe, it’s sharing your location and using that as a tool to communicate. It’s a new way that we can connect! Some apps that use it are Instagram, Facebook, Twitter… and yes, even TINDER. That is the basis of what Tinder’s purpose is. To find other future desirable mates that are in your location area. Mates... or skanky dates.

Throughout the modern world, this is a somewhat new development. It now allows you to share your location and pin point exactly where you are at this very moment. Your followers and fellow social media users now have access to your most precious and personal information… in my opinion. It’s kind of a scary though you know? If your location services are turned on, then any crazy yahoo on the internet knows where you are and can show up at your front door. They can climb in your windows, and snatch your people up. Legitimately.

I think that on the other hand, location based social media can be a benefit for your squad.

Squad = Crew, posse, gang: an informal group of individuals with a common identity and a sense of solidarity… according to urbandictionary.com. For a tight-knit group of friends, this can be monumental: especially for high school aged girls.  You can be kept up to date on where your besties are and where to meet up at lunch or after school. The app Down To Lunch specifically comes to mind. It lets you know who, where, and at what place your people want to eat.

Considering that social media is so prevalent in our society… I think that it’s pretty rad that it is still being innovated and changed for the need of new social structures.  In order to stay ahead of the game, change is necessary. 

Sources: 

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/lbsn/

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=squad

Most Used Platforms.

Facebook.
So many different things come to mind upon hearing that word. I got a Facebook when I was in the eighth grade. How do I remember that? Because I still have the same password that I did eight years ago. Shhhh, don’t let anyone hack me. It might be easier than you think. There have been many jokes about how Facebook makes you love people that you don’t like in real life… and hate the ones that you actually do know personally. Why? Personal status updates. Too many selfies. Political debates. “Look how cute my baby is!” We’ve all seen it. We’ve then inadvertently avoided ‘liking’ their post. Which thankfully in this case, Facebook actually takes note of. 

In this article posted from www.wired.com, a man actually liked every single thing he saw on Facebook for an entire 48 hours, regardless of whether he actually liked it or not. He found that within the first hour, his news feed was basically ‘devoid of human content.’

Advertisements and news articles and links to other external sites became the only thing Facebook wanted him to see, because he was showing an interest in it. And also, these things perpetuate money for the company. This made me realize how inexplicably unaware we are of the target advertising that our online social media has control over. Like one of our guest speakers said in class, Facebook messenger has control over our microphones. It says it right there in the fine print. WHAT. That way, when it hears certain things in our daily life… it can customize what type of ads and posts are then linked to our news feed. What in the world. There were a plethora of articles I found that outlined the privacy risks of Facebook, just like this one.

Considering the overwhelming amount of users that this online mogul has, over 1 billion, should we stop and take into account how it is actually affecting our lives? Whether it be subliminally or right there out in the open. It definitely has more power than we realize.