Thought Chasm

I wanted to title this, “why the stewards of data portability can’t be trusted” but nobody off my followers list would have read further.

I’m a binge/purge anti/pro-consumerist. I have two Facebook accounts. Both facts are perilously close to becoming problems. My lack of trust in others and knowing Facebook is a sham run by morons has me anxious.

I’ve slowed my financial flow. I’ve replaced much of my decayed savings in the last month or so and am attempting to be more frugal. (Somehow I’ve misplaced ≈$25 somewhere so I can’t claim I’m doing well.) Unfortunately, when it comes to personal data, I can’t do the same to protect my online persona.

Note for those with lives off the interweb:
There’s a set of folk who are flexing their keggels in wait for “data portability.” This basically means all your profile/personal data is open so it can be accessed from anywhere. (One profile, multiple sites. Fun, right?) Facebook Connect (with so much of this data) was the beacon of hope for the data-portables.

Without time to remove or edit current profiles, Facebook decided to change their Terms of Service so they have control of users’ data forever. (In my limited grasp of space-time continuums and Sci-Fi movies, that’s a long time.) Thus, they’ve proven they can’t be trusted. Again.

Facebook uses it’s ample user base within a corporate-control experiment in a desperate attempt to generate any revenue. Still, they’re a (or the) primary player and should be held to account. (Myspace, et al shouldn’t be trusted either.)

How Facebook could have better managed their manipulation (an incomplete list):

• Announce the change (people could reduce the amount of information on their profile)
• Provide the option to remove one’s data from pool (profile appears the same, data not sold)
• Change as an opt-in under the guise of providing better service
• Delete the data upon deletion of an account (their 150+ million users should provide sufficient data for sale).

These would have provided less data to start but would have let users grow comfortable with the idea.

One of the underlying goals of data portability is control, use of your data as you see fit. Facebook taking that control (essentially stealing your data indefinitely) is an affront to just that. For now, just like my dismal savings (and worse outlook), I can only omit (nights on the town = profile information).

Data portability could be a powerful tool for users and marketers alike (follow @alisamleo at Web is Social), but until we have control, it will remain a movement for cheerleaders on the fringe. Users’ common sense (read: fear) and corporate manipulation will continue to render it completely ineffective.

For those on Facebook or considering joining (who isn’t on it? I mean… really…), take note and watch what you’re putting into their systems. Your profile will outlive you.

Cross-posted at Sex Drugs and Intellectual Freedom.

Update: Some have said, in so many words, “who cares?” to the TOS change within Facebook. Understandable. My point was they’ve made another of many mistakes. Their failure to notify users, their post-wreckage band-aide post, their arrogant grab of content and their complete defiance of the data portability flag they’ve wrapped themselves in is what’s outrageous. Not them doing it in the first place.

From a company so melodramatically moronic, it should have been expected. Zuckerberg and Co. have essentially told us to chill out, that they won’t use our content how we wouldn’t want, and we should trust them. When someone asks me to trust them (especially after proving themselves untrustworthy), I don’t.