Facebook Privacy

Image from digitaltends.com

Did you know that "when users join Facebook, they agree to a 4,000-word contract that allows the company to use their information as it sees fit" (IMJ)?  How many times have you hit the "Like" button or shared a post with your friends?  Each time you do, that "Like" or "Share" places a post on your Facebook wall, in the news feeds of your friends, and pops up in a database for whatever website originated the post or page that you liked or shared.  This allows the websites who are tracking likes and shares to target you for specific demographic-targeted posts or marketing.

Facebook users have not traditionally had the option of whether or not to share their information with these third-party websites.  This past Thursday, Facebook announced to it users privacy policy adjustments that disclosed just how their private information was being used.  However, buried within this policy "is one change that you should be specifically aware of so you can decide if you'd like to change some privacy settings you have control over" (Stern).  It is the Facebook user's responsibility to update privacy settings in their profile.  Simply posting "hey Facebook, don't share my posts or likes with anybody!" is not going to cut it.  

The suggested tagging options that Facebook provides users is another of the many ways that Facebook provides your information to third parties.  Joanna Stern of ABC News recommends utilizing the option to review tags on your page, instead of allowing just any tag to be posted automatically.  This, among other practices, can help prevent Facebook from sharing your private information.

The announcement by Facebook on Thursday was in direct response to proposed legislation regarding the sharing of private information by social networking sites.  Whether Facebook decides to be preemptive and disable the automatic sharing of data, thus allowing users to decide for themselves if they want their information to be shared, remains to be seen.

In the meantime, Facebook users should change the settings in their profiles, and disable anything that can be percieved to be automatic!

Resource

Facebook punished for privacy shortcomings. (2012, March-April). Information Management Journal, 46(2), 20. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.db24.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA301384153&v=2.1&u=lincclin_spjc&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

Stern, J.  "Facebook Wants to Know Your Face:  Privacy Policy Change May Analyze Photos".  ABC News.  30 August 2013.  Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/facebook-privacy-policy-analyze-profile-photo/story?id=20120896

IT and Geo-Mapping Help a Small Business Succeed

Image from Tea Collection

One might ask, can a small business experience the same growth through IT technology as big business?  Well, the Tea Collection, a children's apparel company, has figured out exactly what is needed to do just that.  Emily Meyer and Leigh Rawdon, co-founders of the Tea Collection, founded their company in San Francisco in 2002.  In 2006, they launched their e-commerce website, TeaCollection.com.  By utilizing information technologies that are not just for big businesses,the Tea Collection has seen a signficant rise in revenues.

The VP of Sales, Tim Watson, uses IT software to help close deals with new retailers.  This allows retailers to order stock without having to pick up the phone and place a verbal order with the company.  Aside from using software that facilitates ordering by retail stores, the company uses design software, and software to sell the clothing online.  The company's sales software uses geomapping to target key regions and find prospects for retail selling and distribution of the clothing line.  "Geomapping enables visualization of sales volume and sales quantity in relation to your branch offices, POS or sales representatives" (Relate).  Because of the global inspiration of the Tea Collections clothing line, the geomapping software allows them to target key demographics that will be interested in this culturally-inspired clothing line.  Regarding geomapping, a similar system utilized in banking is that of marketing customer information files or MCIFs.  "With more information about where customers shop or even what radio stations they listen to, the MCIF can better target individuals or groups of individuals for specific products and services" (Steinborn).

The key challenge of these various software systems is integration.  Without the integration of the software systems, delays in order processing, production and design, and order delivery would occur.  The IT solutions utilized by the Tea Collection have enabled to the company to experience exponential growth in sales and revenues that have given them greater visibility in the children's clothing market.  With successful implementation of improved IT software, their growth is sure to continue!

Resource

Why do you need Geomapping? Relate: Relationshiop Database Management. Retrieved from http://www.relate.de/index.php/geomapping_en.html 31 August 2013.

Steinborn, D. (1994, June). Know your customers better through an MCIF. ABA Banking Journal, 86(6), 29+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.db24.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA15430800&v=2.1&u=lincclin_spjc&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w