One of the better explanations regarding data privacy that I've seen - thank you. Nothing is free and the cost of free content is advertising. In order to serve up relevant ads, I pay by relinquishing information about my behavior. The issue is that this agenda is hidden.

In most cases it is VERY difficult to "turn off" tracking and almost impossible to erase history once you find out what data has been captured/tracked. What is missing is not privacy, but control over privacy - who gets to use my data and who doesn't. And how secure is my data?

I believe the Contextual Web is a good thing, but I want to transparency rather than obfuscation around how that data is used and some control over who has access to the data and where it is stored.

As my company plays in the Contextual Web space, I follow this topic very closely and have a pretty strong opinion on the subject. In the end, it is about getting ME, the consumer to spend MY money with a product or service vendor (advertiser). It's about time that all of these companies thought about who their END CUSTOMER is and design a solution around them.

Thank you,

Liz

This is true, it is about hidden agenda. This is nothing new, though, it has always been like this in the business world.

The problem is, as you are pointing out, is that it is almost impossible to opt out. Like you can't tell Amazon do not suggest. Their answer is - this is what we do.

As individuals we feel very strongly about this, we do not want to be watched - period. But, companies feel that each visit is a two way street and they have a right to learn about us to maximize their profits.

Its a tough subject for sure ;)

Alex

But if companies can get deeply personal data about you, then so can governments. A government has only to tell its own legal system to force a company to turn over whatever a company has.

Obviously not all companies and governments are bad, but the only way to make sure they're not bad is for them to be transparent.

I'm not ignoring the question of whether or not one can actually secure information about oneself.

In fact, it's this combination of lack of transparency in governments and the level at which our personal lives are being mined that has me uneasy.

The first step is to know our profile, the part of us we send around the Web and so try to trace and store our attention data, practically spy ourself.

You raise very good point, this is probably should be a subject of another post.

Alex

If you don't like using search engines then don't use one. I can hear some that would say, Oh, but it is my right to use a search engine. Yes, perhaps a government owned search engine that you have the right to its use, since you pay tax that contributes in funding that state-owned search engine. For the Google search engine or similar ones (Yahoo, Microsoft, etc), it is a private property, which is not state-owned, and all you whingers here have no right to demand what Google , Microsoft, Yahoo, what they can or can't do with their own private properties , ie, collected data about you.

Hands up those here who disagree with this or think that they have a right to someone else property? If you think you have a right to demand Google, not to do anything with the data that they collected about you, then perhaps, you list your address here, so that I can drive around your neighbourhood and take a good look at your house, examine it closely and see if I don't like its look (its architecture or its color). If I don't like your property perhaps for its ugly look, then I will demand you that you should paint it according to a color of my (not yours) choosing.

Now, if you don't like the hypothetical scenario that I have described above, then it is exactly the same as Google feels. Whatever they want to do with their own property such as collected data (their own house) is none of the public's business. Likewise, it is none of my business to come and demand you that you should re-paint your house with a different color since I don't like its look.

The tools now exist for users to literally convert their lifestream/clickstream into Attention Profiles - and the standard exists for the Attention profile to be ported from service to service.

You can refer to www.Engagd.com and www.APML.org for more info.

The transparency and ownership now rests with the user - users and app developers now need to start demanding it from the web.

I do not think you really read the post. It has nothing to do with attention. Attention information is only one small aspect of privacy issues. In this particular case, the focus is on tools that automatically collect information when you click around on the web.

You keep on asking me to look at APML. I have and you know that, as well as you know what I think. I was very clear in my post on Attention Silos. I would like to see these standards evolving around an organization with a bit broader involvement from industry experts and technologists.

Alex

In regards to standards, Standards form where they form. It's not a perfect system. The wonderful value of the web is that anyone can propose and implement something and the community decides what to adopt. Sometimes it comes from great and dedicated standards bodies, and sometimes it just comes from people trying to fill their own needs.

APML has a broad and growing set of support in the form of the APML workgroup/mailing list and various discussion groups.

If you know of an active body who can adopt and broaden the conversation we are all for hearing about it.

In the mean time it's time for a little less conversation and a little more action.

It is ironic that you are calling me to act.

I belong to handful of people who are pushing the attention rock up the hill and trying make things work by actively blogging about it, talking to industry leaders, big companies and through my work at AdaptiveBlue. It is a complex issue and is not going to be solved via one incomplete spec.

I like what you are doing, but I would suggest that you should not mix your agenda with public good - this is not the way to get things done.

Alex

@Chris + Alex - I agree with you both. APML, while new, is laudable in its approach to attention transparency. The spec needs help, yes, but it is a step in the right direction. In fact, I see it and the use/adoption of it as a great start in educating consumers of online content how their "data" is used by the sites they visit. In an ideal world, this personal attention data is transferred on an opt-in basis where consumers of content are driving the adoption up to publishers and service providers (and not vice versa).

Since Web 2.0 has effectively handed control from publishers to users, I think that this is a simple step to extend the power of the user. i.e., if publishers abuse my personal data, then I will simply "vote with my feet". I think that the fear of loosing audience, at least in the web 2.0 world where audience is so valuable, will keep publishers and service providers in-line.

Alex

I, for one, would love to know about active open standards and tools that are emerging to capture and remix Attention metadata from all the vendors out there in the ecosystem. Who are the handful of people you speak of pushing the Attention Rock up hill? Let the world know of your valiant efforts!

I have posted more on the Engagd blog.

http://blog.engagd.com/2007/08/controlling-your-own-attention-data.html

Also, I would welcome your opinion on our own efforts with Engagd.

2) I am a member of the APML workgroup, and I work at a firm that has 140,000 people and makes $20 billion annually. The enterprise architect's are well aware of APML and the need for attention management, because I introduced them to it and I know they like it. In fact, I joined the workgroup because it's the best effort I have seen to tackle the issue. Having said that though, APML is only part of the solution.

3) If we are going to argue about it, we might as well formally define it. Start with my definition -
http://liako.biz/2007/04/define-privacy-what-does-it-mean-to-you/

"APML allows users to export and use their own personal Attention Profile in much the same way that OPML allows them to export their reading lists from Feed Readers.

The idea is to boil down all forms of Attention Data – including Browser History, OPML, Attention.XML, Email etc – to a portable file format containing a description of ranked user interests."