Read this. Democracy in the age of Google. I haven’t even heard of some of these things. But I use Twitter, facebook and this blog a lot. I’m becoming more aware of how important they are as mechanisms to build communities of interest without walls.
Have just discovered Tweetdeck, which manages all your Twitter comments, and makes it easier to track the things you want to track.
These innovations have changed the world. There’s plenty of others no doubt. Tell us about yours.
Oh and hat tip to the famous Tom Watson (via Twitter)
Without walls? Twitter maybe but Facebook… If you wanted to move that data, are you able to? What are you signing away when you agree to their license? If you were delete your account, does the content you’ve put up there go with the account or does it stay up there?
There is a trade off for convenient web services and without knowing what these trade off’s are, you’re essentially signing your soul away…
Ooh, Facebook, what a lovable minefield! It’s my understanding that they own your data and can keep it forever even after you’ve deactivated the account. Can also use stuff, e.g. photos for derivative works.
“does the content you’ve put up there go with the account or does it stay up there?” – It’s my feeling that anything that goes on the net is near impossible to erase completely.
There’s huge pressure out there to be part of social networking sites, because all your friends etc are communicating that way. I worry about really young people you are posting dodgy photos of themselves and saying things that in years to come may come back to embarrass them.
From what I understand, Facebook are now required to delete all your data from their servers when you delete your account so people can remove all their dodgy photos etc which may cause problems later in life.
@Andy B – I thought they had recently gone back to their old terms and conditions. Though I could be wrong about this, they do make a lot of changes. I have nothing against Facebook, as a tool it is brilliant and I’m not bashing it, I just think there are risks that come with using social networking sites.
Even you what you say is true, there is another problem – other people taking photos and you’re in them, and you’re possibly not even aware that the photos were taken and then they get posted and forwarded in other people’s profiles.
Sometimes you get tagged in a photo etc. Your image can travel far and wide.
The question isn’t so much what MySpace or Facebook are doing now, it’s more a matter of being aware that these issues exist. Instead of focusing on each service and having to inform everyone of the issues of individual services like this, an awareness drive needs to be paramount. Always ask, what am I losing?
I had a friend who took photos at my birthday party a few years back and posted them to Bebo. I couldn’t even look at them unless I had a Bebo account. She’s been banned from any events I have on the basis that it’s my event and the content from those events are not to be used to force people into a service they don’t want. I don’t even know what’s in those photos yet I know they’re up there… boo and hiss to people who have no thought as to what they’re taking away from me when using these services….
Clare,
You’re right that social networking is an important way for MPs to communicate with the electorate, but what about MPs’ personal web pages?
As far as I can tell, your website was last updated on 16 Dec 2008 – 308 days ago. I would have expected that the Spokesperson for IT and Communications would place greater emphasis on, well, IT and communications.
Is there any reason you’ve decided to ditch the website?
No, in the past year I’ve noticed changes on the website, though I do agree that some parts are a bit out of date, e.g.the touching base visit is no longer recent. I don’t think anyone has ditched it, I just think people have been busy.
@ G and apologies for not responding earlier. Getting my act together around the website. Am finding the blog (Red Alert), Facebook and Twitter more effective ways of communicating. Because they’re easier and more immediate. But the website is important and will happen. Keep harassing me.
@ Spud do you refrain from using emoticons when you comment on my posts? That’s sweet.
@everyone who has issues with social networking. There are issues. Of course. But it wont stop and the challenge for politicans is to understand the social phenonmenon that’s occuring and make sure that there are protections for consumers, but enabling mechanisms for people to break down boundaries. It’s my anthropological background that gets excited about this stuff
@Clare, yes.