Private Property

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to speak to a great group of people at Podcamp Toronto 2010. Podcamp is a completely free, community run “unconference” that brings together hundreds (if not thousands!) of people interested in podcasting, social media, and technology.

I chose to speak about digital privacy and shed some light on all those little choices online citizens make every day. That balancing act we all play out in our minds of how much information we share, and what we try to keep private is becoming a concern for many people. Privacy norms are a clear reflection of the norms of a society and although we’re still very early in the development of online communities, there are some trends we’re beginning to see.

From the Google streetview car, to Facebook privacy policies, and even web-based services that try to shock/educate people into understanding how much information we put online, this is definitely an exciting and increasingly important topic.

This presentation was a starting point for discussion about privacy. There are definitely more questions out there than there are answers and everybody certainly has their own ideas about what privacy means to them. What is important right now, however, is to continue to talk about it, and educate ourselves about how to use online tools.

How do you decide what you share online? How does what you share impact your company’s or your own personal brand? Have you tried to help family members or friends understand their privacy settings, or have you found any really good resources you’d like to tell everyone about? Over to you in the comments!

posted in:

thinking

tags:

#pcto2010, 1984, facebook, please rob me, podcamp, podcamp toronto, policy, presentation, privacy, privacy settings, public information, social networks, toronto

leave a comment