I don’t know what everyone else is whining about (ahem! MoveOn.org) but I’m totally pumped about sharing my consumer purchases with my friends via Facebook’s Beacon. Not only that. I can’t wait to see what kind of crap my friends ACTUALLY endorse and purchase.
I don’t know about everyone else but I don’t know what most of my friends buy and endorse in their personal time when they aren’t trying to keep up their image. I have a friend who publicly hates on Starbucks and anything large-chain coffee makers do (I’m pretty sure she hates on them in her personal alone time, but who knows?).
I’m a really curious guy who really wants to see what books, music, movies etc my friends ACTUALLY buy in their personal consumer mode (see my past post titled I Totally Want To Invade My Friends’ Internet Lives for more).
Am I a little too much on the “pro” side of this whole Beacon thing? Maybe. But, I’m sure almost all of my friends won’t opt out of sharing their or viewing my consumer purchasing behavior. Let’s face it, humans are eff-ing curious people. That’s why the Facebook “news feed” is so addicting.
I agree that we should have an “opt out” option on all data that is shared with our friends. According to Techmeme today, it looks like we will see a total “opt out” for the whole Beacon thing. (Also see TechCrunch and BusinessWeek.)
As for the privacy issues surrounding a company collecting purchasing info on millions of people. This isn’t a new thing. The only thing new about this Beacon thing it is that Facebook is putting a social, consumer face on the data collection. In the past, companies used the data collection to market their products better, or in more dubious situations, sell to other companies.
If anything, Facebook is being honest with their users and putting a transparent window over their data collection.
Now shut up already, MoveOn.org. And, let me see my friends ACTUAL consumer purchasing behavior.
