commbasics

Big news in social media is the app Color .  The app, available on iPhone and Android platforms makes it possible to "simultaneously use multiple iPhones and Androids to capture photos, videos, and conversations into a group album. There's no attaching, uploading, or friending to do." Sounds cool.  My advice: run. The tech behind this tool is insidious.   We all know pretty much how GPS works. Geosynchronous satellites connect to mobile devices to pinpoint, within 50 feet your location.  Color makes this possible by triangulating the position of individuals taking pictures of each other, or landmarks or just signage on a store front, send that information back to the Color servers... and tell exactly where you are even if you aren't participating.. even if you don't have a smart phone. It's one thing to have voluntarily purchased a device that, when turned on, allows you to be found.  It's another thing to have your locat...

  Social media is not a fad .  It’s here to stay.  But the current incarnation is reaching a saturation point.  Almost everyone who is interested in being connected to a social platform has done so to whatever degree they want.  What is creating a barrier to adoption is the issue of privacy .  Let’s face it.  People are overwhelmed by the amount of data coming at them now.  They are finding subjective and subconscious ways of filtering it out either by ignoring the information or by actively removing themselves from the conversation (e.g. closing a Facebook account) .  This activity, while nascent at present, is the golden-goose kiler for social media.  If people actually start walking away in droves, that’s going to be a problem for a lot of companies.     Now I’ve made it clear that I believe privacy is not really an issue .  It’s something anyone can control if they wish, but the fact is, most people want t...

For a couple of months now, I've been doing live broadcasts on a variety of subject, ranging from semiconductor design to marijuana legalization , on a new network called Vpype. The broadcasts are sponsored by Vpype and Magma Design Automation and can be about anything that might pop into my mine. Yesterday, I had an interview fall through so I vamped on the subject of privacy in social networks, which I had touched on earlier this week in a blog. This is a big topic right now and I'm kinda surprised I haven't had more discussion... but a lot of people may be on vacation. So the interview can be seen here, and you can comment here, or go directly to my channel on Vpype  (that's even better for the show). Watch video live on Vpype Live Broadcaster