We humans are a careful and trusting but community-loving lot. We are willing to share our wants with others we trust and, if we can do so anonymously, we are willing to share with Madison Avenue.
While it is against our nature to hang a public notice outside our home, just look at what we are doing on the Internet. We search on the Internet believing we are anonymous when in fact the search provider knows what we are searching for and is storing that information. Also, believing that everything we type and upload is protected we share our most private details and desires with friends on a Social Networking website that we trust when it promises to follow our wishes regarding community and privacy.
Simply stated, we are volunteering all the very same information that Madison Avenue wants to create a timely snapshot of each of us. We are the trusting type and believe that the recipients of our trust do care enough to deserve our trust.
Facebook’s recent adventure with its Beacon Project is an example of how we react if trust is violated. Facebook’s attempt to monetize its technology investments by sharing online purchase histories without maintaining individual anonymity infuriated everyone including persons who received histories.
On the other hand, Google is successful at continuing to cultivate our confidence that every search is anonymous and has cleverly leveraged our search topic as fodder for Madison Avenue’s hunger. Such creative middlemen with squeaky-clean reputations are worth their weight in gold to Madison Avenue as evidenced by Google’s revenues. It is no stretch of the imagination that Google’s revenues are expected to continue to grow as it enters new markets, if Google's behaviour continues to show that Google cares about how it uses personal information.
In short, Google has figured out that trust (how personal information is used) is fundamental to monetizing investments in technology. Is it any wonder then that Microsoft now wants to buy Yahoo for a princely sum as the only way to monetize Internet investments?
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The inherent assumption of this article (and in my opinion a correct one) is that web users are a trusting lot. Interesting perspective on how internet data streams are being screened for gold in much the way the "49ers" (not the football team) panned the the Sierra rivers 160 years ago. The gold is our demographic, economic, and sociological data differentiators.
I think honest and transparent companies will be the ones which respect the "Trust" covenant inherent in free enterprise.
What is the positive value of a search engine such as Google knowing our wants and needs?
The CEO of social network SodaHead.com presented a compelling argument at a recent event. Allowing advertisers to act as our web concierge does can bring us to stuff we need. I know searches tagged with ads have helped me to find things.
The larger question: How much of that stuff did I really need and how much happier am I with it?
Put another way is that much temptation in a time of need such a good thing? My garage runneth over. Have I added value to my life or just more stuff to sheppard around?
Anyone else asking the same questions?
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