Have you reconsidered any of your own technology habits?

[Nina]

This book points out several ways that users can be vulnerable to
an app or website using their personal information. Did it make you rethink your own behaviors and consider what you might do differently?

[Eric]

I will for sure not use Uber again.

[Nina]

I've definitely been thinking more carefully when I'm asked to share information. The other day a survey was sent out at work that asked for our names, and I immediately questioned why that information was necessary.

I've looked at the information I've shared on some of my social media profiles and really thought about why I was sharing it. As a result, I ended up removing some of that info that I thought was unnecessary.

I wish I had known about the Glass Room Exhibit when it was in New York, I definitely would have visited. I did find the online version of the Data Detox Kit and am going to start to work my way through the steps. Will update if I discover anything noteworthy!

[HKMar]

Personally I am known to take breaks from Facebook (which I will be from now on call it a detox) I actually two accounts I had to in order to keep friendships and families together because of the Election and it's victor. One account is super private the other not so much but then again it's hardly used. I may reconsider on being weary of Facebook's intentions when they claim to help us for our cause (the ones that belong in the resistance movement) I feel more than ever than I am living in the 1984 book. The passage in the book on pg. 171 really got me questioning Facebook's future more nefarious intentions about Zuckerberg's manifesto and where the book says " a future where Facebook AI listens in on conversations to identify potential terrorists, where elected officials hold meetings on Facebook, and where a ["global safety infrastructure"]. " This creeped me out even MORE... it's FACEBOOK for crying out loud. And the AI listening in on our conversations is definitely happening Amazon and Facebook got that from the CIA but not to help us but to use us and track us, it's scary to say but they are essentially Big Brothers of their dominions.

[Amy]

I've be reconsidering my habits for a while now, and it mostly started when I worked for the Army. I became very aware of privacy and security. Here are some things I've done.

1. No more Facebook. One day almost a year ago, I spontaneously disabled my account. I haven't missed it, which is surprising.

2. I do not have my Locations feature turned on in my phone settings. That doesn't mean it isn't easy to trace me, but it sure limits who has that data.

3. I do not install any apps that request access to anything I don't think it should have. So, no Uber. No LetGo. No Angry Birds (did you see the list of data they want??).

4. If a website uses a dark pattern (what the author has called "negging", visit darkpatterns.org to see the Hall of Shame and the "Types of Dark Pattern" you will come across), I leave immediately. The content isn't worth supporting their terrible anti-patterns. The faster I leave the website, the better. Let that show in their analytics, don't just "take it". Make sure your disgust is obvious.

5. Never post personal information, especially about where you will be soon. You might think only friends and family are seeing something, but you'd be surprised how not private your data is. I usually keep email subject lines concise as well, and often generic, like "Hello", for people I know well. No reason that more easily accessible email header data needs to have details.

6. I've been moving away from online services. Right now I use Netflix because my brother gives me access to his account, and similarly with Amazon Prime, but I've become quite unhappy with Amazon and their marketing partners. I don't want to see my shopping habits on websites I've never visited before (or even websites I have visited). I am strongly considering closing up my wishlists and switching back to "in person" shopping again (I get enough boxes stolen off my stoop anyway). Support local business (hey, for me, Target is actually local :P), use some real money instead of credit cards (I have enough credit history now, I don't need to be as aggressive using "credit" anymore). The only problem is some of my standard items (e.g. cacao nibs) are not easy to find in person.

7. I've also stopped filling in all the fields of a form. I like to complete things, so I would fill in most fields if not all. Not only do I only provide the minimum, I also may not fill something out at all if I do not see a reason to give someone else that data. All it's going to do is give them more fuel to harass me with marketing anyway. I've also come to terms with entering "false" data (when not signing a ToS as well, which usually states something about falsified information), if it's something required and I need to get into a service.

8. I refuse to buy IoT devices. Not only that, I am reverting to the 1980s... for instance, I'm considering a kitchen scale. But not digital. I'm looking at the good ol' analog version. I'm irritated my bathroom scale has "died". But really, analog makes it a lot more difficult to "tap" into a potential item.

[Amy]

Vanessa wrote: "This book helped me articulate the reasons behind some of the habits I'd already changed and for some of the gut instincts I had. For instance - I did not know that the Data Detox kit existed, but ..."

OMG, I hate how many apps I cannot delete, including that NFL one!

[Amy]

Okay, finally finished the book last night, and I will likely be much more diligent about researching the company before installing any new applications or web applications a la browser. I am so glad I left Facebook nearly a year ago, have never used Reddit or Uber, and while I have a Twitter account, I don't use it. I may leave that as well, I gain little from it.

Yay that Slack, the communication tool of choice at work, is fighting the status quo though. Unfortunately, Google and Github are necessary.

I agree with this young author's quote:

"Personally, I believe "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I'd rather use film cameras and vinyl records and cathode ray tubes than any sort of the digital technology available. Look around! The streets are full of people who would rather have their eyes on their cell phones than on the world around them! Scientists are researching technology to erase specific memories from people! Our thrown-away digital technology is showing up overseas in huge piles of toxic heavy metals and plastic!

And yet there are still people who keep wanting technology and the future to keep going. They dream of flying cars, or humanoid robots, of populated cities on Mars. But do we really NEED this stuff? Maybe before we try to keep turning our world into an episode of The Jetsons, we should focus more on the problems that are surprisingly being overlooked now more than ever. Before we design another stupid cell phone or build a flying car, let's put a stop to racism, to sexism, to homophobia, to war. Let's stop buying all our "American" products from sweat shops overseas and let's end poverty in third-world countries. Let's let film photography never go obsolete, let's let print books continue to be printed. Let's stop domestic violence and child abuse and prostitution and this world's heavy reliance on prescription drugs. Let's stop terrorism, let's stop animal cruelty, , let's stop overpopulation and urbanization, let's stop the manufacture of nuclear weapons...

...I mean come on, we have all these problems to solve, but digital tech enthusiasts are more concerned that we don't have flying cars or robotic maids yet? That's pathetic.”
― Rebecca McNutt"

[Eric]

Amy wrote: "Okay, finally finished the book last night, and I will likely be much more diligent about researching the company before installing any new applications or web applications a la browser. I am so gl..."

I poked around a bit with Slack and it looked great. I would love to figure out a way to communicate here with staff that did not include so many email threads.

Also, sooooo true about technology solving problems that do not really exsist. It feels a bit like the economy that needs to be fed requires it. Thanks Amy for bringing this up.

[Nina]

Vanessa wrote: ""I have too many apps - do I really need all this stuff?" Usually the answer is no. I basically assist them in doing a digital-detox lite."

I just helped my grandfather turn off all his Facebook notifications. I've had my own turned off for ages, and I didn't actually realize just how aggressive they were. By default, everything is turned on, so his tablet was chiming all the time, notifying him about so much unnecessary stuff: each time his friends made a post (regardless of whether he was tagged) ; suggesting "people you may know" ; telling him to sync his contacts to find more friends...
And how many other people don't ever turn those off?

[Nina]

Amy wrote: "I refuse to buy IoT devices. Not only that, I am reverting to the 1980s... for instance, I'm considering a kitchen scale. But not digital. I'm looking at the good ol' analog version. I'm irritated my bathroom scale has "died". But really, analog makes it a lot more difficult to "tap" into a potential item."

This is great, Amy! I'd love to see a back-to-analog trend catch on!
Have you had any trouble finding analog versions of things?

[Amy]

No problem with what I have looked for, the caveat bring the Internet... working on my recall ability and trying to not rely on Googling right away. That, and cursive, seen to be fading arts.