Thoughts, 2.0

In preparing the post below, I stumbled onto what I think is a worthwhile, professional use of Flickr - which I recently learned came into being during the development of an online video game/virtual world.
I wanted to find pictures of people celebrating (or protesting) the recent independence of Kosovo. And I wanted to be able to re-post those pictures here at EJC.net – i.e., I didn’t want the pictures to be under strict copyright.
First I went to Shutterstock, which we’ve used occasionally for stock photos. But of course, if you enter “Kosovo,” you get pictures of really gorgeous scenery… and old ladies in babushkas! These image banks don’t contain current events photos or ones which give a realistic depiction of everyday life.
After Googling around a while and not finding what I wanted, I went to Flickr and used their advanced search option. I narrowed down the dates to the three days surrounding 17 February, when Kosovo declared its independence. Then I chose to see only photos marked with the “Creative Commons” logo.
Bam! I found about 500 pictures, taken all over the world. I was impressed. This seems like a great way to get re-usable photos from news events attended by a lot of people.

Second thought, this on privacy: While working for the EJC, I’ve heard a lot of adults puzzle over the amounts of previously well-guarded information which youngsters are giving away for free on platforms like Facebook.
I have been a Facebook user since 2004 and find it the best way to keep in touch with my friends back home in the States – and network with new friends I’m meeting throughout Europe.
But the only people below the age of 21 I liaise with via Facebook are relatives: my three younger siblings and some cousins. And I have to say, their behaviour on Facebook is a lot different than mine.
I must admit – I did at one point have my phone number listed on my profile. And I continue to use Facebook to look up friends’ phone numbers when I’m somewhere away from my own computer, where I have everything stored (if I stay late at the office and want to use my Skype account from here, for example).
But I saw an interesting thing on my brother’s page just now: He’s part of a group that says “sorry new phone and new number, 630.699.3875 so I need your numbers.”

I clicked on the group, and 55 people have posted their numbers – all right there for me (or telemarketers, or potential stalkers, or whoever) to see and use!
I always thought it was OK to list my phone number on my profile page because I thought, “What if someone wants to call me and they are somewhere they don’t have my number but do have the Internet?”
Given that only people who are my approved friends can see my profile page, this seemed like perfectly sound logic.
Plus, in my last job I was working at a newspaper, so I was always trying to be as available as possible. My personal cell number (sorry, mobile phone!) was given on my work voicemail also… and my work number was published each day in the paper. So it wouldn’t be difficult to reach me…
But I have to say I never got any creepy calls… So maybe Mr. 699.3875 won’t either… Still, it’s interesting to note that this group of upcoming Digital Natives (I would call myself one… but maybe a grey-haired one, especially compared to my siblings. My youngest sister, who is 16, can’t remember not having a computer. Nor can she remember when “computer” wasn’t simultaneous with “Internet”) has a completely different point of view on privacy and information sharing.

Posted on February 21, 2008 by .
Filed under blogging.