How Private Can We Be Online?

“Every time we use eBay or write a Gmail, we make a trade-off between body, technology and nature by allowing our data to become part of that organization’s knowledge base.”

Thomas, Sue (2006). The End of Cyberspace and Other Surprises. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Vol. 12, No. 4, 383-391.

Do we really understand how much information is stored about every little thing done online? A thing as simple as information about the sale of an item is stored, along with personal information. This information, along with all other info stored can be used in the future to help with the development of this product. It shows the demographic that is most likely to purchase this item. If it is something electronic, this item may be able to connect online and find updates to improve itself. Nothing we do is private. We get better service when our information is collected and that is the trade off.

But does this collected information hurt us. While it is possible that it could, it most likely won’t. Most companies aren’t collecting our names and addresses to learn about us in general, but use this information as a demographic so they can better their service or product. They do not know us personally; our name is no different than a number to most. They gather this information to compare how different demographics react or purchase their product.
That being said, it is still important to know what information you are sharing with others and that it can be found, and this isn’t restricted to the internet. You have your name, address and phone number published in a phone book unless you request it to be unlisted. This information can be found by anybody and is much of what companies collect.

While having your information stored into a database may not be harmful, it is important to remain cautious and aware of what information is out there.