Some may think this is great news, others not so much. Me? I am still on the fence.

While it makes sense to let people take their data with them, is the data entered by other people something that others should be allowed to take with them, in every case, in all platforms, at any time?

Yes, I know, you can get people’s names, birthdates, email address, hobbies, and whatever else, and put it in some application or social networking site manually. That’s great. But that’s not my point. The point I am trying to make is where do we draw the line? Which information should be shared? How much information do you really need from me to import into all of your other applications?

I guess those people who don’t want all of their personal data out there for the world to take with them will just have to refrain from using social networking sites. But that defeats the whole point of social networking, doesn’t it? Oh sure, on the outside it sounds great. Everyone can take their data with them, but exactly what part of your name, address, phone number, email, hobbies, eye color, height, weight, driving habits, shopping habits, and bathroom schedule, makes your data “their” data? I know, I exaggerated a little bit, but you get the point.

After publishing an invitation to Facebook to join the DataPortability Working Group January 4, we never thought that Facebook would accept it. Today changes everything you’ve ever thought about social-networking data and lock-in before, because today Facebook, Google and Plaxo have joined the DataPortability Workgroup.

Google and Plaxo joining are a positive, however given that both have previously joined together for platforms such as OpenSocial it’s not that significant, but Facebook is another matter. On January 4 Michael sort of defended Facebook’s stance against Plaxo pulling data from Facebook on the grounds that “Facebook also has a very good reason for protecting email addresses – user privacy.” Today, by joining the DataPortability Working Group Facebook is embracing open standards and open access, and that is a huge fundamental change from its previous stance on being locked in to closed standards.

Many years ago, I was on Q-Link. I loved Q-link. I had a ton of friends on there too. None of them knew where I lived, they didn’t know my phone number, my address, my birthday, my hobbies, my hair color, or even my real name. We still had a great time, and life was good at 300 baud.

After Q-Link, I moved on to the local BBS scene. Because of the local meet ups, people knew my name, they knew what I looked like, what city I lived in, my hair color and a bit more I am sure. But they knew this information because I chose to share it with them. I chose to make that information available for them. They didn’t learn any of it, without me knowing they were getting it (ie, by showing up at the meet ups).

Next came IRC. I only met a couple of people on IRC, my wife being one of them. We’ve been married 10 and a half years now. Pretty awesome if you ask me. Very few people on IRC knew my real name, and none of them, except my future wife, knew my phone number, my address, my birthday, my hobbies, my hair color, or anything else. Again, only those people I trusted could have the information, and only those I wanted to do so could learn anything about me.

The online world is evolving, there is no doubt about that, but I should have the choice whether I want certain information available for others to see, and whether that information should be available to be grabbed with the click of a mouse. I am all for open standards and much that comes with it, but I for one, should be the one that decides what information is made public (and sharable) in any application or social network that I am a part of, and I should know about this BEFORE I sign up.

I know, many people don’t read the terms of service when they sign up at different websites, but it should be made plainly clear to them what is going to happen with their data.

Someone may live in a small town, and not want their information shared because it would be too easy for people to arrive in that small town and show up at their door. Others might live in a big city and worry about the same thing.

The point is, not everyone is going to use this social information with good intentions. That’s just a fact.

Me, I really don’t care, because the only information available to people about me, is information that is already readily available through various places, because I don’t use most if not all of the social networking sites for this very reason.

However, I would still like to know that I have a choice when it comes to what part of MY data is going to be open for sharing to a point where it becomes YOUR data.

Crossposted at: Slobokan’s Site O’ Schtuff & Kooks In Suits

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