Mitchell Scott

I took a class last semester called “Information Assurance.” In this class, one the large points is that data is the most valuable asset a company has. In the month leading up to Facebook’s IPO, this fact was crucial to the value of the company. The only way Facebook makes money is through ads. Advertisers pay the big money to only show their ads to people that are likely to buy the product they offer. This is the real reason advertisers are willing to pay Facebook. This is why Facebook went public for $115 billion.

Facebook has access to every picture you upload, every location you check in at, every Facebook profile you view, every like, every comment, and every post. This is a huge repository of data, and this is what advertisers are paying for. They tailor ads based on what they think you, specifically, will click on. 

Now think about this: are you, as Facebook’s user, a customer of Facebook? You don’t pay Facebook. Advertisers do. What do they pay for? Your information and everything you do. In effect, Facebook is selling you. You are Facebook’s product. Facebook wants you to stay, and to post information often. They say things like “Your friends are missing you!” “Tell your friends what you’re doing/ where you are/ what you like!” to get you to give their advertisers as much information as possible.

Is this all a little paranoid? Maybe, but Facebook has a troublesome history with privacy. Facebook is constantly under investigation for leaking private user data. 

I don’t use Facebook enough to get much out of it, and I’d rather be a customer than a product. I am currently saving all of my Facebook information to my computer and will delete my Facebook account shortly. After that, I will be using Twitter and this Tumblr account. 

In the early morning of March 20th, 2010, I returned home from spring break with Taylor, Hannah, and Elizabeth. I had liked Elizabeth for three years, and our week together had given me the excuse to invite her to spend more time with me. I asked something like “Do you want to hang out tomorrow?” Although I cannot remember the exact words I used, I remember her response clearly:
“I’d like that.”
Eight days and several movies later, I sent her a text telling her that I thought she should know that I liked her quite a bit. She responded that the feeling was mutual.
34 days after that, I asked her if she would like to be my girlfriend; she said that she would. That was May 1, 2010.
I cannot imagine how different my life would be if these two years hadn’t been spent with her. They have been the best two years of my life because we’ve been together and I look forward to many more with her. My life is completely different because of the words “I’d like that.” It’s fitting that Elizabeth’s favorite musician John Mayer once said: “Never, ever, ever, ever underestimate the power of ‘I’d like that.’”

minimalmac:

Not trying to be flip, really, but seriously… Calm the frick down, people!

Here are the facts: Apple is holding an event on March 7th to show off the next generation iPad. The event will take place Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 10:00 am at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Everything else is rumor, speculation, random guessing and complete B (as in “B”) S (as in “S”).

For real. It’s the same time every year (give or take a couple weeks.)