Reflections on "Off Target" NPR Podcast and Google's CEO Eric Schmidt on Charlie Rose

Behavioral Advertising, Privacy and Mobile Web Browsing
Based on other readings I've completed, I was surprised to hear on this podcast that 2/3rd of people are against behavioral advertising. I do agree, however, that it is at the "heart of digital privacy issues". Behavioral advertising does leverage historical search data in order to place targeted ads of interest. To some degree, there is a benefit as a consumer because more of what we want, of products and services that do interest us, will come to us. Items that we would not have known were available, would not have known to search for, are readily available offers on the Google search page and with the launch of AdSense, on other sites as well.

In contrast, collecting data anonymously in aggregate to understand trends, such as what Google does per their CEO Eric Schmidt on Charlie Rose, enables new heights of information analysis with what they consider no privacy issues. Rose challenges him on this point, and understandably so. Google has access to violate this trust by tying searches and personal account information together, but Schmidt insists that there are laws and policies in place to prevent such actions and this should be enough to instill confidence. I loved Rose's response, essentially that Google is just asking consumers to "trust us".

On the NPR podcast, another view of privacy was suggested: privacy as a commodity. I've been aligned with this perspective for some time, but hadn't attributed the word "commodity", so this was an "AHA" moment for me (I think a bright lightbulb appeared above my head). In theory, we treat our "right" to privacy as a commodity and are willing to trade it (sometimes only in parts) for other benefits. Two examples provided include travelers who barter privacy for security and celebrities do so in exchange for celebrity.

All in all, privacy will continue to define this segment of the Digital Era (or for others is considered a subsequent "Privacy Era" all its own). As the real and augmented realities continue to merge and interactive applications enable greater personalization of digital content, the bigger issue is whether or not people realize that their personal data is being collected and used.

On another note, Google's goal of making "all the world's information universally accessible and useful" is quite ambitious. Of course, Google is known for nothing if they're not known for being just that. I think it's a stretch to think they'll get there anytime soon, given all of the tribal areas in the world for which digital technology is still foreign, but web-enabled mobile phones are accelerating their reach.

In another clinic course I am currently taking, my team had the opportunity to speak with artisans and craft distributors across the globe. As part of these interviews, we performed a technology assessment and the responses reflected Schmidt's assertion. While few had laptops, many had access to email and mobile web on cell phones. This is how small businesses and artisans maintain connections and communications with those outside their physical community.

Changing Education As We Know It
I was lucky enough to attend schools that did integrate technology with our traditional curriculum, even though it was in pre-google days. We did have search-study activities and not only did they broaden our access to current events and new studies they also ensured that we became very comfortable with technology through its application in our classroom. The advent of Google's algorithm approach has transformed the world of search on the web and brought more of the web closer - closing the distance to a just a few keystrokes. Schmidt is right on track with leveraging this more in schools, though I think he overemphasizes this and disregards the value of some traditional learning methods that help listening, basic skills, and other necessary lessons. Integration with an appropriate balance is crucial.