I turned on my computer, getting ready to write about "Feed" in this blog, and opened up iTunes in preparation to do the rest of my homework and this pops up in iTunes.
"iTunes 8 includes Genius, which makes playlists from songs in your library that go great together. Genius also includes Genius sidebar, which recommends music from the iTunes Store that you don't already have."
First off, who decides what songs go great together? Secondly, I really don't want iTunes constantly telling me, "oh you should buy this song." Just because I have a song on my computer does not mean I want more songs like it. I have a very eclectic collection of music and what's on my computer is even more so. I can't even imagine the type of profile iTunes would come up with based on what I have on my laptop, but I think it might look something like Violet's profile after her (non)shopping spree.
I downloaded iTunes for this class, but I really don't want iTunes/Apple knowing what music I listen too. Which leads into the main issue that stood out for me in "Feed". Privacy. In "Feed" no one has any privacy. When Titus first thinks something might happen between him and Violet this ad pops up with a web page of pick-up lines (for a small fee). At least now, if I don't want Amazon.com keeping track of my purchases, I can go to a bookstore and pay cash and avoid any electronic record that I bought a certain book. When I downloaded iTunes, it started going though and converting my music files. Having a program downloaded on your computer is more invasive then a web page that keeps track of what on its page you looked at. Moving the computer and all the profiling and tracking software into the human mind brings this to a level that makes my skin crawl. Any amount of privacy we have is utterly destroyed in the society of "Feed". And yet in some ways they are more alone then ever. When Violet fell, she was panicking. The feed knew this and gave her ads about deodorant. When Titus is feeling sad he gets ads for blue jeans.
While I can not say if we will ever have the feed implanted straight into our brains (I certainly hope not) many of the developments in technology are becoming more and more invasive in our lives all in the name of convenience. Slowly, we are losing our privacy and like many in "Feed" we are too distracted by all the new shinnies to notice just what we are losing.
As a non-tech related side note: At one point I wanted to throw the book down I was so disgusted with Titus.
About Me
- Heather N
- I'm working as a library assistant/librarian in training at a college library and at a public library while going for my MILS. This blog is for my Social Software in Libraries class.
3 comments:
Wow....that iTunes pop-up you got sounds like it came out of the Feed book verbatim! The privacy point you elaborated upon really is a pertinent one. We used to make fun of one of my aunts who refused to get the shopper discount cards at supermarkets because she said she was afraid that one day her health insurance company would drop her if they saw how much butter and junk food she bought. But Feed makes us wonder (especially the parts you mentioned) if that kind of thing actually could happen.
(BTW, I got so upset with Titus too...I wanted to slap or strangle him!)
Reply to Jen:
I know, the timing of the iTunes popup was eerie. And the idea that companies like health insurance could get access to that kind of information and make decisions based on it (like what happened with Violet) really is scary.
(As for Titus, I'm glad I'm not the only one who wanted to slap that boy.)
Heather, great minds think alike! Privacy was my main concern, too, and I hate iTunes. It's always trying to sell me stuff, or update itself, or make me install Safari. Aaaargh.
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