> From ASMP:...
Thank you. I appreciate the additional input so people don't think
it's just me having a bad hair-day.
The perspective that ASMP is taking, which I appreciate, is that there
is a bigger issue at play. These free services do need to make money,
but at the same time there are certain standards (both decency and
legal) that need to be upheld. These companies think that they just
own everything that lands on their sites.
Let me put another twist to this. One which will sure to incite some violence.
Let's pretend for a moment that I have a website. On that website I
have the ability to register users. Be it for a forum, mailing list,
or who know what. Maybe to get to premium content. So, as part of that
registering process the website forces you to create a username and
password. The ToS (Terms of Service) of the website states that
everything associated to that website belongs to me and any
information you give like in a comments field belong to the website
for it to use for its purposes.
But wait! That username and password is now MY PROPERTY. Hmm. does
anybody else recognize the fact that people tend to use the same
passwords and usernames for multiple things? Well, guess what--the ToS
for the website says in-effect that this information now belongs to me
to harvest.
Scary, huh?
I'm not talking about phishing schemes and other hacks, but a
legitimate website that per the ToS is able to use EVERYTHING that you
ever type or do on it's website.
To a more benign application, though. Let's pretend for a moment that
a photography equipment company were to come to me and ask for every
ounce of information I have on my site visitors. Who they are, what
they are reading, buying, commenting on, etc., etc., They they also
ask for the email address and whatever else I've got on the visitors.
What is YOUR comfort level in my harvesting and selling that
information for my www.zone-10.com website? It's not that anybody here
has actually paid to use that website. And my ToS is flexible enough
to allow for it.
--
Ken Norton
ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.zone-10.com
--
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