Illegal downloading is a naturalistic occurrence that has been going on for quite some time. Prices of music, movies, and television have steadily risen and as expected, consumers have sought new outlets to obtain the media they want with minimal expenses. I think there is little that the government and media can do about this dilemma and little they should do.
I think it is completely unethical for the government to regulate the internet even more than they do now. However, I do understand the unfairness to musicians and artists that devote their time and money to their work so here are a few ideas:
One idea is to create an emotional campaign designed to deter online users to stop illegally downloading items such as music. Many people think that artists have many other ways of making money, but thats not always the case. Illegally downloading music is only going to make your favorite artist more expensive to see live and not enough people understand that. In addition I think it would be helpful to hear from musicians themselves that this illegal activity hurts them in more ways than we understand.
One way the government could interfere is by taking down the websites that allow you to illegally download material. It is fairly easy to find a website that can steal the music from youtube videos. If these websites were taken down it would be harder for a consumer to download material and eager for simplicity they might just buy the media from itunes or amazon.
A final method for decreasing illegal downloading activity is just to make harsher punishments. I think large money fines would be extremely influential. If I knew there was a better possibility of getting a fine I would be more hesitant to downloading music.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Privacy & Enhanced Personalization
It seems that an increase in personalization results in a decrease of privacy, but that isn’t always the case. There is an entire field dedicated to privacy-enhanced personalization that aims to create the best method of personalization within privacy boundaries. This article summarizes this field and its findings.
The current theory is that potential risks of disclosing personal information is weighed against the benefits of giving out information, but it is believed that internet users lack the information needed to make those decisions. For example privacy statements are difficult to understand and, considered by most, too lengthy to read. There are several traits examined about internet users that affect their privacy concerns such as age, attitude, and personality. Most internet users can be placed into one of three groups: privacy fundamentalist, privacy unconcerned, and privacy pragmatists. Privacy fundamentalists express extreme concern about use of their information and do not disclose any information even when privacy protection mechanisms are in place. The privacy unconcerned express some concern about privacy and are somewhat anxious about how information about them is used. Privacy pragmatists are generally concerned, but not as much as the other groups. They are much more willing to disclose information when they understand reasons for use, have benefits for doing so, and see privacy protections in place.
While internet users do have privacy concerns, surveys have found that 80% of users are interested in personalization. Two researchers, Chellappa and Sin, found that the consumer’s desire for personalization is almost two times more influential than their desire for privacy. When they do decide to disclose information they are much more likely to disclose demographic an lifestyle information including hobbies and personal tastes. Financial information, contact information, and credit card information are much less likely to be revealed
So in an era when consumers want to express their personal interests online, but are concerned about their privacy, how can websites encourage them to do so? Findings suggest that websites should explain to users exactly what information they are giving up and exactly how they are going to use it. By doing so they will gain a consumer’s trust. It is also suggested that websites include a privacy seal, a privacy statement, and can be navigated easily. There are many questions regarding privacy including is it necessary or ethical responsible for websites to include a simple version of their privacy. The question I purpose is: Is it the government’s role to regulate internet privacy or the independent website?
The current theory is that potential risks of disclosing personal information is weighed against the benefits of giving out information, but it is believed that internet users lack the information needed to make those decisions. For example privacy statements are difficult to understand and, considered by most, too lengthy to read. There are several traits examined about internet users that affect their privacy concerns such as age, attitude, and personality. Most internet users can be placed into one of three groups: privacy fundamentalist, privacy unconcerned, and privacy pragmatists. Privacy fundamentalists express extreme concern about use of their information and do not disclose any information even when privacy protection mechanisms are in place. The privacy unconcerned express some concern about privacy and are somewhat anxious about how information about them is used. Privacy pragmatists are generally concerned, but not as much as the other groups. They are much more willing to disclose information when they understand reasons for use, have benefits for doing so, and see privacy protections in place.
While internet users do have privacy concerns, surveys have found that 80% of users are interested in personalization. Two researchers, Chellappa and Sin, found that the consumer’s desire for personalization is almost two times more influential than their desire for privacy. When they do decide to disclose information they are much more likely to disclose demographic an lifestyle information including hobbies and personal tastes. Financial information, contact information, and credit card information are much less likely to be revealed
So in an era when consumers want to express their personal interests online, but are concerned about their privacy, how can websites encourage them to do so? Findings suggest that websites should explain to users exactly what information they are giving up and exactly how they are going to use it. By doing so they will gain a consumer’s trust. It is also suggested that websites include a privacy seal, a privacy statement, and can be navigated easily. There are many questions regarding privacy including is it necessary or ethical responsible for websites to include a simple version of their privacy. The question I purpose is: Is it the government’s role to regulate internet privacy or the independent website?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)