[3136] in Privacy_Forum
[ PRIVACY Forum ] An additional comment regarding Quora's new
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (PRIVACY Forum mailing list)
Wed Aug 1 22:49:48 2012
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2012 19:33:22 -0700
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An additional comment regarding Quora's new exposing of posting reader data
http://j.mp/Nn4pUa (This message on Google+)
- - -
As I noted a bit ago, Quora has just implemented a new feature that by default
publicly exposes who reads postings.
http://j.mp/QgB6Yz (All Things D)
The manner in which they did this -- as a sudden, default action -- is
particularly of concern.
As I have noted numerous times in the past, the opt-in vs. opt-out
calculus is not as simple as many observers suggest. Opt-in is not
always the best solution, and the prospect of unintended negative
consequences to user confusion regarding the actual impact of their
opt-in vs. opt-out choices can be very real.
But in this instance, I believe Quora has erred by making the mere
viewing of a posting a publicly exposed event, only blockable via a
specific profile change opt-out.
Quora has made a dramatic alteration in the default user experience,
that is completely contrary not only to previous behavior on Quora,
but to the expected behavior on the vast majority of Web sites.
I am forced to strongly condemn this change as it has been deployed.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
- Data Wisdom Explorers League: http://www.dwel.org
- Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren / Twitter: http://vortex.com/t-lauren
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
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