Summet or other

I'm personally a bit pissed off that Google is going the same way.

My phone started beeping yesterday - turns out I got the second ever mail in the account I had to create when setting up my phone (you can skip that, but then you can't install anything - so it's more or less obligatory). A few seconds later it happened again, and again, and it continued on into the evening.

This is because, many many moons ago, I once created a YouTube account with with my OperaMail address as contact. This was before Google bought YouTube. Then, many moons ago, I created an account so I could use extra functions in Google Maps, again using my OperaMail address. Finally, I bought a phone with Android and was forced to create a GMail address for it.

What happened over the years is that Google has, without ever asking me(!), linked up all of these different accounts behind my back. I was already annoyed to find my phone mail address showing up after I logged in to Google Maps - but yesterday took the biscuit: I posted a comment on a YouTube video (something I've hardly ever done) and Google happily mailed every bloody following comment directly to my phone!!!

Luckily it didn't continue on through the night, but this is really *NOT* something I signed up for, anywhere! I am getting more and more wary of Google. They used to say "don't be evil", but I don't seem to see that any more... hmmm...

Everything is linking isn't it!! I think it's the feeling of a lack of control over the info that's irritating or that you have to continue to opt out otherwise it'll do it once and then forever more. Also, that it now feels as if peoples lives are a performance for others to judge.

Still not got a smartphone so will cross that bridge when I come to it but as I'm falling out of love with social networking I'm not sure whether I need a smartphone other than having a larger memory and capacity for some of my tunes!

looks like opera are playing at this linking game too. Just got this email from them;

Hi there,

pman45 has made a post to a forum topic you are subscribed to.


An excerpt from the post:
triumph > hybrid


Visit http://my.opera.com/lounge/forums/findpost.pl?id=10857142 to see the entire post.
========================

I must have contributed to that post ...oooh... three or four years ago??? And if my email was also on my smartphone I would be notified constantly!!!

there is a "to unsubscribe" messagee under what I copy and pasted to be fair, but again you have to opt out not opt in!

I'm not sure... I think MyOpera had an option for mail notifications back when it started. It's still in the system but quite hidden away now. I expect you had it selected for that particular forum - it might even have been default in the early days.

well, I had 35 messages about this forum in my inbox so just deleted email notifications! It's a forum that's never stopped having posts in it so I don't know why the notifications by email suddenly clicked in!

Just watched an interesting show about facebook, which has made me even more sceptical about sharing info. on facebook. When you see a "Marie Spelberg likes Tesco" message in the top right, Tesco get paid money. Marie Spelberg may have clicked "like" for tesco cos she wants to keep informed of latest tesco offers etc. that may be posted.

Apparently this isn't advertising based on your name as all "Marie Spelberg" is doing is sharing her love of Tescos with everyone.

But I've "liked" some things that I don't necessarily like, in the past. Fosters currently has some interesting comedy stuff on its web site so I've liked "Fosters" even though I am actually allergic to lager and can't drink it and was never a particular fan of Fosters when I could drink lager. Now other facebook users may see a message in their top right saying "P*nut (although it will say my real name on facebook) likes Fosters." This is both a lie about me because I don't and never have and Fosters will be paid for this sharing of info.

I also clicked "like" on Sainsburys but have since switched my UK supermarkert allegiance to Asda, as their food has got better and is cheaper than Sainsburys. Should I unlike Sainsburys so that people are informed of my supermarket shopping decisions.

Speaking of Fosters I was just watching their "Fast Show" stuff - if you click on "share" before 6pm you can unlock exclusive stuff!

So I will be advertising the Fast show and Fosters on facebook in one fowl swoop and if I choose not to share I miss out on exclusive stuff I might wish to see, which is the option I'm choosing as I'm getting hacked off with this forced sharing malarkey.

Seriously, I wonder what's going to happen once everyone's sick of the whole social networking thing.

Did you read the thing about the Atos CEO banning the use of internal e-mail since their social networking system should be more efficient...? I find that very very hard to believe! Personally, I scan e-mail all the time at work to look up who said what about which project two months ago. Can't see that being easy in social media. I must ask my dad about it (he works for Atos).