Personalisation is Asymmetric Psychological Warfare


Another privacy nightmare. An airline wants its cabin crew to know your birthday and favourite drinks order, to better personalise its service to you. My first instinct is to recoil in horror. It sounds like every dystopian sci-fi epic. But why do I feel this way? Partly it is the lack of genuine personality behind the interaction. It is the Uncanny Valley of sincerity. When Facebook wishes you happy birthday, it is a purely mechanical response - not an outpouring of genuine feeling. There's …

Continue reading →

I'm looking through you - but you're not there...


[Disclaimer - all personal opinions. I work for a mobile operator (Vodafone) but these are not their thoughts, opinions, plans or ideas.]I've been reading a few articles about how social networks and mobile operators feel like they own their customers.I think personalisation is a great thing. If Facebook or my phone company can give me a personalised service - or discounts that I'm going to use - then I'm all for it. However, how much of your personal privacy would you be prepared to…

Continue reading →