Brain-dump #2

This post will be a short 'status'-update on my situation. Since last dump, I haven't even looked at my phone, which mean I don't even know whether there's additional new mail. I have placed my phone at the kitchen table, and there it have been sound asleep for the last couple of hours, no tones or anything. To be hones the thought that it could be dead have touched me. Along with this I got to think on something I find both interesting and frightening; the tracking of our social media use.
The thought came from my brain building scenarios for what would happen, if I kept getting messages (not that it have happened, but just to have some kind of 'plan' for what I would do), since I'm a heavy user of Apples iMessage system, other persons sending text-messages to me, will be able to see (provided that they also use iMessage), whether or not I've received the message, and even if I have read it! This means that people are unable to 'hide' and come up with an excuse for not responding to a given message. The same thing has recently been introduced to Facebook messages, where users are able to see if a message has been read, on what particular platform it was read on, and even the location when the recipient read the message! This kind of tracking is to me quite frightening. I'm aware of different services/apps that can provide others with my location, if I give these others the permission to do so, but at any moment I'm able to disable their accessibility to my location data. This is not an option using these two mentioned forms of communication, either you use the service provided as is, or you don't. This has led me to only use Facebook's messaging service in situations where there was no other option available. This is due the fact that I'm willing to show others if I've read the message (and I want to know if others have read the messages I've sent as well), as I find this option very useful, to both sender and recipient, which is also why I keep using iMessages. As for the location-part provided in Facebook's model, I really can't accept that way of displaying information, at least not, when they don't provide the opportunity to turn it on/off. In fact, they don't even tell the users that the option is enabled by default. I don't think users should have their location tracked in this way, and presented to others as a part of a messaging system, I really don't see the point. Not that I want to hide in any way from the people I interact with, but I don't think it is any of their business where I was, when i responded to or read their message - I just don't see the point.

We're tracking ourselves more than ever, and most of the tracking is used for personal purposes like calories, steps/movement and location for use in navigation. But the point of this information being shared, is weird to me. For the purpose of showing of a running route through RunKeeper or sharing a location to meet up, there is a purpose, both in messaging? Really? And this in a way sums up one of my main thoughts on this whole digital living/identity thing; purpose. I've mentioned my concerns regarding purpose previously, and have tried to be more focused on the purpose in my own use, and then I've started thinking about other kinds of purpose. I have, or at least strive to have, a purpose in my use, and unquestionably so does the service providers. It is no secret that Google makes a living of users searching habits, and Facebook users habits and likings, but I'm struggling to find a purpose for showing this particular information to other users? And where does it stop? Is there a purpose in making everything available to all user, all the time? I don't know, but I'm starting to think that the purposes behind these social media giant's actions, should be clear, and find it more important that they are clear to the users, at least prior to sharing and showing all these other types of information.

As a sidenote; the fast have been easier on me than expected, and I see no trouble in continuing my fast for the rest of the day. (Not said I would be able to do this for a longer period, but as of now, I'm fine with zero-use of internet and social media..)