My final article concerning legal and ethical issues on the internet and in the world of internet marketing has to do with spam. Everyone has experienced some sort of spam I am sure, those unwanted emails that pop up in droves in your inbox daily. An article I found on New York Times.com discusses spam and the efforts the Direct Marketing Association is making towards preventing it. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05EFD81639F931A1575BC0A9659C8B63&scp=2&sq=illegal+internet+marketing&st=nyt
The article is entitled, TECHNOLOGY; Marketers Say They Intend To Join Effort To Fight Spam, focuses on the efforts being made by the Direct Marketing Association to get the attention of federal law makers and put an end to annoying and evasive spam.
"The campaign, to be called Operation Slam Spam, is seeking a $65,000 ''participation fee'' from the association's members, according to the letter, which was signed by its chief executive, H. Robert Wientzen.
The move is an attempt to blunt efforts to prod Congress and the states into approving significantly tougher anti-spam laws. "
Spam is one of the biggest problems internet users face. Many people choose to install spam blockers on their email accounts to prevent receiving unwanted bulk email. The email at Sacred Heart University has a spam blocker. However, I feel as though spam is wrong and we should not even have to go through the measures of obtaining a spam blocker on our email accounts. Hopefully some federal laws are enacted in order to effectively prevent spam from taking up our inboxes!
Jess
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Legal and Ethical Issues Concerning Internet Marketing Part III
My third post for legal and ethical issues involves something many college -- and now high school -- students take part in. Facebook.com
An article on New York Times entitled "How Sticky Is Membership on Facebook?" discusses how facebook.com members can have a great deal of trouble deleting his or her membership from the website. A former facebook member, Nipon Das, claims it took him to threaten legal action towards facebook.com, in order for them to completely delete his records from the site.
The article states, "But even after that, a reporter was able to find Mr. Das’s empty profile on Facebook and successfully sent him an e-mail message through the network."http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html?scp=8&sq=legal+internet+marketing&st=nyt
Facebook is supposed to be an online community and networking website with seemingly optional membership. Members are highly under the impression that they choose to delete their membership, they will be facebook free forever. However, this is not the case.
"Facebook’s quiet archiving of information from deactivated accounts has increased concerns about the network’s potential abuse of private data, especially in the wake of its fumbled Beacon advertising feature. That application, which tracks and publishes the items bought by Facebook members on outside Web sites, was introduced in November without a transparent, one-step opt-out feature. After a public backlash, including more than 50,000 Facebook users’ signatures on a MoveOn.org protest petition, Facebook executives apologized and allowed such an opt-out option on the program."
Facebook has undoubtedly tainted the trust amongst users with its Beacon advertising feature. The premise of facebook can create a certain degree of vulnerability amongst users, and the last thing members want is to feel more exposed that they already do on facebook. I feel as though facebook.com should take great measures to assure members once they do not wish to be in the facebook community, they should be deleted completely. Withholding information about former methods is unethical, and downright creepy.
An article on New York Times entitled "How Sticky Is Membership on Facebook?" discusses how facebook.com members can have a great deal of trouble deleting his or her membership from the website. A former facebook member, Nipon Das, claims it took him to threaten legal action towards facebook.com, in order for them to completely delete his records from the site.
The article states, "But even after that, a reporter was able to find Mr. Das’s empty profile on Facebook and successfully sent him an e-mail message through the network."http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html?scp=8&sq=legal+internet+marketing&st=nyt
Facebook is supposed to be an online community and networking website with seemingly optional membership. Members are highly under the impression that they choose to delete their membership, they will be facebook free forever. However, this is not the case.
"Facebook’s quiet archiving of information from deactivated accounts has increased concerns about the network’s potential abuse of private data, especially in the wake of its fumbled Beacon advertising feature. That application, which tracks and publishes the items bought by Facebook members on outside Web sites, was introduced in November without a transparent, one-step opt-out feature. After a public backlash, including more than 50,000 Facebook users’ signatures on a MoveOn.org protest petition, Facebook executives apologized and allowed such an opt-out option on the program."
Facebook has undoubtedly tainted the trust amongst users with its Beacon advertising feature. The premise of facebook can create a certain degree of vulnerability amongst users, and the last thing members want is to feel more exposed that they already do on facebook. I feel as though facebook.com should take great measures to assure members once they do not wish to be in the facebook community, they should be deleted completely. Withholding information about former methods is unethical, and downright creepy.
Legal and Ethical Issues Concerning Internet Marketing Part II
This is my second post concerning legal and ethical issues in internet marketing (I have to do four). I came across an article in the New York Times that discussed the marketing of alcohol over the internet. The article sheds light on the fact that many alcohol companies are abandoning traditional methods of advertising and primarily marketing their products on the world wide web.
While this might look to increase revenue for companies such as Anheuser Busch, there is a serious ethical problem with marketing alcohol via the internet. The article mentions the openness of the internet to young children.
“When you have a liquor ad on TV, there’s a chance a parent can come in and turn off the set before the youngster sees the commercial,” Mr. Hacker said. “Online, with kids going from one screen to another at blazing fast speed, they can hide the liquor screen they’re watching behind five others.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/business/media/22adcol.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=legal+internet+marketing&st=nyt&oref=slogin
There is already a problem with underage drinking in the United States and the potential to increase the desire for youngsters to drink is an ethical issue in the world of internet marketing.
While alcohol beverage advertisers often include age verifications to view their webpages, Mr. Hacker makes another valid point in stating, "I put totally fictitious birth days into the age-verification processes.” I would have to agree that this is not a valid form in preventing underage drinkers from obtaining information on their webpages. It is incredibly easy to put in a fake birthdate and hide a young face behind the computer screen.
Alcohol beverage and tobacco adverstisements represent a blurred line of ethics in the internet marketing world. While both should be allowed to freely advertise on the world wide web, it is very important that the correct measures are taken in order to ethically prevent young children from being directed towards ads promoting activities in which they should not yet be exposed to.
While this might look to increase revenue for companies such as Anheuser Busch, there is a serious ethical problem with marketing alcohol via the internet. The article mentions the openness of the internet to young children.
“When you have a liquor ad on TV, there’s a chance a parent can come in and turn off the set before the youngster sees the commercial,” Mr. Hacker said. “Online, with kids going from one screen to another at blazing fast speed, they can hide the liquor screen they’re watching behind five others.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/business/media/22adcol.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=legal+internet+marketing&st=nyt&oref=slogin
There is already a problem with underage drinking in the United States and the potential to increase the desire for youngsters to drink is an ethical issue in the world of internet marketing.
While alcohol beverage advertisers often include age verifications to view their webpages, Mr. Hacker makes another valid point in stating, "I put totally fictitious birth days into the age-verification processes.” I would have to agree that this is not a valid form in preventing underage drinkers from obtaining information on their webpages. It is incredibly easy to put in a fake birthdate and hide a young face behind the computer screen.
Alcohol beverage and tobacco adverstisements represent a blurred line of ethics in the internet marketing world. While both should be allowed to freely advertise on the world wide web, it is very important that the correct measures are taken in order to ethically prevent young children from being directed towards ads promoting activities in which they should not yet be exposed to.
Obama gaining in NC
Woo! 2 days until the North Carolina and Indiana primaries. Hopefully, these elections will bring an end to the still aparant democratic uncertaintly. An article on CNN.com's election center 2008, Polls: Race tightening in North Carolina, shows Obama beating Clinton in the polls, 50 to 42, respectively.
These primaries could make or break the candidacy for either of the Democratic hopefuls with a promising 187 delegates, amongst the last of the "big Tuesdays".
I recently spoke to a friend of mine who goes to the University of North Carolina. Upon learning of my Obama support she IMed me on AIM with "Party like BARACK!!" She then explained to me how much she LOVES Obama, which left me confused. This is because my friend, someone I have actually known all my life, has never shown support for a Democrat before. She even informed me that Obama went to her school (jealous -- my school got stuck with McCain :( ) and played basketball with the UNC basketball team! If I ever had any doubt on my Obama love (which I haven't) this would solidify my support for him. This is what we need! Someone who is willing to unpretentiously relate to those outside of the stuffy world of politics. Us regular Americans.
VQUZESHUF babyy,
Jess
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