texting – Cyber Anthropology

texting

August 10 2014

Facebook Messenger and You

Dr. D Hubbard Internet, opinion, social networking facebook, mobile, privacy, security, texting 0

My readers, please take a moment to read all of the TOS in every single social app you have downloaded and used over the last year. This includes all of the updated TOS you automatically agree to because you’ve already had it installed. They ALL ask for some setting you’re not going to be comfortable with if you are caught up in the hysteria over the new FB messenger application.

If you are not installing the FB messenger app because of the latest and greatest in sensationalist headlines, then you should follow through and uninstall every single other app that utilizes any of your social networks (twitter, tumblr, instagram, skype etc). After you’ve done that, you should revoke all access of those applications to each other (i.e. any app that is connected to your Facebook account).

Then, if you really want to protect your privacy, you will delete your Facebook account altogether, along with every other social network profile you’ve ever created. Just don’t forget those companies still own all of the data you gave them over the last 10 years (if you’ve been on FB as long as I have). You already sold it to them when you signed up and they can do whatever they want with it whenever they want to. Most importantly, it’s their business to do just that.

If you would like an alternative, try Facebook Texting:

It is accessible via Facebook Settings (easiest way to access it is to click on the lock in the header next to the updates icon and go to “See more settings”).

November 16 2007

College alert system…

Dr. D Hubbard texting college, mobile phone, sms, texting, unt 0

In light of events at Virginia Tech earlier this year several schools are looking for ways to issue alerts to their student body in a way that is quick and efficient. While there is email, not everyone checks theirs on a regular basis a great alternative is that of text messaging. My college in particular has set up a system that allows you to subscribe to their text messaging service in order to receive alerts about things like severe weather, major traffic delays (the may highway into the college town was blocked both ways yesterday due to a tank truck being wrecked and then catching fire), and other emergency events.

“Thank you to those of you that updated your contact telephone numbers and gave permission to send emergency text notifications to your cell phone. If you haven’t updated your information, please take a minute to do so at My.UNT.edu – it will only take you a minute and it will keep you informed of emergencies on campus should they occur.

If you did sign up for Eagle Alert text messaging already, you will be receiving an OPT-In text message to confirm your selection to receive emergency text messages.

To acknowledge your participation in the text messaging program, you must reply to that message with the phrase Y UNT (the text message you receive has these instructions as well) and you should not put any other information in the text of the reply message. “

It is unfortunate that it took the events that occurred to spur this into action, but I see this as a very positive step forward in tapping into the possibilities of the connected culture we’ve become.