Life in the glass house

Dear All,

The winter doesn't want to leave this year. However, it starts melting again. The hope for spring is still there.

Lately I was confronted with an interesting article which scared me a little bit. It was written on privacy rules at google and facebook. And I started to ponder on this.

Google is THE search machine on the internet. If you are looking for something in the web you tell: I will google this. At least in German. And facebook is THE networking site. If you lost contact to someone, you can be sure to find this person there in 99%. Everyone is there.

These two companies are collective data on their customer/users. Google can even tell where you are actually with your computer - place, land etc. And it can tell you what kind of sites you were visting. But they are not delivering this information to 3rd party. And this is what facebook is doing. If you allow an application to be a part of your profile, the developer has the full access to your profile. Additionally, there are new applications eg. for iPhone or MS Outlook on facebook, who are using your address book and identifying your contacts. It means - facebook knows you even if you are not a member! If you join, you will be immediately put in connection to the people you know! As the data on you is saved! Scary, no? You have no idea who is spying you...

From my point of view as a marketeer, these both companies have enormous value. They have extremely big data base and this is very important to be competitive today. We all live from data base and from the possibilities of contacting the right consumers at the right time and in the right way. And if people are giving all these information to us voluntary - what can be better? our company knows everything about his consumers - relationship, the look, the activities, hobbies, place to stay etc. What can we want more? This is a real paradise! However we act, we are on the right way and it is easy for us to satisfy the clients. And they are happy about this.

This is my point as marketeer. But as a normal human being I am strongly concerned about this. Esepcially about the fact, it is dangerous and you cannot really controll your privacy. When your contacts act careless with the privacy settings, you are lost. You can be affected till the point of a dangerous virus on your hard disk and you are blocked for days. And this is a very serious issue.

For myself, I decided to be very cautious with receiving any requests via emails or similar. I do care of my privacy and I don't want to have a life in glass house. I want to keep my liberty of choice and of individuality. And I know I will do this.

This year started busy. All good things take time and I am sure all this work will turn out in good things. and if I find something out, I will let you know for sure.

Have a great rest of Sunday.

Best wishes,

Martha

Some positive thoughts for the return of snow

Dear All,

I found this today in a forum of a network I am member of. I would like to share this with you as motivation for 2010.

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did the year before.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for 7 hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

1. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

2. Don't have negative thoughts or be anxious about things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

3. Don't overdo it. Keep your limits.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

6. Dream more while you are awake.

7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner about his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

13. Smile and laugh more.

14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

1. Call your family often.

2. Each day give something good to others.

3. Forgive everyone for everything.

4. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

5. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

6. What other people think of you is none of your business.

7. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

1. Do the right thing!

2. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful

3. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

4. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

5. The best is yet to come.

6. When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.

7. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Happy Valentine!

All my best,

Martha