My Interview with NBC

This afternoon Scott Gordon, with NBC Channel 5 Local DFW news, contacted me through my blog for an interview.  The story being featured was on social media and exposing yourself to the public.  Scott Gordon brought to my attention today that there is a website called ‘Please Rob Me‘ where tweets involving Four Square updates are being auto-generated into a stream announcing that the twitter user is not home and therefore implying their home is empty making them fair game for robbers.  I must admit I was a little shocked to hear someone went to all the trouble of setting up a site just to prove a point.  It’s a little creepy if you ask me.  On the other hand I also think it’s a little far fetched.  I am a strong believer that there are cynics out there for everything.  Anytime something becomes popular or successful there has to be someone out there to point out the bad side.  That’s just the balance of life, in my opinion.

When Scott Gordon came out to my home for the interview and chatted with me about social media he asked me if I would continue using twitter and Four Square the same.  Will I stop using twitter? Absolutely not.  I think anyone who participates in social media should always think twice about what they publish online.  If you are tweeting or checking in on Four Square then you might be more cautious of where you check in.  For example I may check in that I had lunch at a sub shop today but I’m not going to check in when I’m visiting my friend at her home and share her address publicly.  Everything has it’s limits and the fine lines, only the user can determine where their line is.

Four Square is an app I have on my iPhone, a game of sorts.  You can check in at local places and earn badges or compete with your friends for a high score.  However it is not GPS auto-generated like some may believe.  Just because someone is a Four Square user does not mean everyone knows where they are all the time.  If I am at a location that I don’t want the public to know, then I don’t check in.  It’s that simple.

Social media networking is a large form of communication nowadays.  If I go out to dinner and have a nice meal, I share my experience via twitter.  The same goes for a live event or even a movie I watched.  This weekend I will be attending a social media conference and I am sure I will live tweet and possibly even live blog the event.  That does not mean my home is empty so go rob me.  Matter of fact I’ll have a childcare sitter and dog sitter staying at my house.  Just like most people, just because I run to get a sub sandwich doesn’t mean another member of my family isn’t home or that my home isn’t safe from robbers.  Whether you are active in social media or not, you should take precautions when it comes to your safety.  I remember when I was a young child before social media was even well known my home was robbed while my parents were at work and I was at daycare.  Who did the cynics blame then? Was the company my parent’s worked for at fault for listing them as an employee on public records, therefore announcing they weren’t home during the day?

My response to Scott Gordon ‘when you’re live on the air talking about local news, everyone knows you’re not at home, right?’ So really… what’s the difference?  If someone wants to know your information, they’ll find out.  There are a million ways out there right now if someone is knowledgeable.  The local store clerk could have her license plate run, address found and house rob before her shift ends.  Social media isn’t the only to blame.

djane

14 Comments

  3. Great points. Plus, just because I checked in at a certain point, does not mean there is NO one at my house and I don’t have a security system, etc. You have to make an awful lot of assumptions.

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  6. Good points. You see that is why I don’t use Four Square – the way I thought you had explained it last night is that it doesn’t have to show the GPS, but then the sentence above sounds like it does show location no matter what so you simply do not check into it when you don’t want the location shown, am I understanding?

    That’s what stinks about a lot of these apps, they are wonderful but living in a SMALL state and SMALL town they don’t make it easy for me to use. Where as you live in a huge city and state, gosh your city probably has more people than our town, I could see it being a bit different.

    I am bummed about this, as now I will not be using Four Square in that way. I am all set on someone having my location out there which is why I try not to use anything that uses GPS. Obviously if someone wants to find you they will, but let’s make them work a little bit at it 😉

    Great post, and congrats on the interview! Off to stumble & Digg now!
    .-= Brandy Ellen´s last blog ..Happy Valentine’s Day =-.

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  7. Brandy:
    No you don’t have to show the location via GPS. The GPS feature is what helps find you so you can check in at local public places. The whole point of Four Square is to check into different places and earn badges. You also want to check into a place more than once and become the mayor. In ways of sorts you are competing against other people. However if you want to have private locations you can, you can also just title the name of a place without using location and not allow the GPS to publicly track. Such as a friend’s home or your own personal home. I do not show the address of my home via the app. In small towns when not many people use the app then you are certain to get more points for being the founder of new locations. Also when you go out to eat somewhere public or to Walmart you could check in just for fun. Everyone sees you there anyways, LOL. However Four Square also does not automatically update twitter and facebook, you have to set it to. Some people use Four Square with only their private friends and family members to keep track of one another. You don’t have to make it public.
    Hope that clears it up better.

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  9. ‘when you’re live on the air talking about local news, everyone knows you’re not at home, right?’ WHAT was his response?! That was an AWESOME reply! LOVE it!

    You are absolutely right. I do not use Four Square (I still don’t “get” it, but that’s beside the point) simply because I don’t have time, and I live in a very small town.

    When I am on Twitter, and I post “where” I am, it does not mean someone is not home; usually my husband is home with the girls, or my parents/in-laws are staying with my girls AT my house OR down the street in their home.

    I completely agree that if someone really wants your information, they’re going to get it. That’s all there is too it. It has nothing to do with someone’s usage of social media.

    That being said, I think everyone should think twice before they hit the “send” button on anything that will be public on the internet. If you don’t want it to be available to everyone, don’t publish it. Once it is “out there” it is out there forever. I think most people who utilize social media get this point.

    Now, if someone is dumb enough to tweet their social security number, then they get what they deserve, right? 😉

    Is there a live interview of this somewhere? Because I really do want to see his face when you said that!
    .-= Amy @ Amy Loves It!´s last blog ..Thinking Ahead: Prepare for the Future with a Will =-.

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  13. not directed at you and not knocking being tech savvy…but why would one advertise to the world that they’re not at home, that their prized possessions, children and more are left at home with sitters or others. If moms are truly concerned about the safety and well being of their kids and families I would think they would consider this..your chances of being robbed because you post to 4square or twitter are probably slim…so is being hit by a bus or being poisoned by tainted food…but why would you risk it? Just a question not a slam or unfriendly accusation. I for one travel quite a bit, but I never advertise when and how I’ll be traveling or other info that would put my family into a situation otherwise unnecessary. Maybe that’s just me.
    .-= deb@birdonawire´s last blog ..Creamy Caramel Fudge =-.

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  14. I so got a kick out of the statement to him. I do get his point though, in technological age we are in will it make it easier for criminals?? I think it could. I always err to the cautious side…however you have some very valid points too.

    It’s all a persons personal feelings on the matter, ones own comfort zone. In this case I can’t say there is a right or wrong side. I certainly don’t think social media is only to blame either.
    .-= Chrissy´s last blog ..A Thousand Words Thursday =-.

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