DOES PRIVACY REALLY MATTER??

FACEBOOK

Facebook is updating at a fast rate, probably faster than some it's members, in recent times, they launched the friendships page which shows a log of all mutual's(including friends, photos, wall posts, comments and things they both like) between two friends on facebook. This is in a way a good way to increase users  time on the site but on the other hand some critics have said that it's exposing members of the site.' Snoops' and so called stalkers are having it easy having to know all about whoever they need to know about.

The next big blow to users privacy is the facebook memories which is currently under test; it had been up this morning however the link went down since then. It's expected to give a log of the activities of a user for the past period since joining the social site.This again exposes to the would be stalkers of their details that they may not want exposed.

According to InfoWorld, facebook's privacy is among the 20 biggest failures of 2010 which could also have been fostered by such features that have exposed users.  This year was also the year wall posts begun appearing on the live stream of users on facebook mobile.

WHY PRIVACY DOESN'T MATTER

My idea concerning cyber-privacy however is different. I tend to think that the age we are living in cares less about privacy. With people updating on all activities of their life in such a way that you could use fb to track them everywhere they go. Uploading photos is also another common feature fb users use to abuse their privacy. Users are able to upload photos whenever and wherever.

The large population on fb is also an issue why people wouldn't care should fb have issues with privacy. The thought of having ones friends on one list is miraculous and a wonder to many. So many long lost friends have been reunited on facebook and hence fb has more good than evils should there even be privacy.

I am of the opinion that for the fact that if someone joins a social network, privacy isn't an issue really since emails, phones and other more private means such as Skype still exist. Even if they are not an assurance of ever reuniting with some old buddies, the consideration of one's privacy would surpass the will to join a social network.

So now the question is; does privacy really matter to fb it at all users don't care?

 

 

 

http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2010/05/25/facebook-privacy-issues-getting-worse

 

#KCSE2010

The #KCPE2010 topic on twitter has been by far one of the most successful tweeting action be Kenyans all thanks to their creativity!
the related posts were triggered by the on-going

This is how my page looked like then

 All over in Kenya kenyanstwitters were tweeting their version of the KCPE exam questions and answers .the topic was an event that was

I sampled a few tweets that carried the day

javiermunzala 
#KCPE2010 Q. which ownership document are you issued with upon purchase of a vitz? a) etr receipt.
mapambo  #kcpe2010 Que: If Bob Marley shot the Sheriff, who shot the deputy Ans: Siakago AP
 @vancemuriu
funny answers #KCPE2010 Question: who was the first luo in the bible? answer: Nick Odemus

@vancemuriu 
funny answers #KCPE2010 Q: Tunga sentensi ukitumia 'mintarafu' ANSWER: 1:nilikula mint arafu nikatema.2:mwalimu ukinichekesha mi ntarafu.

@moskims kimani njenga RT @ #KCPE2010 Ninajivunia kuwa Mke... A)be B)ka C)nya D)nge 

 Big Props to all the contributors of the topic!

Mental Models

Mental Models

They are representations of reality that people use to understand specific phenomena.

    * A mental model is based on belief, not facts: that is, it's a model of what users know (or think they know) about a system e.g. a website. Hopefully, users' thinking is closely related to reality because they base their predictions about the system on their mental models and thus plan their future actions based on how that model predicts the appropriate course. It's a prime goal for designers to make the user interface communicate the system's basic nature well enough that users form reasonably accurate (and thus useful) mental models.

    

 * Individual users each have their own mental model. A mental model is internal to each user's brain, and different users might construct different mental models of the same user interface. Further, one of usability's big dilemmas is the common gap between designers' and users' mental models. Because designers know too much, they form wonderful mental models of their own creations, leading them to believe that each feature is easy to understand. Users' mental models of the U(user interface)I are likely to be somewhat more deficient, making them more likely to make mistakes and find the design much more difficult to use.

"In interacting with the environment, with others, and with the artifacts of technology, people form internal, mental models of themselves and of the things with which they are interacting. These models provide predictive and explanatory power for understanding the interaction."          -Norman (in Gentner & Stevens, 1983)

They are internal representations of thinking process. Mental models represent how well an individual organizes content in meaningful ways. Model analysis reveals inaccuracies and omissions that are crucial for deep understanding and application of course material, thus informing improvements in course design.

Some of the characteristics of mental models are:

• They are incomplete and constantly evolving
• They are usually not accurate representations of a phenomenon; they typically contain errors and contradictions
• They are parsimonious and provide simplified explanations of complex phenomena
• They often contain measures of uncertainty about their validity that allow them to used even if incorrect
• They can be represented by sets of condition-action rules. 

The study of mental models has involved the detailed analysis of small knowledge domains (e.g., motion, ocean navigation, electricity, calculators) and the development of computer representations (see Gentner & Stevens, 1983). For example, DeKleer & Brown (1981) describe how the mental model of a doorbell is formed and how the model is useful in solving problems for mechanical devices. Kieras & Bovair (1984) discuss the role of mental models in understanding electronics. Mental models have been applied extensively in the domain of troubleshooting (e.g., White & Frederiksen, 1985).

One interesting application of mental models to psychology is the Personal Construct Theory of George Kelley (1955). While the primary thrust of Kelly's work was therapy rather than education, it has seen much broader applications (see http://repgrid.com/pcp/) [Thanks to Richard Breen for bringing this to my attention]