Facebook Move May Cause Greater Secrecy About Data (Ab)Use

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ata use in violation of Facebook’s licensing agreement for developers has prompted the company to intervene to halt distribution of an insurance industry app that would have used end-user data (shared by consent) to track social media behaviour and qualify some for discounts on insurance rates.  Facebook claims it has a policy to prohibit such use — but the move raises questions around privacy and whether or not Facebook acted in its own interests; possibly masking a hidden intent to mentize similar apps later itself.  Regardless, one consequence is likely: nothing stops an app developer from not disclosing the true intent behind acquiring user data nor even offering a misleading or untrue rationale for data capture.  This could simply mean England’s “Admiral Insurance” is last case of this kind we hear about.

For more information, see the attached segment from Canada’s CBC News:

Visit the CBC website for video coverage at either of the following links:

• http://www.cbc.ca/news/facebook-blocks-insurance-app-1.3833880
• http://www.cbc.ca/news/admiral-insurance-app-profiles-users-1.3833904

C# or VB.NET?

Poll hosting courtesy: Polldaddy.com.

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o matter how much time passes it seems, the question is always being asked on one project or another: is Java better than Visual Basic?  Is C# better than VB.NET?

Linked-In has been playing host to a lengthy, but at times interesting discussion on this question which seems to have an obvious, short answer.  Yet in the discussion are useful lessons for less experienced programmers that should be taken to heart…

Some highlight replies I selected from the whole thread: