“Social network analysis” scares me, despite what Gartner says

Gartner Inc. recently released a list of technologies that it believes will have the greatest impact on business over the next 10 years.  One of the technologies on the list is “social network analysis” which Gartner defines as using the information and knowledge gathered from people's personal networks to identify target markets, create project teams and discover unvoiced conclusions.

Call me cynical, but I suspect the “social network analysis” will be used to get my personal information to sell to more advertisers who want to sell me “targeted” stuff I don’t want to buy.  In the wake of the revelation that AOL search data can be used to precisely identify a specific user, I’m growing more and more leery about voluntarily giving any of my personal information to companies that compile it and analyze it for nebulous reasons.

A few years ago I wrote about why I reject offers to join social networks like LinkedIn and Plaxo.  My argument then – as well as now – is that I’m concerned that the keeper of my personal data may get a little careless with it, or perhaps even a bit greedy.  Many of these services are small, yet they hold personal information on thousands of people.  One stolen laptop can mean that data is vulnerable to misuse.  

And now there’s the issue of harvesting that data for “analysis,” as Gartner puts it.  What is to stop a social network operator from analyzing the data and selling the results to an advertiser or to an affiliate who wants to sell something to the people represented by the data?

Social networks ask for enough personal data to pinpoint a person and his or her interests.  Suppose I enter my information about what college I attended.  I might suddenly find myself bombarded with offers for credit cards emblazoned with my school logo, or ads for merchandize tied back to my school.  If I want that stuff, I’ll go look for it myself, thank you.

Gartner says this analysis can be used to create project teams.  Sure, like I really believe that anyone is going to find me in Plaxo to hire me for a project.  As Doctor Evil in the Austin Powers movies would say, “Riiiiiight…”

And just what does it mean to “discover unvoiced conclusions”?  That’s a mystery to me.

Aside from playing the game of “six degrees of separation,” I still don’t see much value in giving your personal information to social networks.  I don’t care how valuable Gartner thinks the information could be in ten years.  The question is, valuable to whom?

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