Quote:
Originally Posted by JustAMan
Hmm, mine KT (non-3G) has almost always WiFi off  So no problem here, right? |
From a technical stand point, you are not saved from making a decision about what to share with Amazon by turning off the Wifi.
Much of this information could (can not yet say if it is) be saved and sent in a batch the next time the machine connects.
The information gathering system would almost have to be designed that way, since Wifi connections are not always available where the machine is being used.
In this first part, I am only doing 'discovery' of what/where the machine is trying to connect to.
In the next part, I will try to learn just what it is trying to share with Amazon.
The point I had in starting this thread was to have 'Informed Users' that could make their own decisions on what to share, once it becomes an owner's choice.
The 'Free Wifi' and the 'Free (portion of) 3G' are not being provided by Amazon without the expectations of something being received in return.
Amazon does fully disclose that the machine is designed to be "Always Connected".
They do include features that make use of that connectivity for the user and describe how having those features are a benefit to the user (mostly Amazon Cloud based things).
They forgot to mention in bold print the advantages to Amazon.
The best description I can give is by analogy.
In the USA, the largest, oldest, consumer research organization was originated to study the (new at the time) users of Television.
They are still in that business, along with others, and make no secret of what they do:
Nielsen Ratings
These ratings and the consumer research these people provide to the television industry are a major factor in the decisions made by the producers and marketers of those viewing products.
Now consider that you are a publisher / distributor / seller of books.
Wouldn't your department of Corporate Strategic Planning just love to have the sort of consumer studies and research that the television industry has?
So why not just put a 'consumer interest' data gathering device into every consumer's hands? Report their reading habits, down to the detail of bookmarks and highlighted quotations?
Where is the difference between Nielsen and Amazon?
With Nielsen, the viewers who report know they are reporting their viewing habits.
With Amazon, the readers do not know they are reporting their reading habits.
With Nielsen, the company provides an electronic reporting device for the purpose.
With Amazon, the company provides an electronic reporting device for the purpose.
With the Nielsen device, the viewers know they have it. With Amazon...
Oh, gee, we forgot to mention that.
With Nielsen, the viewers have a choice of what and when they report on their viewing.
With Amazon, the readers do not have a choice. They don't even know they are reporting.
If the reader of this is a believer in: "Ignorance is Strength" (George Orwell, 1984, page 2) then they will have no complaint about this situation.
Other readers might want an 'Advanced Settings' panel on their Kindle where they can choose what sort of information about their reading habits they share with Amazon.
Such as:
Share my titles:
Share my bookmarks:
Share my quotations:
Share my reading time per title:
Share my ....
And whatever other things that are being reported for which the machine's owner might have an opinion about sharing with the customer research database in the Amazon Cloud.