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Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

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Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#231

Post by pmarreck »

greggman2 wrote: post #197
metalchianti wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because YOU haven't felt harmed or threatened doesn't mean that others feel that way. I generally agree with you but with some caveats. For example, users should have the ability to opt-in/out of data collection. Additionally there are some actors I would choose NOT to share this data with. Google is one of them.

There's a difference between actually harm and perceived harm. Lots of people feel harmed and threatened by vaccines. I'm not saying you shouldn't have privacy but I claiming you "feel harmed and threatened" isn't really an answer to "what's the harm"

Yeah, I don't understand this either. "I feel I was harmed." OK, where's your empirical reasoning to come to this conclusion?

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#232

Post by pmarreck »

authoritarian wrote: post #213
pmarreck wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never felt harmed or threatened by the idea that my anonymized data (health or otherwise) is being used by large organizations... assuming it is anonymized. As far as I can see, there are many good uses of this data (some potentially profitable, such as selling to health insurance companies so they can better price their products and evaluate risks) and very few bad uses of this data. Can someone please clarif…

This sounds a lot like the the "I have nothing to hide so it doesn't matter who has my data argument," in which case here are a number of resources discussing why privacy matters and why you should care even if you have 'nothing to hide': https://www.ted.com/talks/glenn_greenwald_why_privacy_matter... https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=998565& https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/05/the_value_…

You actually forgot my favorite one on this topic:

https://www.martinfowler.com/articles/bothersome-privacy.htm...

You're arguing something different. I'm arguing that a sufficiently anonymized version of my data is not demonstrably harmful. You're arguing that privacy in general is important, which I would not dispute.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#233

Post by dawg- »

I don't think Google cares about this relative handful of people. They will keep moving on and 90% of society will go with them.

I often wonder what will happen to the few individuals who are willing to push tech/privacy issues so far that they will be okay with being left behind. In 50 years will we have communities of amish-like people who choose to continue living as if it's 2005?

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#234

Post by pmarreck »

Tomte wrote: post #144
pcroh wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just look at this, this guy says "no I'm not getting rid of mine" and he just gets downvoted, hahaha

He‘s being downvoted because he‘s insinuating that all those people deleting their data are not using reason and are just peddling conspiracy theories. Without that part he wouldn‘t have been downvoted nearly as much.

I didn't say they weren't using reason and peddling conspiracy theories.

I said that without someone explaining to me some good reason, it looked like those things. Which, you have to admit, are far and away the most common reasons people give for how they act these days. Oh sure, they insist they know The Truth, but it is often based on this or that fallacious reasoning or evidence.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#235

Post by jplayer01 »

bestnameever wrote: post #223
jplayer01 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure the number is fairly insignificant, especially for a company as big as Google. As for myself, I requested that all my data be deleted when I first heard rumours about the buyout, and I haven't used my Fitbit since.

were you actively using it up until the announcement?

I've been using it on and off since I got it a few years ago. I'll use it for a few months, then leave it for another few months. The last time I used it was from the beginning of this year 'til August. Stopped using it after that. This basically means I won't use it ever again in the future.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#236

Post by toraobo »

unknown2374 wrote: post #150
toraobo wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Yes, some people are privacy conscious and are going to stop using Fitbit but how many are actually doing it? A lot? A few? If they were truly privacy conscious they wouldn't have a twitter anyway.

There is a big difference between the information you make public and information that you want to keep private. If you are using Twitter to express opinions publicly only, then there is little point in caring about how they deal with data you chose to make public to the entire world. Direct messaging and protected tweets are a different story though, but your statement is objectively wrong.

I'm pretty sure that twitter also tracks what you read even if you don't publish anything. I also remember there was no way to hide the list of people you follow?

> your statement is objectively wrong.

this wording may be excessively strong.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#237

Post by blaser-waffle »

epistasis wrote: post #184
koheripbal wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We are not representative of the general population, so our anecdotes are almost worthless.

Representative is not as important as if they influence others to act as well.

See also: the 90-9-1 rule, aka the 1% Rule

"In Internet culture, the 1% rule is a rule of thumb pertaining to participation in an internet community, stating that only 1% of the users of a website actively create new content, while the other 99% of the participants only lurk. Variants include the 1–9–90 rule (sometimes 90–9–1 principle or the 89:10:1 ratio),[1] which states that in a collaborative website such as a wiki, 90% of the participants of a community only view content, 9% of the participants edit content, and 1% of the participants actively create new content."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1%25_rule_(Internet_culture)

Point is, there may be a lot of eyes that see that post and are influenced by it, but make no posts or generate no discussion of their own.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#238

Post by macintux »

9dl wrote: post #230
macintux wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reminds me of the discussion where someone asserted that because were capable of taking our own pulse there’s no advantage to a device that tracks it all the time. I’m not going to throw a chest sensor on every time I leave for lunch just in case I decide to jog there. Or when I get up from my desk to run up and down the stairs. Nor is a chest sensor going to remind me to stand up every hour. Or allow me to set…

>to a device that tracks it all the time There is the problem with hand devices and quality of measurements they do Article describe it more properly If you have heart problems and you need some measurements there are a lot of medical _calibrated_ devices for that There are 0 devices for that which has only hand wearable part Also consider such cases when such devices can do a lot of harm https://www.theguardian.com/…

You keep moving the goalposts.

First you claimed they weren’t useful. Now they’re simply inaccurate (somewhat valid, but see below) and when used stupidly can be privacy problems.

I can’t argue the latter, but that’s not just a smart watch problem.

Regarding accuracy, though, the Apple Watch is very accurate for heart rate, which is important because it can alert the wearer to dangerous heart conditions.

It’s also best-in-class accurate for calorie expenditure, which is fine for general day-to-day tracking and dietary planning.

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/05/24/apple-watch-heart-rate-...

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#239

Post by tekknik »

rurp wrote: post #177
almost_usual wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better question is how many people do you think trust Google and is that number growing? Google feels like a spouse who cheated on you. You don’t trust them but you haven’t found a better option yet. I can’t imagine that helps them competitively in the long run.

> Google feels like a spouse who cheated on you. You don’t trust them but you haven’t found a better option yet. This is a great analogy! It's crazy how much my opinion of Google has changed in the past decade or so. Judging by comments on HackerNews and elsewhere, many others feel the same. I also feel similarly about Amazon. I enjoy using it less and less, but it's been hard to completely drop.

Why do you feel similarly about Amazon?

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#240

Post by flattone »

MichaelApproved wrote: post #228
flattone wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just perfect that you asked. With the environment of things relating to this article but in no specific terms........ I feel uncomfortable putting these words on my car...in the US.

So why say that you want the bumper sticker?

Maybe it wasn't a useful comment should I delete it?
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