I don’t see how it can be a violation of any reasonable TOS for a user to employ a script to gather the information stored in their own account, the same data that could be harvested with a pencil and paper. The only possible issue is the load on the servers, not data ownership. Who owns the “relationship data” that exists in my cell phone? T-Mobile? Samsung? Ridiculous! I own it. It doesn’t matter that I used the tools and services these companies provided to make new social connections. They were paid for the use of those tools for that very purpose.

If the system load is the issue, that is a valid concern. The burden is on the providers of the service to offer a way to export your data in a way that taxes the system minimally. If they can’t afford to do this in the context of a free service, perhaps they need to reexamine their business model.

You’ll note my new Utterz widget in the sidebar below. I think it’s pretty damn cool (kewl?), but a little confusing yet. I’m supposed to call one number to record a voice message, text another number to post a text entry, or email an address from the phone to upload video, photos, or text in one post. Huh?

I’m determined to keep practicing. Luckily, Utterz seems to have a very helpful support staff. I sent the first post attempt from my t-mobile cell to the utterz email address. Unfortunatey, Utterz didn’t recognize me. I’d registered the phone number with them, but my email came from my_name@tmomail instead of my_number@tmomail. But I received a “who are you” message with instructions and my entry was soon posted! Twitter seems simpler, but less powerful.

The point of this rant, if there is one, is that the world seems to demand that we are in touch, on the grid, within ear/finger shot of anyone who’s trying to reach us. And we must publish our daily movements, plans and mood swings as they happen. I have listened, with difficulty, to 16 year old PopTart Baby from J-Town High School babble on for 3 minutes or more about how she resents people who think she’s too young to understand some things. That’s because, of course, she’s too young to understand.

Ajmac has kindly posted a photo of “more flipping meds” for “whatever they think is wrong with me”. One young lady mentioned how drunk she is and how much she normally drinks (too much), while another was clearly posting from work about how lazy her co-worker is and what an ass the boss is. I’m sure her co-worker, the boss and any future prospective employers would love to read her thoughts. And now, they can.

This generation seems to be almost completely unconcerned with privacy. It requires a constant flow of data and source of entertainment. In the meantime, it is providing both for law enforcement officials. They no longer need a wiretap warrant, just a web-enabled mobile device and a Twitter account.