Privacy

Scribbler is an app specially formulated for the iPhone or Ipad that integrates the freedom to draw and the ability to share one’s artwork with their peers via Facebook, Twitter, and Scribbler itself. Scribbler will include a number of effects, tools, colors, and texts to apply to each Scribble, similar to Photoshop.

During this week’s IST 195 lectures, we explored the topic of Social Media. Being that we are living through the social media revolution, it only makes sense that I apply the concepts to my entrepreneurial idea of Scribbler. One of the major issues revolving around social media is the aspect of privacy. Although social media networks positively connect people from all over the world, promote businesses, and provide instant breaking news, they lack depth in their privacy controls. Most social networking sites allow its users to choose to be either public or private. Public is defined as being accessible for all users to view, comment, tag, etc., on other user’s profiles. While private means that one can control who views, comments, tags, etc., on their profile. There are also blocking controls that allow one to block another user who they do not want to have access to their profile.

Instagram and Twitter have similar privacy settings. Both applications give its users the blunt option of being public or private. While, Facebook provides the options of public or private as well as custom controls that enable its users to display, hide, or block certain features or sections of their profile for specific people or a large group. For example, Facebook users can block “Friends of Friends” from viewing their page. Or if you don’t want your parents seeing all of your pictures you can specifically block your “tags” from being visible to Mom or Dad. But, Facebook is known as having the weakest privacy settings for its users out of all other social networking sites. Unless one is properly informed on how to successfully privatize their Facebook page, it might be a difficult and confusing task to complete. Thankfully, my IST 195 course has provided me with the right knowledge to make sure my real “friends” view my page.

Here are a few tips to make your Facebook profile more private:

1.     Check through your Friend List and remove people who you do not personally know.

2.     Set your default privacy setting to be either Friends or Custom.

3.     Check the individual settings for How You Connect, Timeline and Tagging, and Ads/Apps and Websites. Review each option and select one’s that pertain to your preference.

4.     Block users who you don’t want to view your profile.

5.     Be mindful of what you post. (And who is viewing the posts.)

Scribbler will enable its users to select between a public or private profile when they create an account. The account will include a username and profile. The profile will display a default picture, a “Lookbook,” a list of “Followers,” and who you are “Following.” After selection, there will be a further set of options that allow the user to control:

• Who views their “Lookbook” (folder of one’s posted artwork)
• Artist Requests (approve or deny other artists’ to follow your profile)
• Tags (approve or deny other artists’ tagging of you in their scribble or themselves in one of your scribbles)
• Sharing (approve or deny your posted scribbles to be uploaded on other social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram)
• Comments (approve or deny comments before they are posted on your scribble)
• Search (approve or deny other artists’ to find you) 

Privacy is very important amongst social media. Always be mindful of what you post and who can see it. Future employers will be searching for you!!