PHONES, PHONES AND CONNECTIONS. WHAT IS GOING ON?

I can understand the occasional check on the bloggers' sign-in page, as much for security as for the occasional data cleansing exercise. ....... Does data cleansing happen? 

I was mildly irritated to have my usually smooth pathway to my blog site hindered by Google wanting a phone number.  Surely, I did not want to miss all the shimmering excitement of cell phone connections to the cyber world.  Well, here's news, I sure do!   

In the tiniest ever, almost diaphanous print, even smaller than that which is found in a telephone directory,  I just about discovered the option to choose to  click to move on without divulging a phone number.  It was blatantly obvious that  by such a devious, miniscule, printed option,  the designers of the page intended to frustrate as many individuals as they could, in any intent to  decline such a questionable magnanimous offer.

Another development, (it should not affect me) anyone with smart phones, or relatively up-to-date phones, who is a registered user of Facebook, (FB) will have their cell phone numbers published with their names and personal avatars on their friends sites.  To opt out of this feature, (note, no-one was asked if they wanted to opt in) you, the Facebook user, must find the pathway to request removal of your cell phone number, which could take some time to activate, and not only that, on some phones, something else has to be switched off, or, be negated by the user.  Do not ask me what has to be switched off, as I have not got the merest idea. 

It begs the question as to how Facebook has access to the users' cell phone numbers.  I can only assume, (though I could be wrong) that if Google is requesting their bloggers cell phone numbers, then the cell phone numbers displayed on the FB social networking site may have been supplied by the users themselves when subscribing to it.   Also, if you have to request to opt out of the publicizing of your phone number  amongst the vast global numbers of contacts, contacts that some people seem to collect as trophies, you have to ask what is a personal privacy setting worth.  To paraphrase The English Bard, ....Trust, trust wherefore art thou?

THE NEXT 'MUST HAVE'.

I was talking to a family geek about the two phones, The Apple iphone kit and Google's Android. It was said that there was in-built advertising on the one,the Apple. There was a certain naiveté, I felt, in suggesting that Google were not exploiting similar potential with their product. 

A little bit of research revealed that Google had already got underlying 'acceptable' ads behind their system. I'm not sure who the ads are acceptable to. The Google underlying adverts would be installed with the same rationale as Apple has, a profit motivation. In this, all phone manufacturers and resellers are playing the same game. I guess I.T. organisations will be telling mankind that all marketing is good for the soul. Will it become the next 'must have', the next faith forum?

There's a lot to be said for staying with a good old fashioned cell phone that just makes phone calls, if anyone can remember what they are. And for a bit of added excitement, a wee facility to send text messages would be useful, though not essential, since voice messaging is bound to be in the bundle.

BUZZ -TO BE OR NOT TO BEE

Has anyone, who uses Gmail and Google for various forms of communication discovered how to opt out of 'Buzz'?

There appears to be an automatic opt-in which has caused uproar and was thrust upon the public against the advice, (and warnings) of people who deal with privacy issues, no doubt, a great number of them being experts.

The story goes that 20,000 Google operatives excitedly tested Buzz, the allegedly new alternative to other well known chat fora, like Facebook and Bebo.  They concurred with the Google boys creating the new Google toys that it was the bees knees and would be the greatest thing since sliced bread came on the scene. They clearly failed to take account of the real worlds of people.

The spokesmen for Google clearly stated today on BBC Radio 4's media show that the Buzz opt-out, which was there all the time, but was well hidden, (suppressed buzzing you might say) is now more up front; in other words it should be visible. I am still seeking.

So back to my request; please has anyone discovered how to opt out of Buzz?