Can you imagine walking up to a guy on the street and saying something like "Hey there. If you tell me the names and contact information for all of your friends, the conversations you've had with them, the type of products you like, your occupation and lots of other demographic information? I'll let you play this little game with bottle caps"
Yet to many technologists working on the internet this seems like a perfectly reasonable trade to ask people to make.
So are people aware of what they are doing and are making a fair trade? Or are we taking advantage of folks simply because the technology is new?
There is a moral component to modern software development. Many of us technology folks don't like to talk about it, but simply because we don't talk about it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
That's not a fair analogy, because the bottle cap game does not need that information. It's more close to a doctor asking you about your and your family's medical past. If you trust the doctor its fine, if you don't it's a hard situation to figure out.
Edit: this is not supposed to be a direct analogy (obviously Facebook does not have your medical records yet, afaik). Games want to have the ability to find out who is your friend and to post on your behalf, it's not absolutely necessary but millions of people understand it's the price they pay for a free game.
What games are you claiming need the same level of information about me as a doctor?
Frankly, your analogy is ridiculous. Facebook apps aren't integral parts of my health and well-being. They don't need to delve into my personal life.
They want to. That's one way to exploit me to advertisers. But a Doctor absolutely needs to, for my own well being. Games and the advertisers they serve don't have that claim.
But how can advertisers target their ads to your special interests if they don't know everything about you? Advertisers are just as essential to your well being as the doctor is, if not even more. </preemptive sarcasm>
The social element is absolutely essential to such simple games. If it weren't for the constant nagging of your friends there wouldn't be much fun they would practically not work.
If you feel the games exploit you (or the doctor invades your life) , then avoid them.
Yet to many technologists working on the internet this seems like a perfectly reasonable trade to ask people to make.
So are people aware of what they are doing and are making a fair trade? Or are we taking advantage of folks simply because the technology is new?
There is a moral component to modern software development. Many of us technology folks don't like to talk about it, but simply because we don't talk about it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.