Comments on: Blurring The Lines Between Content And Marketing http://jennyrotten.com/2007/10/27/blurring-the-lines-between-content-and-marketing/ I'm a Producer of Online Communities with a focus on: privacy, membership, MMOs, and kids. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:12:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Jenny http://jennyrotten.com/2007/10/27/blurring-the-lines-between-content-and-marketing/#comment-6 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:24:12 +0000 http://jennyrotten.com/2007/10/27/blurring-the-lines-between-content-and-marketing/#comment-6 Hello Colin - it's a pleasure having you comment. :) I agree with you that parents should educate their kids about marketing. Unfortunately, a lot of adults don't know when they're being marketed to. I can't speak for the companies that Prof. Steeves mentions but I'm willing to bet that they don't care about the single user's personal info (in the sense that it's stored securely and used for membership purposes only) and that they are interested in- and profit more from- the aggregate data that they collect. They are businesses...they need to make money but I can assure you there are people who work for kids' community sites that are passionate about usability and gameplay and are also true champions of online privacy. Some do post their rules in kids-speak- but more sites definitely need to get on that! Haha nine-year old lawyer..eek I'm sure there's one out there somewhere. Hello Colin - it’s a pleasure having you comment. :)

I agree with you that parents should educate their kids about marketing. Unfortunately, a lot of adults don’t know when they’re being marketed to.

I can’t speak for the companies that Prof. Steeves mentions but I’m willing to bet that they don’t care about the single user’s personal info (in the sense that it’s stored securely and used for membership purposes only) and that they are interested in- and profit more from- the aggregate data that they collect. They are businesses…they need to make money but I can assure you there are people who work for kids’ community sites that are passionate about usability and gameplay and are also true champions of online privacy. Some do post their rules in kids-speak- but more sites definitely need to get on that!

Haha nine-year old lawyer..eek I’m sure there’s one out there somewhere.

]]> by: Colin McKay http://jennyrotten.com/2007/10/27/blurring-the-lines-between-content-and-marketing/#comment-5 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:37:15 +0000 http://jennyrotten.com/2007/10/27/blurring-the-lines-between-content-and-marketing/#comment-5 Hi. Thanks for noticing Professor Steeves' comments. While I can't speak for her, I would say that parents need to work with their kids, to make sure they understand they're being marketed to. The producers of Webkinz, Neopets and Barbie.com aren't looking to build a community - they're mining for information. The fact that the kids feel they're part of a community is secondary. Your last point is important: I'll start believing that these kids community sites really have the best interests of children at heart when they actually spend some time and money on explaining privacy and the EULA to their users. I guess what they need is a 9 year-old lawyer. Colin McKay Director of Communications Office of the Privacy Commissioner Hi. Thanks for noticing Professor Steeves’ comments.

While I can’t speak for her, I would say that parents need to work with their kids, to make sure they understand they’re being marketed to. The producers of Webkinz, Neopets and Barbie.com aren’t looking to build a community - they’re mining for information. The fact that the kids feel they’re part of a community is secondary.

Your last point is important: I’ll start believing that these kids community sites really have the best interests of children at heart when they actually spend some time and money on explaining privacy and the EULA to their users.

I guess what they need is a 9 year-old lawyer.

Colin McKay
Director of Communications
Office of the Privacy Commissioner

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