Amazon seems to have pioneered the use of social feedback to drive product sales. When you personally look for a product to purchase on Amazon, do you look at the user ratings? Have you ever gone further and read specific positive and negative reviews to determine if it is the product you want to purchase?
One of the key principles behind the concept of social computing is the collection of data about customers. These data include many different types of information, such as which products the individual viewed, how many times, what else they viewed in relation to the first product, and so on.
Following this concept, consider a recent purchase you have made online (if you have never made a purchase online, then you are definitely unique!). Which data do you think was collected about you and your purchase? How do you think the business can use that information? Do you think that customer data like this is a commodity that can be sold? What concerns does this raise?
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