Plain Internet
What if someone created a 100% opt-in / opt-out suite of online services, but didn’t store any of our usage data, sell it to anyone, or use it for behavorial targeting?
They’d still be able to make money by putting ads against the tools we’d use (mail, search, maps, online storage, etc) while we’re using them, but not after we’ve closed our browser.
If this becomes important, the rough timeline of online tools could be written:
- Adoption of tools by masses (AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail)
- Flight to faster, better services (Gmail, Google)
- Revelation, protection, and rightful expiration of personal information (*company unknown*)
