Are you at home?

I had a blog post for today, all nice and neatly prepared.

This one isn't it.

The other one will wait. By now, if you haven't picked up on this, I am a bit of a security-minded person (if you weren't aware of this, go read this then come back.) I ran across a website, pleaserobme.com that I have to blog about. The premise behind PleaseRobMe is to post when people use social media to indicate they're not at home. This means facebooking/tweeting about work, grocery shopping, travel, etc. could be posted on this site as an "opportunity." They claim that they are doing this to make people aware of their postings, and thus their personal security flaws. Potential thieves, revenge-seekers, and other miscreants can then abuse this information.

I will say that, on the tweets I have viewed on this site, they were all on profiles set to let everyone view them. So that is one simple to solve, make your personal profiles accessible only to those whom you approve. But even then, who out there doesn't have someone on their friend list or followers who you are only on so-so terms with? Are you comfortable with them knowing where and when you are home? it certainly makes me re-think my postings. which, according to the PleaseRobMe creators, is part of their purpose.

AddisonTechnologies provides social media/marketing for many of our clients, and we promise we will never be posting your GPS location or intentionally exposing you to harm, physical or financial. But what about business owners who personally manage their own social media? They have to be diligent, especially if their business and personal accounts are one in the same. To make the account private would eliminate its usefulness as a marketing tool. Those owners would be wise to make the decision--business or personal--for their accounts and stick to it.

While I'm not for their methods, I agree with the message--that of security--that these people are trying to convey. There is a notice on the site that states that they are re-thinking their direction, due to all of the press they are receiving. I hope they will be responsible in their new direction.