Someone’s Been Reading Your IMs
October 24th, 2004When I first read about Google desktop (GD) search, I was thrilled. Well, thrilled turned to shock when I learned that GD would be able to index all of my IM conversations. While the concept is amazing (I would love to get access to some conversations that I have had in the past), I believe that it may actually hinder the conversations that go on within the IM architecture.
Some of the conversations that I have with colleagues are “shooting the shit” talks. Nothing tremendously useful for future retrieval. But, some of it is very intense, with ideas being thrown back and forth with more ease than a phone conversation. Why? No interruptions from the other person, more time to think about what to write, less “on the spot” issues, etc. So, these conversations that I have with colleagues are now being “recorded”, if they have GD running.
Knowing that our conversation may be tapped by the person on the other end will probably make me think twice about what to say, thus squelching the point of IM (free-flowing, non-thinking ideas and conversations). There will have to be more of a trust factor here with the person on the other end of the line. For example, if Gary sends me an IM, I know that I can talk freely to him about anything without worrying what I am going to say. Gary and I have a trusting relationship. But, if someone pings me whom I don’t know and starts asking questions, I might be reluctant to say certain things (book ideas, article ideas, controversial thoughts). The difference in my views here between before and after the initiation of GD is that most people never (I assume) copied and pasted the conversation unless it was very important. Here, it is being done automatically. Bad things can happen. Think of the liability aspects.
This is bad. Very bad. I don’t want to have to think about what I am saying via IM. I just want to say it. Am I way off target here? Has anyone else thought of this? Am I just being paranoid? I hope I am.