WWTBAM Bored

I was told about a company which is going to do the following:

Allow cell phone users to sign up to receive discount coupons that will be sent as TXT messages to their phone. Some will be sent as the customer walks or drives past the store. As an example, a free cup of coffee at 7-11 with a purchase of over $5.

To know where you are of course, they will have to access your phone's GPS locater.

I realize the Board member are above the target demographic, but what do you all think about this idea? Is it too invasive?

Bob Juch wrote:I was told about a company which is going to do the following:

Allow cell phone users to sign up to receive discount coupons that will be sent as TXT messages to their phone. Some will be sent as the customer walks or drives past the store. As an example, a free cup of coffee at 7-11 with a purchase of over $5.

To know where you are of course, they will have to access your phone's GPS locater.

I realize the Board member are above the target demographic, but what do you all think about this idea? Is it too invasive?

MHO - yes. However it will not be considered so by the desired demographic, which seems to have less and less concern about privacy issues as time goes by.

earendel wrote: MHO - yes. However it will not be considered so by the desired demographic, which seems to have less and less concern about privacy issues as time goes by.

Except when the Facebook photos of their drunken debaucheries are viewed by their potential employers and they're rejected because of them.

Given my own difficulties in getting reasons for rejections, even without said Facebook photos (more's the pity), I wonder how many Gen Xers and Yers have been aced out of jobs by it without being told the real reason.

Advertising is already invasive enough, thank you.

Yes, I think it's too invasive.

Yes, one person that I know of was not hired by my employer because of the stuff on his Myspace page.

SportsFan68 wrote:Yes, I think it's too invasive.

Yes, one person that I know of was not hired by my employer because of the stuff on his Myspace page.

Was that person told that this was the reason, or just given the standard blather about hiring someone more qualified?

Bob Juch wrote:I was told about a company which is going to do the following:

Allow cell phone users to sign up to receive discount coupons that will be sent as TXT messages to their phone. Some will be sent as the customer walks or drives past the store. As an example, a free cup of coffee at 7-11 with a purchase of over $5.

To know where you are of course, they will have to access your phone's GPS locater.

I realize the Board member are above the target demographic, but what do you all think about this idea? Is it too invasive?

I wouldn't sign up, not because it is invasive, but because it would be a pain in my butt to get all of the text messages I assume would come.

If people sign up, then they would want that.

gsabc wrote:

SportsFan68 wrote:Yes, I think it's too invasive.

Yes, one person that I know of was not hired by my employer because of the stuff on his Myspace page.

Was that person told that this was the reason, or just given the standard blather about hiring someone more qualified?

He was not told the reason, he got the standard blather. We don't say "more qualified" though, we say "best fit."

You gotta grow up sometime, and this guy hadn't grown up yet. The person who would have been his supervisor doesn't think it's his job to raise his employees. He thinks they should come to him pre-raised.

I wouldn't do it, I think that it's a huge invasion of privacy.

SportsFan68 wrote:

gsabc wrote:

SportsFan68 wrote:Yes, I think it's too invasive.

Yes, one person that I know of was not hired by my employer because of the stuff on his Myspace page.

Was that person told that this was the reason, or just given the standard blather about hiring someone more qualified?

He was not told the reason, he got the standard blather. We don't say "more qualified" though, we say "best fit."

You gotta grow up sometime, and this guy hadn't grown up yet. The person who would have been his supervisor doesn't think it's his job to raise his employees. He thinks they should come to him pre-raised.

I always told people, "This job isn't right for you." (And didn't suggest they work at 7-11 instead.)

I agree with everyone's comments; it's way too invasive. Also, I'll bet getting ten promos for each one wanted will get tired real fast.

The phone companies are supposedly going crazy for the idea though.

Bob Juch wrote:I agree with everyone's comments; it's way too invasive. Also, I'll bet getting ten promos for each one wanted will get tired real fast.

The phone companies are supposedly going crazy for the idea though.

It's a great way for them to market advertisements.

At first, they may use generic ads for everyone who walks by a certain store, but as this grows, the potential for personalization is huge. In casinos that use player cards, they do some intensive data mining to figure out exactly how much (and how little) might be required to get a customer to play a little longer.

I don't even like clipping coupons.

Much too invasive for me.

I don't like that potential employers look for you online, access your credit scores, and other things like that when deciding to hire you, but anyone who loses a job because of web content they have control over just isn't being very smart. When I was interviewing for my current job, my profiles on Myspace and other social networking sites became viewable by friends only for a while, and my blog disappeared from the web entirely. I didn't really have anything bad to hide, but I preferred to have them base their decision on my qualifications and interview, and not on whatever random thing they might have found (and possibly misinterpreted) on the web.