"Sorry to interrupt, but I'll need your info"

World Cup football is here. It is exciting, even though your country may not have qualified. But to a Brazilian this is just sad. Vietnam is a prime example. The world cup viewership is one of the highest in the world. Actually Vietnam viewership is in the top 3. But that’s not what is fascinating. Recently, like most football fans, I opened a ‘fantasy league’. Trust me, if I was a country, then my team would be unbeatable. Any team that has Torres benching as a striker is in my books the team to bet on.

But that’s not what is fascinating. When I opened this league, they asked me to tick some boxes called ‘terms and conditions’. I think Satan drafted this for them. As soon as I accepted, a plethora of mails flooded my inbox. From gadgets to shampoos. They even tried to sell me ‘penis reduction’. Who in hell wants a penis reduction! Though this spam made my day.

The thing about internet and database usage / sharing is that it can be very intrusive. Television still gives you option to get out. But some sites take it to the extreme. Another example is a site called ‘Brand Karma’. Great concept. But very intrusive. These sites are like that loser friend that calls you everyday to meet, but doesn’t get the message that you don’t want to.

The last blow is the breach of trust. It’s like giving your cell phone number to a potential pal. Instead of a friendship, this pal goes on to write your number in a toilet booth with the message ‘call for fun’. And then lots of people actually call. I blame the communication experts for doing this. They have got it wrong.

What I learnt, we should not whore out the people who give us their information. This ends the relationship. If we want to keep the conversation going with the people on our site or about our brand, we need to protect their privacy. Or should we create a ‘utopian bohemia’ where everything is open and free, much like internet. Where everybody shares information and love is the answer. Let’s ask John Lennon!

Sites that screwed me recently: Brand Karma, Hotmail, Football Fantasy.

This clip sums up how people feel about brands being intrusive on the net: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTR92luEiVw