The Problem:
I want to someone to curate my life. I want it online. However, and here’s what is missing, I want it to default to private.
It’s more than just the privacy issue. It’s an issue of the truth. Most of us don’t put our entire truth on Facebook. We put a portrayal of ourselves on Facebook. When I look back in 50 years, I want the complete picture. This isn’t to say I’m lying when I post on Facebook. I’m just choosing what to say. We all have a portrayal of ourselves. It’s subconscious.
Part of the issue is simply how things are added to Facebook. Pictures, videos, comments, quotes, etc. We need to have it or think of it. Then we need to decide it should be part of the catalog of our life. So everything on our Timeline – our life, curated – is there because we put it there.
That’s not how life works!!! Life is full of things we don’t choose. It’s full of things we have to participate in that we don’t want to share. It’s also full of the mundane. And my reaction to the mundane is part of what makes me me.
This is just my own personal opinion… Facebook doesn’t help me know myself. Facebook helps me know who I would like to be. The problem is we all pretend it’s helping me to know myself.
The Business
Private life curation, partly from your response to a daily or twice daily text message question. When I have to decide what to curate, I don’t curate everything. When I’m forced to respond to a question, I respond in the moment. Then it gets curated.
The service will know you over time and help you curate. You will be able to add pictures, videos, thoughts, comments, scans, etc, etc. It should integrate calendars and to-dos, etc.
The whole idea is a full permanent record that you leave behind. Contrary to what Facebook might have you believe, I don’t think it’s there. And I don’t think it can ever get there. Zuckerberg has repeatedly stated in public that the nature of privacy is changing. Is it?
Until they can get in my head, privacy may be changing, but it isn’t gone.
Doableness
Private Facebook would probably need about a half a billion dollars. It also needs incredibly sophisticated artificial intelligence so it can truly become your digital friend and ask the right questions.
It’s doable.
My Thoughts
Will there be a category of private media?