Recording personal data isn’t new, but the ease with which data can be recorded, organized and displayed for analysis is. And it’s gaining in popularity. New websites and apps that help people monitor their habits, feelings and behaviors are being released every day. According to the New York Times Magazine article, The Data-Driven Life, over one million people are on the geo-tracking site Foursquare and over 30,000 personal tracking projects are started every month on MedHelp.

Self-improvement and self-insight
People track their data to aid in progress toward goals such as quitting smoking, losing weight or being more productive. Seeing the raw data removes some of the emotion from the process of change and can also, over time, offer personal insight into correlations between activities, moods and outcomes.

Community
With the popularity of Facebook and Twitter, people don’t seem to have many qualms about sharing their data. Many online communities are built around the exchange of personal data. For example, creating a profile on a dieting site that publishes your food intake, exercise patterns and weight loss progress for like-minded individuals to view. Or personal data can be published manually via Twitter or Facebook (tweet your breakfast) or automatically (check in at the Pizza Parlor via Gowala). The social aspect of the web actually promotes the collection of personal data. From The Data-Driven Life:

“The more they want to share, the more they want to have something to share.” Personal data are ideally suited to a social life of sharing. You might not always have something to say, but you always have a number to report.”

Where is this all headed?
In this fascinating video, Carnegie Mellon Professor Jesse Schell talks about how score keeping and tracking devices will creep further into our everyday lives (skip to the 20:00 mark if you are short on time). Sensors will get smaller, more powerful and be embedded everywhere. Just brushed your teeth? The sensor in your brush awards you 10 points. Brush twice a day for a week? You’ve earned a bonus – redeem your points for a toothpaste coupon.

But can you trust companies with this much information?  
It’s all well and good as long as they are using your data so sell you things you want. But what happens when your grocery store threatens to use your buying habits against you in a legal case? Or maybe your health insurer offers them big money for your data — could your rates go up because you buy too much junk food?

In summary
If recording your personal data benefits you in some way, do it. Enjoy the insights and benefits the modern technology can provide. Just be aware that your data may not always be private and you should be selective about what you record.

Popular personal data tracking sites, apps and devices to check out: 

• Daytum uses Google API to track and publish just about any type of data.
• me-trics is where Google Analytics gets personal.
• RescueTime is time management software for individuals and companies.
• Trixie Tracker can track and monitor your baby’s habits.
• Sleeptracker is a wristwatch-like sleep phase monitor and alarm clock.
• FitBit is a small device that tracks exercise and sleep.
• Moodstats allows you to record and rate how your day is going.
• MedHelp is a medical community and forum with tracking tools for pain, sleep, etc.
• Traineo tracks food, calories, exercise and fitness goals.
• FitDay is for tracking and analyzing your nutrition, weight loss, diet and fitness goals.
• Calorie King has detailed food, nutrition and exercise trackers.
• MotionBased is a web app from Garmin that translates GPS data into functional analysis and online mapping.
• Nike+ captures running stats (distance, pace, time and calories), which can be uploaded into the Nike+ community.
• Foursquare and Gowala are geo-tracking applications where users “check-in” at locations.
• Mint is a personal finance tracking software.
• CarChip is a device for cars that collects driving and engine performance data from the on-board computers.
• My Mile Marker tracks mileage and fuel consumption.
• The Energy Detective is an energy consumption device/monitor.

 

 

So you’ve taken the plunge and opened your site to more user participation, but something doesn’t seem to be working. How can you motivate people to try your site?

In this slide deck, Josh Porter of bokardo outlines common barriers to gaining social traction and strategies for overcoming them. The common barriers addressed include:

1. Sign-up
2. First-time use
3. Ongoing engagement

If you're looking for ways to inspire your users to participate, you might learn a lot from Josh's deck. I sure did. 

So you’ve decided to start an email marketing campaign, and know there are laws regarding to whom you can send. But what are those laws? Finding the right answers can be a tough nut to crack, unless you know where to begin.

For starters, open up the CAN-SPAM Act. CAN-SPAM outlines what can and can’t be done with regards to email marketing, and imposes requirements on the use of commercial email (including emails from non-profits).

The Act prohibits sending a commercial email without:

1. Conspicuous indication that the message is an advertisement or solicitation
2. Clear notice of the opportunity to decline to receive further commercial email messages from the sender
3. A valid physical postal address of the sender
   

There are no restrictions against a company emailing existing customers or anyone who has inquired about its products or services (these messages are classified as relationship or transactional). As long as you’ve followed the above 3 rules and obtained the email address through legitimate means, you should be in the clear.

As far as what not to do, the Act specifies 4 “aggravated violations” which compound any penalties:

1. Address harvesting
2. Dictionary attacks
3. Automated creation of multiple email accounts
4. Relaying or retransmitting through unauthorized access to a protected computer or network
   

In 2008, the following revisions and clarifications were added:

1. Liability may attach to any “person” (including non-natural persons), meaning companies can also be held liable.
2. When a single email has multiple contributors, they may designate a single sender (identified in the from-line of the email) whose physical address appears in the email, and whose products or services are promoted in the message. The sole sender assumes all responsibility.
3. A physical address no longer needs to be included in every email, as long as an accurately registered P.O. or private mailbox is.
4. Making the opt-out process intentionally difficult is a violation.  You also run the risk of users marking your email as spam, and you could eventually be blacklisted at the IP level.
   

If a recipient opts out, you have 10 days to stop sending them emails, and can only use the address for compliance purposes. The law also requires that the unsubscribe mechanism must be able to process opt-out requests for at least 30 days from the day the commercial email was sent. Additionally, the legislation prohibits the sale or transfer of an email address after an opt-out request.

Lastly, if you do get into hot water, the Act does not allow e-mail recipients to sue you or file class-action lawsuits, but allows enforcement by the FTC, State Attorneys General, Internet service providers and other federal agencies.