I can bet a dollar that you have a Facebook account. Furthermore, I’ll bet another dollar that you just opened a separate tab for it. However, there is one uncertainty related to this Facebook phenomena of yours and mine – the reliability of data transfer between Facebook and Google applications. Actually, it is a lingering thought I had in my mind over these past few weeks – can I actually export Facebook data from my Facebook account to other email services permitted? The answer is no and this Newsweek article offers some insight on this issue.

It’s shocking how Facebook and Google, the hubs of social interaction, are facing a standoff because of this data-exporting mishap. What really stands out is that the competition for the computer market has drastically changed over the years. First, it was Microsoft vs. Apple for the desktop market. Then, it was Intel vs. AMD for the chip market. And, as shown here, Facebook and Google for the data market. While the data market itself is beneficial for us and profitable for companies, it really begs us to ask the following question: what kind of information should we offer and withhold? I find this question interesting because our responses to data giants today determine how our computing experiences will be tomorrow.

One quote I found interesting was the last phrase from the Newsweek article:

…[information sharing] was great until people realized that their user data could be turned into gold. Now there are billions at stake, and nobody is playing nice anymore. -Daniel Lyons

May this quote be a note of caution to everyone with an online account. I bet no dollars on this.