Radical Transparency Extends into the World
Posted by Pat Kitano at 2/14/2007 11:41 PM 
Categories: social networking, Cool Web Tools, Transparency
Categories: social networking, Cool Web Tools, Transparency
Web 2.0 provides a number of tools for monitoring visitors to your website or blog. I'll sometimes thank a friend for visiting Transparent based on their domain name showing up earlier on the Sitemeter site reporting tool I use. Sometimes it prompts a look of amazement, most non-bloggers don't realize blogs are or can be monitored. Their privacy has been exposed and it's somewhat discomfiting.
Now that most bloggers have accepted radical transparency for themselves, they don't give it a second thought when that transparency is extended beyond their realm. This is another reason why MyBlogLog's avatar widget is revolutionary... it unequivocally identifies visitors who may normally want to hide... it forces radical transparency onto groups of disparate members, namely other MyBlogLog bloggers.
Realtors would love to extend radical transparency to their clients. Monitoring client behavior and intentions is essential to assessing their potential to close. CleanOffer (and other Realtor Customer Relationship Management - CRM - systems) monitors Realtor clients by providing them with complete access to the MLS system via their own CleanOffer application. (According to my Realtor friend, allowing a consumer client to access to the MLS via a Realtor login and password is potentially punishable by fines and license revocation). The client searches through listings and his/her movements tracked and reported... the Realtor then analyzes the patterns of the search to see how serious or ready the client is. The application relies on the fact that the client doesn't think their searches are being recorded and judged.
Radical transparency is a societal sea change concept. For further reading:
Radical Transparency - part 1
Radical Transparency - part 2
Technorati Tags: radical transparency, transparency, MyBlogLog, Sitemeter, CleanOffer, MLS, Web 2.0,
My picture's down there on your MyBlogLog widget. I suppose I could remove my membership from MBL but then I couldn't track others. It is a catch 22 like so much of the internet. The good thing about the internet is it's so public. The bad thing about the internet is it's so public!
Reply to this
Radical transparency is addictive... you taught me about it first Bonnie and I now view it as liberating...
Reply to this
David at CleanOffer sent me an email today that I thought would be best added as a comment here:
One correction/clarification: You wrote, "The application relies on the fact that the client doesn't think their searches are being recorded and judged.". Actually, as part of CleanOffer's
Terms and Conditions, which the client/consumer must accept as a condition of registration, it clearly states (in bold):
ACCESS TO PERSONAL DATA BY REAL ESTATE AGENTS
You acknowledge that inherent in the CleanOffer concept is the ability of your chosen real estate agent to access and use information you have posted on our site for the purpose of assisting you in the purchase or sale of a home. For example, a real estate agent will have access, among other things, to how many times you have logged onto the CleanOffer service, the homes that you have viewed and saved in your personal folder, your e-mail address and other information of value to the agent in assisting in the purchase or sale of homes. You agree that such information from your personal folder, including, without limitation, your e-mail address may be provided to your selected registered real estate agent(s).
Granted, many people don't read Terms and Conditions. Still, the fact that an upfront agent-client "commitment" is required in order for the consumer to use CleanOffer, definitely separates the serious from the curious. Serious buyers usually prefer that their agent stay informed regarding their home search needs and wants. As we discussed, typically 40% of the buyers using CleanOffer purchase a home within the first year of registering. This compares with less than 1% for the numerous, anonymous "lead generating" real estate websites. Real Estate is a relationship business.
Reply to this
With MBL you can become invisible on individual websites. If you hover over your gravatar an "X" will appear and you can hide yourself. I do this sometimes when I follow links that lead me to a page where it wouldn't be apropos to have my pix & name showing. It's an image thing.
Reply to this
I just like seeing everyones faces when they visit. Not everyone comments all the time, so seeing the faces makes me feel more loved.
Reply to this
If you want a photo album of MBL love, check http://www.soloseo.com/mybloglog-tools/show-all-visitors.html
Reply to this
Looks like HotPadsColleen got caught!
I think that the MyBlogLog widget is a great tool because it shows you who is reading and active in the community. However, I wouldn't necessarily say that it forces radical transparency on those who would like to remain anonymous. If you would prefer not to show up on a particular MyBlogLog widget, you can just sign out of MyBlogLog first. I think you can also hide from communities on MBL, but I haven't tried it, so I'm not sure how it works.
Reply to this
Exactly HotPads Colleen! The MBL widget is so intriguing, more community "identifiers" will follow. It's hard to logout / login to the communities for specific purposes... eventually inertia gives way and radical transparency will happen... internet transparency is still a fairly new concept, it wasn't even considered by the public after Sept. 11, 2001.
Reply to this