6/26/08 - the 3rd day of showing activity on the profile....

Eons recently introduced a "Recent Activity" section on the profile page. Reactions have been varied but, so far, mostly negative. I think I'm beginning to understand why it feels initially disturbing.

Previously, if your "Who can see my recent activity?" privacy setting was set to "Friends" (the default setting), your Eons Friends were able to see what you've been doing on their My Eons page and on the Friend Activity page. The Activity display on the profile contains precisely the same information and it is viewable to the same people (*almost, see below). It's a different view because it only lists what you've been doing instead of interweaving your activity with other people's activity. However, there's no breach of privacy, here - the same people see the same information.

*I lied. There's one extra person who can now follow your Activity. That person is YOU. Previously, there was no way to see your own activity. I think that's probably why some folks are uneasy - it's like the first time you hear your voice on a tape recorder (I sound like *that!?*). Your friends have been seeing your activity for a year or more but nobody has been able to see their own activity. Hence, it might be a shock.

Personally, I have found it surprisingly useful to look at my own activity. For example, I sometimes forget what group I was in when I answered a question. Or what I was doing before I was so rudely interrupted by the need to sleep. Also, as with a tape recorder or a mirror, it can useful to see what other people are seeing. It gives you a sense of how you appear relative to others.

If you wish, you can change your privacy setting to "Everyone" - in which case anyone can see your activity, or "No one" - in which case only you can see your activity. As I see it, Eons is designed to be a social network. We're here to be social and this Activity information really helps. So I would encourage everyone to leave the privacy setting set to "Friends" and consider opening it up to "Everyone."