Thursday Buzz: What Do People Really Think About Privacy?

Give and you shall receive.

Many Americans are more apt to share personal information or give up some privacy if they get something in return, a new survey from Pew Research Center found  (opens in a new tab).

Survey respondents said their willingness to disclose information about themselves depended  (opens in a new tab) on what the deal was and on what kind of data the commercial retailer or third-party service wanted, what they were going to do with it, and how long they planned to keep it.

For example, 52 percent of respondents said it would be OK for their doctor’s office to share their health information with a secure website if it meant they could see their health records and make appointments online. Other findings:

• 47 percent said they’d sign up for a retail loyalty card even if the store tracked their shopping histories and sold the data to third parties; 32 percent said no to that prospect.
• 54 percent said they’d support office surveillance cameras to stop workplace theft. The video footage would be able to identify everyone taped and be kept indefinitely. Only 24 percent said no to the idea.

However, respondents weren’t keen on using smart technology, such as the Nest thermostat, in their homes to save money if the devices would track activity in the house. Fifty-five percent said it would not be acceptable, while 27 percent said it would be.

Association Power!

Larry Myler, the CEO of By Monday, has a pretty bullish take on associations. His advice, simply put: If your industry doesn’t have one, you should start one.

“The synergy of an association comes from its members’ combined experience and knowledge,” Myler writes at Forbes  (opens in a new tab). “Forming such a group can help not only your business, but also your entire industry by raising its overall level of expertise, competence, and cache.”

Think he’s right on the money?

Other Links For Your Day

Have kids? The American Library Association has issued its 2016 list  (opens in a new tab) of the best children’s literature.

Get some perspective. There’s always an upset, frustrated, or passive-aggressive coworker in the house. Lifehacker’s Patrick Allan writes about how  (opens in a new tab) to communicate with a difficult colleague by considering the person’s point of view.

The morning can be a serious struggle. Find it hard to get up and going? Or are you always up and frantic? Inc.’s Bill Murphy Jr. shares the morning routines  (opens in a new tab) of well-known successful people.

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