How Software Companies Made You A Product

How Software Companies Made You A Product

By Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia |  @drlalitsetia  |  drlalitsetia@gmail.com  |  Created May 4, 2019

The free access of numerous software and apps just after agree to terms and conditions in digital mode; make us very comfortable. But do you think ever, why the software and apps are freely provided? How they cover their cost of creating and maintaining software and apps? What does a software company do without telling the user? There are a lot of questions will be answered in the following content; clearly state you how software companies made you a product to sell. The 'Grooming of Personality' require such information so that the target audience can make themselves safe from being victim of the false use of confidential information.

Targeting people through software:

The networking, internet connectivity, and GPS-enabled location can easily track the location of any gadget including mobile, tablets, computers etc. Whenever a person buys any mobile, it came with the Android operating system owned by Google and a lot of apps installed by default, came with the mobile and the apps not only tracks location but also have access to storage including device storage and memory card comprises personal photographs, videos, addresses, and other valuable information. The information, a person provides in mobile, tablets, computers can easily be accessed through the apps, software, and sometimes through viruses. The Android operating system always track the location of the mobile which remained most of the time with its user and the location of user is also easily tracked.  

Record of each User:

The search engines and social networking platforms including Google, Facebook, Twitter etc; are used to explore the internet and whatever a person explores, it shows his areas of interest. The companies which own the search engines and social networking platforms store the information related to each user including profile details, areas of interest, information relating to search activities, location of logging into account etc. The information of millions of users led to big data storage. Even if a person is not user of Google or social networking platforms, it is tried to track his location, gather information about him through the associated users. The software companies have become tracking companies.

Even the browsing history of a particular computer or laptop is stored and not deleted entirely. It is stored with the company provided browser services.

Stealing private information:

The software companies through software and apps access the private information of the users. When I talked to some people about it, they told me that there is nothing private. When I asked them whether their banking details, residential locations, and official addresses can be used to harm them or not. They assessed how the information can be used in wrong manner. From where the software companies usually take private information:

(i) Information from Text Messages:

The text messages are stored in device storage and the storage is accessible to the software companies through their operating systems, software including apps.

(ii) Information from e-mails:

The emails are stored in the inbox with its physical storage in the software of companies.

(iii) Information about events:

The events, reminders are stored in Google Calendar and other similar apps installed by the users. The information can be used by the software companies.

(iv) Information from Files on Google-drive:

The google drives are used to capture the files of users, some files are shared by the users and other files are stored through backup service automatically operated in the android operating system.

(v) Information about Bio-metric identity:

The new devices of laptops with locking of system and opening it through bio-metric scanning of fingers is a threat to steal the bio-metric identity of the user. The Android devices are also giving options to lock the device by recording the bio-metric finger prints. The bio-metric identities are also included in the profiles of the users.

How this information is used?

On the basis of information, the companies create and maintain the profile of each person. The software is framed to keep close watch over the activities of users and with analysing information, the companies know better about the users’ behaviour than the users. How software companies use the information:

(a) Each user is a product of software companies:

The companies exploit the information for their own advantages. The collected information is used to sell further to each other and used to decide the number of advertisers to serve the users. The bidding is done to sell the users on the basis of their profile parameters. In this sense, each user is treated as a product.

(b) Using users and computers to display Ads:

The software companies including Google, Yahoo, Rediffmail etc. use the profiles of users in running advertisements and ensures the access of these advertisements through browsing platforms, software, and apps. In order to target the relevant audience, the location and areas of interest are kept in mind. Each time an advertisement is seen, it is known as impression and the companies keep information regarding impressions of each advertisement. More the impressions, more the accessibility of the advertisement is, and accordingly, the companies charge advertisement prices from the advertisers. In order to get more impressions, the companies try to display the advertisements on the basis of location of users and computers. The hyper-targeted Ads are created to follow the users wherever they logged into.

(c) Marketing and Selling products:

The software companies program software, apps and sell these products through marketing on the internet. The companies even use the information about the videos watched by a person on their websites to target the users for sale of products. For example, YouTube is owned by Google and the videos watched by users usually comprises the advertisements of products, offering sale of products, and even taking feedback of the previously purchased product from them.

(d) Analysis of impressions:

The software companies analyse the information through software and find out how much impressions are provided in a particular device, the timings of the impressions, the place of locations where it gets maximum impressions etc. 

   

 *Copyright © 2018 Dr. Lalit Kumar. All rights reserved.

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Why, What, and How an employee is trained?

Why, What, and How an employee is trained?

Let's Follow our passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, we shouldn't let anyone limit our dreams. 

It's rightly said,"इंसान जन्म के 2 वर्ष बाद बोलना सीख जाता है। लेकिन बोलना क्या है, यह सीखने में पूरा जन्म लग जाता है।" What it means, the employees are required to be trained on what to say.

Relevance of Training:

It is fact that the development of an individual is through self analysis and training oneself. The personal development consists of activities that develop a person's capabilities and potential, build human capital, facilitate employability, and enhance quality of life and the realization of dreams and aspirations. Everyone should eager to learn from others, emerging environment, and even from new generation children.

Why Training?

Change is the principle of nature and everything evolves by this principle. In an organization, whenever something new is introduced or earlier system of working is changed, some new changes are made in policies and procedures, or something is redesigned for any function; it becomes mandatory to give training to enhance the knowledge, sharpen the skills, and improve the attitude of an employee for accepting the change. Basically, training is required whenever there is a change in either policy or people or technology in an organization. If any employee joined the organization, then there is change in people, that is why training is required.

What is Training?

The training is a systematic process for enhancing the knowledge, sharpening the skills, and modifying the attitude of a person through a range of activities involving learning in a particular order usually known as training design.

The training is provided keeping in mind a particular performance related problem. The training events or activities are decided on the basis of problem in context. The training comprises five steps i.e. INDIA:

I – Identify  N- Need  D – Design  I – Implement A – Assess

Firstly, the organizational functions are studied, how the organization work and what functions are required at each level of organization. The persons required to be trained are of which level of the organization and what functions they usually perform. In which activities they lack knowledge, skills, and attitude. The jobs and tasks are analysed and it is decided which areas are to be focused in the training.

On the basis of identified needs, the training course is planned and designed touching all the functions of the targeted group of employees. The training comprises the learning through various types of exercises, lectures, games, and other means of training.

After training, it is required to provide work to the participants in the organization and supervise their functions. On the basis of their earlier and updated performance, it is assessed whether the change is happened in the efficiency and effectiveness of the persons.

How to train?

The training can be provided either by lectures, or by discussions, or by exercises or by providing practical tasks to perform in the classroom. The trainers ask the trainees to do some exercise and then it is checked with explanation to the errors. The trainees sometimes be asked to copy the method of trainer and then learn the process of their functions. The trainees sometimes ask to explore the possible solutions to a practical problem at their work-space, in result they be able to sort out their problems at the work-space.

In case, the trainer realizes that the trainees are not feeling comfortable to learn through directions, exercises, and other tasks of training; then the problem is of attitude, then it is required to increase the willingness of the trainees to learn the training activities with full interest. Story telling method is used to boost the morale of the trainees to show interest in learning during the training.

*Copyright © 2018 Dr. Lalit Kumar. All rights reserved.

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