- Privacy, Business, and the NSA
Dealing with client confidentiality, privacy, business, I’m figuring the recent NSA blunder can teach a few points about how to run a business.
Privacy, business and the NSA: This is even more pointed in an information age.
While I was last in El Paso, my buddy Grace checked us in via FaceBook, then there was a pseudo-comic image of me, holding up a tortilla, fresh off the comal. My question was, “Does this look like Jesus, Elvis, the Virgin de Guadalupe, anything?”
The question should’ve been, “Does this tortilla make my butt look big?” The fair answer is, “No, but enough of those tortillas will make my buttocks bigger.”
The question got co-opted and mangled on FaceBook. Along with that, a favorite, secret El Paso taco joint, where I’m inclined to stop for breakfast these days, that got published as well. To be fair, there’s an earlier image of a guy taking a picture like my pictures, which kind of gives it away.
The first lesson from the NSA debacle, blunder and whistle-blowing? Transparency in business models. If I say I’m transparent, am I really that clear about motivations, deeds, actions, and how I do this?
Actually, I am. When I started, some years ago, an editor virtually coerced me to get a PO Box. On certain legal documents, that PO Box in old East Austin still shows up, as does my old Austin phone number. Then, as a joke, I started the fineprint, which has, due to stricter laws, morphed into a legal disclosure, referenced in ALL my online documentation.
I use Media Temple as a host these days, after a long and successful run with Fat Cow, and then, a good turn on HostGator.
That answers the question about hosting. Transparency. Now you know what it costs to pay the simple overhead. Content, content generation and curation? That’s what takes all the time. That’s the real issue.
Go Daddy had some excellent, edgy, and provocative ads, and the come-on of a 99-cent domain name. With add-ons, upsells, upgrades and privacy? I’ve fond that the site Register4less does more, costs less.
The first lesson from the NSA blunder? Transparency. I’ve just turned over the keys to how I run a successful horoscope business.
That’s the “nuts and bolts” of the motor. Other details, though?
When I lived in a trailer park in South Austin, I used a PO Box as an address. I still use a PO Box to keep the ardent fans at bay. The original deal with a credit card merchant account was having two addresses, hence the PO Box.
At the time, I was paying $20/month plus fees to have a credit card merchant account. These days, everyone uses Square, although, I am disinclined to advertise that fact. That means, though the price of a credit card transaction is clearly labeled. PayPal, too, same deal, price of transactions are clearly labeled — anyone who is so inclined can figure this stuff out.
Transparency, then. Despite what you’ve heard, or read on the inter-webs, a notoriously unreliable source of data, I live in San Antonio these days. Never claimed otherwise.
San Antonio is larger than Dallas, and more laid back than Austin, but don’t tell anyone, it’s our little secret.
All of this information is available, online, and from various other sources.
Location and availability, again, clearly marked (astrofish.net/travel) — couldn’t be simpler. I can be tracked down. (Austin, soon.)
Dirty little secrets are harmful. While I maintain client confidentiality via pastoral privilege, there’s a better way I can guarantee that: I’m older now. I can’t remember what I said. Which is why I tend to record readings.
What I keep? Names (names given to me for an astrology chart), purported birth data, that’s it. No notes. Nothing that can fall into enemy hands. Same with credit cards, client asked the other day, “Why don’t you just keep this card number on file?”
I don’t want to the liability that comes with that responsibility. True, I pay a slightly higher fee per transaction, but then, I don’t have to worry about me leaking information.
The (whatever alphabet soup agency is ‘at risk’/’in charge’) has several problems, as a business, what can be learned from the horribly public mistakes?
Transparency, risk-management, disclosure. “Risk-management” means “Limit exposure.”
It’s simple. Make sure they all see the same memo, and from what I’ve seen so far, not everyone has. Around here? I posted it on a web page, up to the reader to access the data, but I sure as can be made it available.
I am an astrologer, and I write horoscopes. If you like this material, then please support me by subscribing to the horoscopes.
