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I can't say this is a big surprise. My first job was at a chicagoland radioshack so I have followed their news and watched their fall with mixed feelings. It

I can't say this is a big surprise. My first job was at a chicagoland radioshack so I have followed their news and watched their fall with mixed feelings. It felt very odd in 2001 to try and sell electricians that would come in the store at opening to buy 10-11 fuses if they wanted a cell phone, and bother people just getting batteries for their first and last name so they could 'return their item'. We got dinged for each person who refused us. So there is potentially a LOT of data this company is getting.

crusso 11y ago
You just triggered my earliest Radio Shack memories of being annoyed at a company for asking for my personal information when making small purchases. Radio Shack was definitely in the vanguard of data collection.
- konsptheory 11y ago
  These occasions are never-miss for my alter egos to shine through and dazzle my interlocutors :)
- waterlesscloud 11y ago
  Indeed. They were the first company I ever gave a fake name to.
  - carlmcqueen 11y ago
    At least at my store, Johnny Cash made a LOT of battery purchases in 2001-2002. A close second was Jonny Cash and one employee used Jony Cash for women.
JoeAltmaier 11y ago
The last CEO cancelled that policy as their first act. So for some years, that data was not collected. I wonder what data they had to sell? Anyway, this is a warning to all of us. No matter what promises that honest startup gives you, the minute they are sold (and most sell in the end) the new owners are free to do whatever they like with your 'private' information. In fact it will be hawked in the marketplace like a chicken.
- claudius 11y ago
  > Anyway, this is a warning to all of us. No matter what promises that honest startup gives you, the minute they are sold (and most sell in the end) the new owners are free to do whatever they like with your 'private' information. In fact it will be hawked in the marketplace like a chicken. Is that really the case in the US? In Germany, I don’t see why simply transferring ownership of the data should not also transfer ownership of the agreements bound to that data. If I agree to let company X use my data for purpose A under terms T and company Y buys company X, in my view company Y would still be bound to stick to terms T and purpose A. Otherwise any leaked/stolen and subsequently published personal data could be used by anyone for anything…
  - spydum 11y ago
    pretty much any agreement by major companies comes with a wonderful disclaimer of something like this: We reserve the right to revise, amend, or modify this Agreement and any other policies and agreements at any time and in any manner. We may modify this Agreement by placing a notice of such modification on our website, and User's continued use of the Service following notice of such modification shall be deemed to be User's acceptance of any such modification. User agrees to check this on-line area regularly to determine whether this Agreement has been modified. If User does not agree to any modification of this Agreement, User must immediately stop using the Service.
    - Vespasian 11y ago
      Still if you actually stop using the service (aka not longer subscribing or logging in) that shouldn't grant them any more rights on data from the past. However IANAL so I might be wrong here.
    - XJOKOLAT 11y ago
      If I had a duplicate me, it would be spending time campaigning for a change in exactly this type of disclaimer. The default setting of anything like this should opt you out and seek re-confirmation. volcanic erupts
    - 11y ago
Raphmedia 11y ago
This is very anecdotal, but I swear that the minute I gave my email address to Radio Shack, I started to receive heavy spam.
- pki 11y ago
  I bought one <$10 item. Once. http://i.imgur.com/4ztWmxW.png http://i.imgur.com/4ztWmxW.png
  - Raphmedia 11y ago
    I got those, but I meant as in unrelated spam, viagra ads, etc. This was a new email account I was trying out made for when I got asked what my email account is by retailers, and I swear that the spam started once I gave the address to them.

crusso 11y ago

You just triggered my earliest Radio Shack memories of being annoyed at a company for asking for my personal information when making small purchases. Radio Shack was definitely in the vanguard of data collection.

konsptheory 11y ago
These occasions are never-miss for my alter egos to shine through and dazzle my interlocutors :)
waterlesscloud 11y ago
Indeed. They were the first company I ever gave a fake name to.
- carlmcqueen 11y ago
  At least at my store, Johnny Cash made a LOT of battery purchases in 2001-2002. A close second was Jonny Cash and one employee used Jony Cash for women.

JoeAltmaier 11y ago

The last CEO cancelled that policy as their first act. So for some years, that data was not collected. I wonder what data they had to sell? Anyway, this is a warning to all of us. No matter what promises that honest startup gives you, the minute they are sold (and most sell in the end) the new owners are free to do whatever they like with your 'private' information. In fact it will be hawked in the marketplace like a chicken.

claudius 11y ago
> Anyway, this is a warning to all of us. No matter what promises that honest startup gives you, the minute they are sold (and most sell in the end) the new owners are free to do whatever they like with your 'private' information. In fact it will be hawked in the marketplace like a chicken. Is that really the case in the US? In Germany, I don’t see why simply transferring ownership of the data should not also transfer ownership of the agreements bound to that data. If I agree to let company X use my data for purpose A under terms T and company Y buys company X, in my view company Y would still be bound to stick to terms T and purpose A. Otherwise any leaked/stolen and subsequently published personal data could be used by anyone for anything…
- spydum 11y ago
  pretty much any agreement by major companies comes with a wonderful disclaimer of something like this: We reserve the right to revise, amend, or modify this Agreement and any other policies and agreements at any time and in any manner. We may modify this Agreement by placing a notice of such modification on our website, and User's continued use of the Service following notice of such modification shall be deemed to be User's acceptance of any such modification. User agrees to check this on-line area regularly to determine whether this Agreement has been modified. If User does not agree to any modification of this Agreement, User must immediately stop using the Service.
  - Vespasian 11y ago
    Still if you actually stop using the service (aka not longer subscribing or logging in) that shouldn't grant them any more rights on data from the past. However IANAL so I might be wrong here.
  - XJOKOLAT 11y ago
    If I had a duplicate me, it would be spending time campaigning for a change in exactly this type of disclaimer. The default setting of anything like this should opt you out and seek re-confirmation. volcanic erupts
  - 11y ago

Raphmedia 11y ago

This is very anecdotal, but I swear that the minute I gave my email address to Radio Shack, I started to receive heavy spam.

pki 11y ago
I bought one <$10 item. Once. http://i.imgur.com/4ztWmxW.png http://i.imgur.com/4ztWmxW.png
- Raphmedia 11y ago
  I got those, but I meant as in unrelated spam, viagra ads, etc. This was a new email account I was trying out made for when I got asked what my email account is by retailers, and I swear that the spam started once I gave the address to them.