Privacy, Please: This Is Only for the Two of Us
By JENNA WORTHAM June 2, 2012
SOME friends were gushing recently about a new mobile application called Pair, intended for people in a relationship.
Initially, I didn't see the appeal of the app, which lets the two partners send messages and photos back and forth. The idea of adding another service to the daily routine of Twitter, Facebook and their ilk seemed exhausting. And wouldn't it be just as easy to exchange e-mails, text messages or, better yet, just flirt face to face?
Curious, I tried it - even though I'm single. I recruited a friend to help me test it. And, after a few hours, the app started to grow on me. Something was thrilling about the secret little notes that Shaun, my temporary beau, and I sent to each other throughout the day.
The secrecy was welcome. We weren't cluttering up anyone else's feeds on Twitter, and didn't have to worry about random high school friends seeing and commenting on our exchanges on Facebook. In addition, there were gestures distinct to the app. It let us share information about our locations, and to exchange doodles, to-do lists and virtual nudges - all conveying that "I'm thinking about you."
The app highlights the best elements of social networking - the warm, fuzzy feeling of being connected to people you care about when you're physically nowhere near them. And it says it eliminates some of the worst - the worry about who can see the content you're posting and how they may interpret it.
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I don't think I need an "app" to keep my electronic conversations private: it's trivially easy to encrypt email, and there's no chance of a vendor listening in.
Bill Horne Moderator