Any recommendation system works by collecting lots of personal information.
However, she points out, many sites let you take advantage of their services without requiring that you give your real name. Staying anonymous or using a pseudonym is one sure way of protecting your privacy. And most sites have their own rules on using information, and they're careful to tell you they won't compromise your privacy. Once they've made such a statement, Mulligan says, sites are bound by Federal Trade Commission regulations and can't misuse your information. In the case of MyLaunch, which just bought the BigNote database, chief operating officer Dave Goldberg assures former users that part of the contract he signed holds MyLaunch to the privacy standards of former owner Firefly.