This one's important, and a worthy read.
The Industry Standard: Owning Your Own Data (April 2, 2009)
Solid article about one of the cornerstones of the VRM initiative, that of taking control of the data that is currently floating around about us in various systems, both financial and vendor-based. The lede:
"The idea of you 'owning' the data about yourself is both emotionally and intellectually appealing. This data, which ranges from the critical (your medical and financial records) to the theoretically trivial (what you buy and search for, and which Web sites you visit) defines, quantifies and describes your preferences, resources, habits and health. It is a proxy for you. It is also what every marketer in the entire commercial universe wants to get their hands on."
photo: ian-s