I've yet to actually meet someone who regularly uses Blippy.com, the twitter-esque social networking site that allows users to share their credit card transactions online.
Apparently there are still thousands of you, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. Where are you? Who are you? If you're out there reading this, please enlighten me!
Why would you want to link your credit card to a website that broadcasts your purchases for all to see? The risk of having your personal credit card information leaked to some crazy hacker really can't be worth the rush of sharing with the world that you finally picked up Enya's greatest hits from iTunes. Sorry—I just don't get it.
If you claim to use Blippy as a tool to control and keep track of your spending, try using a budget and a little self control instead. Or if you want to share an awesome product you just bought with all your friends, why not post a link to it on Facebook or Twitter? It's not that difficult, and it's a lot more safe.
Believe me, I'm all for social media, new technology, and the convenience of credit cards, but some things just don't go well together. Personal credit card information and social networking sites are definitely two of those things. A safe distance should always be kept between the two.
So it should come as no surprise that some users' credit card numbers were already leaked and appeared in Google search results a few weeks ago. While Blippy may say it now has a renewed focus on security and this type of thing will never happen again, I wouldn't count on it.
Be smart, and keep your credit card transactions to yourself. There is such a thing as "oversharing" in the world of social media, and the risk just isn't worth it in this case.
Comments
Giving out your credit card information is crazy. Giving it out over the internet is crazier. You need to be in an institution.
I, too, haven't met anyone who is part of Blippy. My understanding is that you share any fantastic deals you getwith the internet community. Let's say a pair of limited edition Nike's shoes (Tiger's maybe) were selling for $400 a pair and you got them for $100. That's a steal and you would like to broadcast this to the world. So you take pictures, and post it with the price, and say where you bought the shoes.