Not sure how this debate related directly to E-Commerce, but here is my take on the debate and the idea about Wal-Mart automating everything.
1. First-Off, let me say that I am not against Wal-Mart or any other chain automating certain processes in the interest of benefiting the shopper or the end user. Anything that can be done to improve or facilitate the shopping experience should be CONSIDERED. My key point here is that in all cases, just because you can do it doesn't mean you should.
2. I think it really depends on the type of business you are in. Alot of people are making that argument that well your Credit Card does this so why can't Wal-Mart track your purchases? Fair enough but that is the price you pay for using a Credit Card, as a consumer you accepted their agreement when you signed up for the card. With a chain like Wal-Mart, you never signed any legal binding document that when I buy this product, Wal-Mart can track everything about you and this product.
3. Here is an excerpt from Privacyrights.org website:
It is one thing to mandate that every commercial website provide a privacy policy. It is quite another to require that commercial websites clearly explain their data-collection practices and provide meaningful methods for visitors to prevent their personal information and "clickstream" data from being captured and sold to other companies. So far, legislative bills mandating effective consumer privacy protection provisions have not advanced in Congress.
Full article:
http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/Privacy-IssuesList.htmThe point above is that alot of commercial companies do not clearly explain to the consumer how or what they are doing with your data. What's to stop Wal-Mart from selling their customer data to a third-party. Having an aggregate data warehouse with millions of customer's purchases over years gives suppliers reasons to purchase or desire this data to tailor marketin, supply/demand, etc.
4. The one thing that I don't think I could get past is Wal-Mart's demographic in its current state. Their average shopper is not going to easily adapt to a completely automated system. My kids and their kids yes probably, but not today. I think the concept is on the horizon in the form of partial implementations, but not in its entiretly. I do feel that social interaction will play a key element in all of this. People like having that interaction or want expertise on products or services they don't know about. Not everyone knows everything about all the types of products out thee.
Well thats my take so far. The debate was interesting and I think there are enormous privacy issues around this type of thing. Until laws or best practices are in place to prevent scrubbing, selling or misuse of personal data....it is going to be hard to win over te trust of consumers worldwide.
