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Fitness trackers...a question


kfeusse
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If you don't sinc it will eventually lose your data. Mine holds 7 days data. It also updates occasionally when sincing.

 

You would miss out on the records it keeps. There are all sorts of charge and graphs depending one the fitness tracker you get. Mine keeps resting heart rate and fitness heart rate, sleeping stats, my steps, stairs climbed, workouts, etc. All in charge sho I can see improvement or if I've slacked off. On the tracker itself you can only see the current day.

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Fitbits have to be set up originally via the computer dashboard, whether it's on the computer or on a smartphone.

If you don't set them up to sync continuously, they will still try to do it from time to time, at least daily. I don't know of a way to prevent this except keeping them apart.

My charge 2 has never been connected to anything but my smart phone.

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With my Charge HR I set everything up with the phone app. I didn't use the computer at all.

 

Also, I have the phone app set to sync only when prompted manually. It definitely doesn't do it on its own regardless of how long I do w/o prompting it.

 

OP, if I didn't sync my Fitbit occasionally the only information I'd be able to see is the current stats. Right this very second. I couldn't see trends over time, go back and see what my counts were yesterday or anything but right now.

Edited by Pawz4me
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Also, I have the phone app set to sync only when prompted manually. It definitely doesn't do it on its own regardless of how long I do w/o prompting it.

 

OP, if I didn't sync my Fitbit occasionally the only information I'd be able to see is the current stats. Right this very second. I couldn't see trends over time, go back and see what my counts were yesterday or anything but right now.

 

 

Same here - mine is set to sync only when I ask it to, or when I open the app.

 

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I will answer this but it might open up a whole new can of worms.

 

I am nervous about having my personal, private information held on some data base "out there" somewhere for someone to use.  There are people who are already claiming that someday we (people who use these fit bits and have their personal data complied)will be forced to get a certain kind of health insurance, or vacinations, or some other health related procedure based on our data.  "everybody with a recorded blood pressure of ________ will have to be on this medication...." sort of thing.  I do not want my freedom to choose that taken away all because I wanted to use a fit bit.  Maybe it won't happen, but don't you at least question why the huge push for this technology to be used.  Don't get me wrong, there are certainly some VERY good things about the fit bits....it is getting people up and going.  It is trying to make America a healthier nation...but I also think there might be an underlying motive too.  

 

Technology today already has some questionable things attached to it...microphones in appliances that aren't supposed to record anything.  Why is that?  Did you know your Wii has a microphone in it?  It is recording everything that is happening in your home.  Sure, you might say, I have nothing to hide.  I don't either....but isn't this an invasion of your privacy?  What if someday whoever has control of all of those files decides that anybody who spoke about "x" will be questioned by the police about something?  I know this sounds far fetched....but it is already happening.  

 

Here is an article that I recently came across... http://www.newstarget.com/2017-01-17-proof-that-amazon-devices-are-spies-in-your-own-home-alexa-automatically-orders-product-after-hearing-audio-in-private-homes.html that really got me thinking about all of this stuff...how seemingly fun, interesting devices are doing more than meets the eye.  

 

 

Sorry, you probably didn't want me to go into all of this...but it's stuff like this that makes me question all of the technology that is out there.  Didn't mean to open up a can of worms and I am sure there are a lot of people on both sides of this issue.  And some who haven't given it any thought.  I was one of those, until my husband started pointing out some things he is reading.  

 

For me, the big question is: why wouldn't I be concerned if there was even a possibility that my privacy was being invaded?  I sort of find it ironic that whenever you go to the doctor's office, one of the many forms you have to fill out is a privacy law form.  And yet, our privacy MIGHT be already in danger in our very homes...or cars.  

 

I guess, maybe food for thought.

 

I beg you to not turn this thread into a huge debate.  But the question was asked...and I wanted to answer it. 

 

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don't you at least question why the huge push for this technology to be used.

 

No.

 

I don't see any "huge push" at all. In reality only a very, very small minority of people wear fitness trackers. Or at least visible ones. I guess people could have one of those Fitbit Zips clipped to their underwear and I wouldn't notice. But I very rarely see people out and about wearing wrist monitors.

 

Plus I do go to the doctor regularly. Medical records are electronic. There's way, way more relevant health/fitness info about me already in some data base(s) somewhere than my Fitbit will ever record.

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No.

 

I don't see any "huge push" at all. In reality only a very, very small minority of people wear fitness trackers. Or at least visible ones. I guess people could have one of those Fitbit Zips clipped to their underwear and I wouldn't notice. But I very rarely see people out and about wearing wrist monitors.

 

Plus I do go to the doctor regularly. Medical records are electronic. There's way, way more relevant health/fitness info about me already in some data base(s) somewhere than my Fitbit will ever record.

 

The other big thing is it really doesn't record much medically relevant data. Pulse rate, that's about it, and only on some of them. But you can always set it up with a fictitious email account...make one just for that, and don't use your real name. 

 

(My husband's degree is in information security...cyber security is his job, so I get your point. But this particular piece of data is just not worth worrying about in his opinion. Especially if you don't use your real name.)

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The huge push is see is from manufacturers who have a salable idea.  It's the market - people want to know this stuff about themselves, so Fitbit and others see the opportunity to make money.

 

Yup.  I think we could ask some valid questions about how useful tracking this stuff really is, but I don't see it as a government conspiracy. 

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And another point is I really don't see why anyone would track over a really long term unless something significantly changed. I've had a Fitbit since August 2015. By this point I pretty much know or can make a good guess about everything it records -- I know how many steps and calories burned a "normal" day is for me. Ditto an active day and a couch potato day. I know what my normal nothing-stressful-going-on heart rate looks like and I know what it looks like when I am stressed about something. The daily ongoing numbers don't matter much to me, I wanted to get an overall idea of how active (or not) I was and how my body was responding. I've got that. When this Fitbit dies I doubt I'll get another one unless something about my general health/activity level changes. So I'm not sure that five/ten/twenty years down the road my info from 2015-2016 would matter much.

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Plus I do go to the doctor regularly. Medical records are electronic. There's way, way more relevant health/fitness info about me already in some data base(s) somewhere than my Fitbit will ever record.

But unless you go to the doctor every day and have that information recorded, your fit bit will have more entries than your doctor.  And as far as the "push", my insurance company is pushing it's clients to get them and use them...so it's not just the companies who make them that are pushing....granted, I am sure the companies are pushing our insurance company to make it an opportunity for it's clients.  You see, if you buy one and use it, my insurance company will give you a monetary incentive. 

 

 

The other big thing is it really doesn't record much medically relevant data. Pulse rate, that's about it, and only on some of them. But you can always set it up with a fictitious email account...make one just for that, and don't use your real name. 

 

(My husband's degree is in information security...cyber security is his job, so I get your point. But this particular piece of data is just not worth worrying about in his opinion. Especially if you don't use your real name.)

 

t's not my name or even my email address that concerns  me...because all of that information is tracked back to my internet ID.  So maybe I could hook it up to a public internet service like our public library??

 

I guess, my biggest beef is that it seems that I don't have a choice to use a fit bit and have the same information that everybody has, but to have the option to NOT put my personal information on the internet.  In my opinion, if it was all about health issues and nothing more, then I would think that option would be available.   

 

What I am looking for is a watch like option that would record steps, maybe heart rate...but nothing else, (I don't think) and not have to be connected to the internet to work. I guess, if I had to manually write down everyday on a calendar my information because my watch didn't keep the information, I would be ok with that.  But to my knowledge, this option isn't available.  I did see one on Amazon, but the watch part only kept military time and I really didn't think I wanted that.  

 

So if someone knows something I don't, I would appreciate knowing about it. 

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And another point is I really don't see why anyone would track over a really long term unless something significantly changed. I've had a Fitbit since August 2015. By this point I pretty much know or can make a good guess about everything it records -- I know how many steps and calories burned a "normal" day is for me. Ditto an active day and a couch potato day. I know what my normal nothing-stressful-going-on heart rate looks like and I know what it looks like when I am stressed about something. The daily ongoing numbers don't matter much to me, I wanted to get an overall idea of how active (or not) I was and how my body was responding. I've got that. When this Fitbit dies I doubt I'll get another one unless something about my general health/activity level changes. So I'm not sure that five/ten/twenty years down the road my info from 2015-2016 would matter much.

I can see this being true.  Good point.  thanks for bringing that up.

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t's not my name or even my email address that concerns  me...because all of that information is tracked back to my internet ID.  So maybe I could hook it up to a public internet service like our public library??

 

I guess, my biggest beef is that it seems that I don't have a choice to use a fit bit and have the same information that everybody has, but to have the option to NOT put my personal information on the internet.  In my opinion, if it was all about health issues and nothing more, then I would think that option would be available.   

 

 

 

i think that isn't available because there isn't a market for it. I mean...how would that work? To store that much information long term, and provide the kind of display it would have to be bigger. Or have a separate device it linked to, or something. Most people want the convenience of seeing it on their phone screen or a bigger screen like a computer. They like having things centralized. 

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Oh!!! My husband has put together a seminar on online security and privacy. It's this weekend, and just local as of now, but they are creating it as a curriculum to be used across the country. And, I'm nearly positive they are filming it for distribution. It's free (not trying to advertise, just thought you might be interested). I'm sure the contact info is on this link, and you could ask if you can get a copy of the recording, if there is indeed one, or find out about having a seminar done near you, or something. (this is totally his area, not mine I'm afraid). 

 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/protect-yourself-online-workshop-fourth-amendment-as-a-service-tickets-31049869997

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I think that there are still old fashioned pedometers available on the market, and one of those might be a better fit for you.

With them you can manually record your step count daily, and it doesn't go into a database.

 

I share your concern, although I don't take it that far.

 

The reason I finally got my fitbits was that my company arranged for a group discount, that I took advantage of.  But they also encouraged people to register their fitbits into their employee membership group, and I declined to do that.  Also, I don't have my fitbit and my MyFitnessPal data syncced together.  I don't entirely avoid having data on the internet, but I do avoid have it fully agglommerated.  I can easily imagine an employer or a prospective employer using it to charge more for medical insurance (via discounts) or even to decide not to hire someone.  Big Data is a thing now.  It is no longer prohibitively expensive to keep longterm records about people.

 

If you want to see the logical end to all of this monitoring, read the novel "The Circle".  But wait!  It might raise your resting heart rate!

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