In this final post about ‘How to Become an iOS Beta Tester, we ask the question, “Can you keep a secret?” Why is that so important for a beta tester? The bigger question is, why is that important at all in this culture of openness? Some people applaud certain groups or individuals who expose governments, corporations and individuals to the world via the internet. Should governments keep secrets? If not, maybe they should publish all our social security numbers. Should corporations keep secrets? If not, maybe they should publish all our credit card numbers. Should doctors keep secrets?… You know where I’m going with this.

It would be ludicrous to think of a true open society as one that stands naked before the world knowing there are political and social rapists lurking about to take advantage of that exposure. We all have secrets; some we keep for safety sake, others we might keep out of embarrassment. That’s not to say that criminal activity should be kept secret. There are things that need to be exposed to protect the innocent and punish the criminals. We need to discern which is which. Read more »