Facebook

[Hibernaculum 933]

It used to be a bit of harmless fun. Now it's such a labyrinth of settings, there's no way of knowing what parts of your profile are exposed.

It's become/becoming a mini-Internet, but one in which your data is controlled, shared and essentially owned by one company - a company who keeps changing the rules, and changing the default settings to catch you out.

Wired.com posted this, which is interesting reading...

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/05/facebook-rogue/

Also...

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/04/faceb...nal-information

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technolog...tml?autostart=1

It's increasingly clear that Facebook's philosophy is anti-privacy. Even the CEO admits it.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/04/rep...eve-in-privacy/

So, personally I'm done with it. Luckily I never completed much of my profile anyway, out of caution. But even so, I regret ever joining.

Here's how to permanently delete if you want to (because "deactivating your account" doesn't even delete it...and even "permanently delete my account" doesn't actually delete it for a period of time!)...

http://www.groovypost.com/howto/security/p...rofile-account/

All just FYI. If you love Facebook, and think this is all a beat-up, or actually don't mind them sharing your info, then ignore me

Otherwise, take note. It seems that any supposed "privacy" on Facebook is going to continue to be "relaxed" until it doesn't exist anymore - that's where it's heading.

H.

[WillyChang 1814]

get with the times grandpa, if you value "private" information don't even post it anywhere on the net

these young kiddies will soon learn... give them all a few years to bear the pain, then it will be ALL TOO LATE

its like that tattoo you thought was a good idea when you were 15, but didn't consider you'll grow wider & not taller

[SteelRat 46]

I really don't understand the whole "Facebook is invading my life" paranoia that people have. Our data about our lives, who we are, are spending habits and all sorts of other bits and pieces are stored on hundreds if not thousands of databases all around the world and have been for years. If you're THAT worried about your personal information getting in to the wrong hands, then I suggest keeping all your money under a matress, getting rid of your credit cards and mobile phone, and cancelling your internet connection.

[Hibernaculum 933]

Alright. I was just passing on links for things I had read. Been on the 'net since 1995, and well aware of the risks - as I said, I was never really into it myself. If the information is of no use because you either:

1. Know everything already

2. Don't care

Then OK Life is peachy.

As for "paranoia", there's no particular paranoia here

So let me rephrase it all: Facebook is great! Except...I keep hearing bad news... Bah! It's probably nothing

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technolog...tml?autostart=1

[WW-nut 0]

Facebook, had enough of it?

Nah, never ever joined it. Couldn't see the point of it.

[WillyChang 1814]

...because you either:

1. Know everything already

2. Don't care

actually i go 1 better... as far as i can manage, my online existance is a mishmash of

contradictory trails to make it harder for any snoop to assemble any useful profiling

[Swarm 242]

Very good links 'H' as I sit here wearing my aluminum foil hat so the satellites cant read my thoughts

I agree with the whole FB thing its really quite shocking actually and your right Willis the kids today are in for a rude shock in a few years when all this infomation comes back and haunts them ,my kids included but you cannot tell them anything as we oldies are stupid it must have been a fluke we made it this far in life .

I had heard a rumor a couple of years ago a Russian company owned a big share of FB dunno how true this is .

Stuart.

[SteelRat 46]

Alright. I was just passing on links for things I had read. Been on the 'net since 1995, and well aware of the risks - as I said, I was never really into it myself. If the information is of no use because you either:

1. Know everything already

2. Don't care

Then OK Life is peachy.

As for "paranoia", there's no particular paranoia here

So let me rephrase it all: Facebook is great! Except...I keep hearing bad news... Bah! It's probably nothing

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technolog...tml?autostart=1

Heh so you're leaving facebook because of the fact that you're not really interested in it, rather than because of the privacy issues?

Right. Just so I'm clear

[Hibernaculum 933]

No, I'm leaving because of the privacy issues. I'd start a whole topic to mention that, but...I already did

H.

[Swarm 242]

I only edited my settings on FB the other day again and I went on there tonight and everything has been reset again .I see what you mean about the privacy factor it would appear they want everybody's setting set to open

I will have to ask my daughter again where to find the particular tab in question very frustrating .

[loaded 4]

Facebook was/is useful to find a few mates from the old days. The whole 'wall' and 'poke me' nonsense is just that. Couldn't care less what someone knows about me, all they know is what I have said (the same goes here) and who knows what is really true, warped, plain lies etc? My age, name etc? Common knowledge. I have nothing to hide that I would ever admit to in public forum, so I am not that concerned myself!

Personally i think the young owner should have taken the billion bucks and run a mile.

Paul.

[WillyChang 1814]

i'm more concerned about "losing" my YouTube a/c last mth when they made it mandatory to link to a Google a/c (which swallowed it)

[SteelRat 46]

Facebook was/is useful to find a few mates from the old days. The whole 'wall' and 'poke me' nonsense is just that. Couldn't care less what someone knows about me, all they know is what I have said (the same goes here) and who knows what is really true, warped, plain lies etc? My age, name etc? Common knowledge. I have nothing to hide that I would ever admit to in public forum, so I am not that concerned myself!

Personally i think the young owner should have taken the billion bucks and run a mile.

Paul.

^This.

Much more detailed personal info is stored on all sorts of places other than Facebook, and infact the kind of info people tend to put on there is fairly unlikely to be used for fraudulent activity. Ironically, our very own TC charges an annual membership for which we have to provide financial information (albeit PayPal details). Facebook is free, and therefore doesn't ask for that information, so why aren't people leaving TC in droves because they're worried about personal privacy issues? Oh yes of course, because TC doesn't have the same demonised profile in the media as FB does.

[Mad Zero 316]

I gave it up a year ago because I'm a grumpy old git and couldn't be bothered to be friendly to everyone who kept pestering me with 'useful' information about their boring lives.

[loaded 4]

+1

[SteelRat 46]

I gave it up a year ago because I'm a grumpy old git and couldn't be bothered to be friendly to everyone who kept pestering me with 'useful' information about their boring lives.

now there's a GOOD reason to give it up

[loaded 4]

It is like those people who send a 'family memo' at the end of the year to tell all those people they couldn't be bothered to speak to during the year, how giddily happy they are and how wonderfully talented their children are.

They make great firelighters though, same can't be said for Facebook.

P.

[Mad Zero 316]

It is like those people who send a 'family memo' at the end of the year to tell all those people they couldn't be bothered to speak to during the year, how giddily happy they are and how wonderfully talented their children are.

I'm laughing my badwording badword off here mate you are SO right!!

[Hibernaculum 933]

The New York Times attempted to create a visual map of Facebook's privacy settings. Turns out Facebook's privacy policy is now such a complex rabbit warren, it requires more words than the US Constitution.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05...ok-privacy.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/technolo...h/13basics.html

[loaded 4]

The US constitution? Isn't that a piece of paper written by dead white guys saying (and I Précis somewhat here) you can shoot and say anything you like and if you try to accuse me of shooting or saying anything I like, I can stand up in court and say that I won't answer as the answer might incriminate me or hurt my family.

Paul.

[loaded 4]

The irony of a Brit making light fun of the US constitution in light of recent UK events hasn't escaped me, by the way

Paul.

[WillyChang 1814]

when the Prime Minister incumbent @ No. 10 is younger than ye... you're officially an olde fart.

(didn't think that day would come so soon )

[Tamiya1/10 382]

I've signed up but never actually went on it, so can't say if is good or bad. But I am sure like very thing in life there is always a good point and bad point and it depends how one uses it.

The good part about Facebook or Twitter is let let your friends know what you are up to or what is happening out there.

The bad part is, once other get hold of the info god knows what can be done with from consumer profiling just by the way you write could indicate your educational background, views, wealth, age, sex etc... and this info could be use in a good or bad way depending how is being used.

One just got to be careful with the pit fall of technology.

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!!!!!

[loaded 4]

I didn't think anyone here was born as recently as 1984.

Paul.

[WillyChang 1814]

??