Social Network Rant

You can't have it both ways, unfortunately... if you aren't going to pay for the service provided by a social network, then the company behind it is going to find a way to make money off you anyways - and that comes with advertising.

 

If you have an internet presence, you will have a footprint, so remember Google can pull it up to current/potential employers, spouses, etc.

Googling yourself can be an eye opener.

 

Facebook is not perfect, but whining about your privacy, when you failed to set the privacy settings that are available is fairly silly.

 

It is a slippery slope, once you allow them any ability to pass data to others, they frequently send more than you wish. By not allowing any, they are less confused by how much 'none' is.

The settings to prevent this are available to all users, although they may not choose wisely.

 

It's always a good idea to go back and check your settings once in awhile, because I've found Facebook sometimes likes to set it back "for my convenience".

 

And 'new and improved' features that steal information even more aggressively are "not yet available" so I can't turn them off yet. George Orwell himself could not have designed a more nefarious system.

 

As a relative "young'in" (22) I am amazed at the level of detail of idiocy and that some of my university peers posted on myspace, facebook, and the tweetybird. Even in highschool people were posting way too much. This stuff will haunt them for ages. Employers look at it. Government clearance vetters look at it. Parents look at it.

I do think my lack of involvement in any social networking sites along with constructive development of my name on the web helped me get my job after graduating. Nothing found on the googlywebs is better than a couple really bad things. Of course positive search results trump all.

As for those that participate and complain about privacy settings... really? It is a public social website. Anything revealed is revealed by you... publicly. If you want to keep it to your inner circle only, there is a check box for that. If you are active enough to continue posting, then you should be vigilant enough to change your security/privacy settings.

 

Remember: on social network websites like Failbook, the product being sold is YOU.

 

An updated guide to Facebook privacy: December 2009 edition

All I have are facts, there is no way I can combat fear with mere facts.

 

Just for grins I typed my name as a website: Pittsburgh Memorabilia Collectibles Rolling Rock Autographs Lemieux Malkin Roethlisberger Malkin Crosby Fleury Clemente Penguins Pirates Pitt Steelers

When I saw it, I MUST be schizoid! (I'm from Dallas )

 

Hahaha... I like and use Facebook. I'm pretty careful about what I post there.

Would you rather use Orkut or Friendster?

 

The same is true of commercial TV, along with many other media --
The customer: advertisers.
The product: your attention.

 

What about the privacy settings for those of us who have never used, signed up for, or consented to anything about F-book?

I have received many F-book invites from friends and acquaintances. But the 'other people on Facebook you may know' list at the bottom of these messages, listing people who did not send similar invites, shows that they know too damn much about me. Based on how I know many of them, F-book has much more information than they are disclosing.

Do I have any F-book privacy rights without actually signing up?

 

"Rights" would be a legal issue. IANAL.

You do not have a set of Privacy controls if you are not signed up.

 

I must be old school, but there is nothing I do on the internet outside of PM that includes accurate or much to the same degree generically "compilable" information. I even use screen names and locations that I have picked up from other forums- switching them out over time for new ones. So called "social networking" sites along with the likes of Google and prolific use of cameras used to be the subject of caveat in certain books. We often mused as to how such a world would come into fruition considering the MANY warnings we had. Well, we no longer have to wonder. On to the next chapter. Sorry for Gens Y and Z who appear to have had NO guidance from their parents on the matter.