# Facebook BAD!



## ToeClaws (May 10, 2010)

MmmKay?  

Just thought I'd post/share a couple links from Slashdot that really do a good job of explaining what Facebook is not a very good idea anymore (if it ever was):

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

http://mattmckeon.com/facebook-privacy/

I'm not a big fan of the whole social networking thing when it comes to corporations with third-party interests running things.  Since just about everyone has a Facebook account nowadays, this might be worth understanding, and showing friends/family as well.

Edit: Posting a couple more links from news posts today:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/12/facebook.backlash/index.html?hpt=Sbin

And this one about an Open Source alternative linked from Slashdot:

_Fed up with Facebook's insatiable need to continue to expose your personal information to ever widening circles, four NYU students have decided to build an open source, distributed competitor to the social networking behemoth..._

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/nyregion/12about.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Edit 2:

Yet more privacy fall out that was front page CNN this morning:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/13/facebook.delete.privacy/index.html?hpt=C1


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## Runefox (May 10, 2010)

I'd agree; The "It's time for an open alternative" bit, however, I don't agree with. Social networking would be the same no matter what.

"Soon everybody â€” including your uncle Louie and that guy you hated from your last job â€” had a profile."

Yeah, and how would an open alternative be any different? Just because Facebook made certain things visible by default doesn't automatically mean that its other drawbacks aren't *inherent*.


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## ToeClaws (May 10, 2010)

Runefox said:


> I'd agree; The "It's time for an open alternative" bit, however, I don't agree with. Social networking would be the same no matter what.
> 
> "Soon everybody â€” including your uncle Louie and that guy you hated from your last job â€” had a profile."
> 
> Yeah, and how would an open alternative be any different? Just because Facebook made certain things visible by default doesn't automatically mean that its other drawbacks aren't *inherent*.



Agreed.  I thought the article was great at pointing out the bad aspects of Facebook (hence why I linked it), but personally I'm no more for an Open Source type of thing than that one; I think Social networking at that level is a bad idea.


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## Tails The Fox (May 10, 2010)

My only gripe with Facebook is not being able to hide something you "like" from others.


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## Taren Fox (May 10, 2010)

It's a good way to meet up with local people. ;3


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## Bianca (May 10, 2010)

oshi a conspiracy theory everybody get out your tinfoil hats.


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## ToeClaws (May 10, 2010)

Bianca said:


> oshi a conspiracy theory everybody get out your tinfoil hats.



Umm... no - conspiracy theories are just that - theories.  It's a known fact that Facebook sells of user data, it's just not a _well_ known fact to the users.  I think it's because the users are all bedazzled by the nifty things it does that they don't think about their privacy rights over and above convenience.

Also, tinfoil is no good - use gold foil. :mrgreen:


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## Apollo (May 10, 2010)

The big problem with Facebook is how closed it is. A decentralized Facebook would be great.


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## That_Vladimir_Guy (May 10, 2010)

I just set all of my privacy settings to "Friends only".


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## ToeClaws (May 10, 2010)

That_Vladimir_Guy said:


> I just set all of my privacy settings to "Friends only".



Therein is the problem though.  Facebook's primary function is not for you - it's for corporations that pay Facebook, the company, to mine user data.  Your privacy settings are only valid toward external users, not to everyone behind the scenes.

If users don't care about their lives being open books to corporations, then I guess no harm, no foul - long as they understand that's what's going on.


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## Neybulot (May 12, 2010)

Come on, Google, get to work on Wave! D:<

I want a public release so I can use that all the time instead of Facebook.


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## Takun (May 12, 2010)

I have my privacy set as high as I can, but I know that doesn't do much.  Did you know via a few of your friends allowing facebook access to their emails that facebook can just GUESS what emails are yours?  It's pretty scary.


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## Xaerun (May 12, 2010)

(copypasted from my facebook link X3)
While it's an interesting article, I also think a lot of people -don't really care- anymore that much of what they write about is viewable to corporations; most people have at least 1/4 of a brain in their heads and recognize what you should and should not put on sites such as Facebook, and the stuff they do they're pretty comfortab...le with sharing. For example, to use an example the article uses, some people are perfectly comfortable with publicly supporting anti-abortion. And as for corporations personalizing pages and whatnot, some people *like* that. People seem to be (willingly or not) moving towards streamlining and accessing media and such through things such as Steam and iTunes- this just seems like another step in that direction


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## ToeClaws (May 12, 2010)

Well put Xaerun.  Things are definitely continuing in that direction, but what I find is that the "most people know" having awareness of the dangers of on-line info is slowly turning into "most people don't know".  I guess I just find it sad that instead of trying to fight the Big Brother factor, most people are just shrugging and accepting it.


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## ToeClaws (May 12, 2010)

Interesting - a couple new articles popped online in the last hour about FaceBook and the on-going privacy stuff:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/12/facebook.backlash/index.html?hpt=Sbin

And this one about an Open Source alternative linked from Slashdot:

_Fed up with Facebook's insatiable need to continue to expose your personal information to ever widening circles, four NYU students have decided to build an open source, distributed competitor to the social networking behemoth..._

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/nyregion/12about.html?partner=rss&emc=rss


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## Mailbox (May 12, 2010)

Tails The Fox said:


> My only gripe with Facebook is not being able to hide something you "like" from others.


 
Mailbox likes it rough.

=D


But yeah, in my opinion all "social networking" is too stalker-y for me.


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## Sam (May 12, 2010)

that's crazy, I used to think face book was safe, but now I'm not too sure of it anymore. Is myspace any better than facebook, or does it do all of the same things?


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## Runefox (May 12, 2010)

MySpace presumably does the same thing. Any major website where advertising and personal information is involved should be considered a bit of a risk.


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## ToeClaws (May 13, 2010)

Runefox said:


> MySpace presumably does the same thing. Any major website where advertising and personal information is involved should be considered a bit of a risk.



Aye, exactly.  Look at this way: If you're getting a web-based service for free (and it's not really limited as such), they're offering you that service for other reasons.

Even if the Open Source version of Facebook does come along (and as such they get the continual donations in order to keep it running), there is still the fact that folks need to be careful about just how much of their private lives they're sharing with the world.


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## Oasus (May 14, 2010)

I went to facebook to get away from the myspace bullshit...and now I'm close to dumping that


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## Duality Jack (May 14, 2010)

It is only an issue if you actually post personal shit on it. 

I don't.


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## Tails The Fox (May 14, 2010)

If I lose any of my in-game progress because of FB splitting from Zynga, I'm quitting the games.


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## the grey fox (May 14, 2010)

Really, if you're posting super private stuff on facebook, it's your own fault when people find out.



Tails The Fox said:


> If I lose any of my in-game progress because of FB splitting from Zynga, I'm quitting the games.


The games suck anyway.


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## Fenrir Lupus (May 16, 2010)

First myspace bad, now facebook bad.  How much more get bad?

and i can has cheezburger plz?


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## Issashu (May 16, 2010)

The moment you decided to connect to the internet, you basically agreed to share personal data with others.
Now what you post on facebook is a matter of awareness. If you post really personal information there, it's your fault (like PIN or credit card details ). 

From the general info you give, what personal info can be used from facebook? My town and birthday? The fact that I liked Terry Pratchet, Nightwish and a few dozen other things? My e-mail?
Nothing there is personal enough to be considered privacy problem. Junk e-mail can be fought off, my picture...well maybe somebody will take and fall madly in love, we get married,etc. 
So the whole "omg my personal info" hype is a bit overrated really. As long as you have enough brains to know what you should and what you should not post, you are safe.


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## shadowchaser (May 16, 2010)

One problem....

Facebook = Addictive


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## ToeClaws (May 16, 2010)

shadowchaser said:


> One problem....
> 
> Facebook = Addictive



Exactly.  It's brilliant when you think about it; they want to glean information from people that's useful to other corporations whether it be for statistics, marketing, profiling, etc., so they have done a very impressive job of making a front end that is addicting to the users in order to a) keep you there, and b) get you more involved in disclosing info, or by proxy of your involvement, getting friends and/or family to disclose more info.  Impressively sneaky.

Like any addiction, the best cure is to just stop.


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## TashkentFox (May 16, 2010)

Facebook is for losers, which is why David Cameron has one.


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## shadowchaser (May 16, 2010)

<--- proud loser.... farmville on facebook.... very addictive.


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## TashkentFox (May 16, 2010)

shadowchaser said:


> <--- proud loser.... farmville on facebook.... very addictive.



Crack is also highly addictive.


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## Duality Jack (May 16, 2010)

I am a linkwhore, and one that is well liked among his peers, My buddy called me "The slightly more civil version of Yelling bird, but on facebook."


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## shadowchaser (May 16, 2010)

The Drunken Ace said:


> I am a linkwhore, and one that is well liked among his peers, My buddy called me "The slightly more civil version of Yelling bird, but on facebook."




Lmao


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## EdieFantabulous (May 16, 2010)

My facebook doesn't have anything interesting on it.


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## An Sionnach Rua (May 16, 2010)

Is there a reason to condemn Facebook that _doesn't_ concern private information? There seems to be a lot of Facebook hate going around, and I'm curious as to why. (For the record, I don't use Facebook.)

The problems I see with Facebook isn't that it's a bad alternative to actual socialising "IRL" - the Internet and phones have been paving the way for this for decades, and it has its share of merits and demerits. I'm more concerned about the whole idea of clicking a button and having people added to your "Friends" list, and with the idea of profiles that put up your information as if you can quickly get to know someone by seeing what books they like. I mean sure, it's a conversation opener, but reading Murakami does not make you a nice person (although it does mean you have taste).


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## Issashu (May 16, 2010)

[off] Here is something about facebook. Not strictly related to the topic though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GM2gBj_r-w
[/off]


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## abitfuzzy (May 16, 2010)

heck everytime i even go near facebook. even through a link my anti -virus software go's apeshit from all the trojans popping up. and i'd like to just see if it's even worth it.


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## <CaliforniaStripes> (May 16, 2010)

this site is the only social network i need  if i want to see faces i take a walk into town


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## Alstor (May 16, 2010)

Now, everyone in the world will know what type of music you like.

OH MAI GAWDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!

/sarcasm


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## Runefox (May 16, 2010)

More like your personal information is passed on to the highest bidder, and potential employers can see any information you're stupid enough to make public (though that's your own stupid fault).


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## Wolf-Bone (May 16, 2010)

Bianca said:


> oshi a conspiracy theory everybody get out your tinfoil hats.



I wish people like you would shut the fuck up, or catch AIDS in the mouth and die or something and stop cheapening the label of "conspiracy theory" by applying it to anything/anyone who happens to have an issue with any organization larger than what you can count on however many bodily appendages you have.


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