next_to_normal | What is with Facebook continually trying to encroach on my privacy?

So, after hearing about the latest privacy-violating feature that's been made opt-out rather than opt-in, I'm about ready to delete my Facebook account. WTF Internets?? Why is it so hard to understand that some of us might enjoy limited social networking without having our personal information automatically shared with every other site we use? Like that Google Buzz thing. That was horrifying.

I also saw this Evolution of Privacy on Facebook feature today, which is similarly disturbing. And even though the OP says, "I hope your takeaway from this infographic isn't 'I'm deleting my account;' rather, I hope it's 'I'm checking my privacy settings right now, and changing them to a level with which I'm comfortable,'" I can't see how making "OMFG I have to check my privacy settings RIGHT NOW" a typical response to policy changes is a GOOD thing. I don't want to feel threatened every time a website I use introduces a new feature. And I DON'T want to have to rush to the site to opt out in order to protect myself.

Don't touch my privacy, Internet. Or CJ will shove a motherboard SO FAR UP YOUR ASS.

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Makes me glad I don't have a Facebook. I never quite figured out the Google Buzz thing, except that I never gave them any details when I signed up, never created a profile, and don't have any contacts, so I'm safe, LOL.

I signed up for Facebook back when it was only open to college students, and no one outside your college could see your profile unless you friended them. The broader it's gotten, the less I've used it.

I never created a profile for Google, either, but I think Gmail automatically stores anyone you email as a contact. Which is fine if all it's doing is making it easier to find their email address the next time I want to email them, but when it's automatically subscribing me to their whatevers and letting OTHER PEOPLE see who I email, then we have a serious friggin' problem.

I went to my list of "contacts" and deleted all of them when the Buzz thing came out, LOL.

But don't you have to keep doing that? Or stop emailing people? Because otherwise it'll keep adding new contacts. I just turned off Buzz completely.

Edited 2010-05-12 19:55 (UTC)

Oh, once they made it where you could turn it off, I did that, too.

But, um, I never email anyone? Most of what goes through that address is LJ replies. My sister is the only contact I have on that account.

Hahaha, I don't think that'd be an option for me. I have a RL personal email and fandom email, both Gmail accounts. (I can't use my work email for personal stuff, and I hate my school email, so I just redirect it into my Gmail anyway. I also have a Yahoo email, but I switched to Gmail precisely to avoid Yahoo, so I don't want to go back.)

Is that Google Buzz automatic? *goes and disables the stupid thing*

Yes that thing on FB is seriously pissing me off. I've put all my settings to Friends Only already and when that Privacy thing was going around last week I went to check my Privacy Settings. It was already unticked, not sure if it was because it came that was or because I'd already unchecked it...

I reckon you need to sic CJ on them!!

Yep, it was automatic. And the "turn off buzz" link is so friggin' tiny, I'm sure most people didn't even notice it. I wouldn't have if I didn't see a blog post about it.

My Facebook is locked down pretty tight, but this sharing info with other sites without my permission thing pisses me off.

Yes!!!

Though I liked being able to connect to MTV Movie Awards with FB to vote this morning. Then I just go and delete stuff on my App page. Which still kinda sucks to have to do.

So far, all I've done is make sure I check my settings fairly often and keep them as I want them. I enjoy the way I can keep in touch with family and friends, and the way I've been able to reconnect with people I'd lost track of. I hope it isn't going to get to the point where I feel I have to delete my account to keep my privacy. I think, in spite of all the screaming that will take place from people who still believe there is such a thing as a free lunch, it will eventually go to paid accounts and/or advertising. They aren't, after all, philanthropists. I'm sure the goal is to make a profit - which is not evil in and of itself. Only exploiting your customers makes it evil.

So far, all I've done is make sure I check my settings fairly often and keep them as I want them.

Yeah, but see, that would actually require logging into Facebook regularly. :P I've been known to go months without checking it. At this point, it's more of a gigantic contact list/birthday reminder so I can look up my friends' info when I need it.

I have lots of people from high school and college friended, but I'd hardly say I've "reconnected" with any of them. We don't actually talk. I can check occasionally to see who's married or just had a kid, but that's about it.

ETA: I think, in spite of all the screaming that will take place from people who still believe there is such a thing as a free lunch, it will eventually go to paid accounts and/or advertising. They aren't, after all, philanthropists. I'm sure the goal is to make a profit - which is not evil in and of itself.

I'm sure they make a TON of money already, without paid accounts. There's already some advertising, though it's minimal. But I bet whoever creates all those stupid apps that people keep sending me notices about have to pay to get them incorporated.

Edited 2010-05-12 23:29 (UTC)

LOL Well, I do log in all the time. My kids use it a lot - posting pictures and stuff like that. If I don't care to reconnect with someone who tries to friend me, I just don't friend them back, or I filter them if they're one of those people who post every five minutes in case we're afraid we'll miss that he/she walked into the kitchen or something. I'm sure FB must be making money somehow, or they would have gone out of business by now, but you can never have too much profit... The apps probably are the most reliable source, I agree. I have enough friends and relatives who use it regularly that it's very handy for keeping up with people I might otherwise put off calling until we'd been out of touch for a ridiculous amount of time. I like being part of my family's (including here cousins, cousins' children, nieces, etc.) daily or semi-daily lives. It keeps us more connected than if we just called once or twice a year or relied on Christmas cards to keep up with what's going on.

I think if they started charging for accounts, they'd lose a LOT of casual users (like me - I'd definitely not pay for that), and the revenue from the people who stayed probably wouldn't be worth it. They might do what LJ does, though, and offer extra features with a paid account, but still offer basic accounts for free.

*nods* That would probably work. I tend to think FB could learn quite a bit from LJ, although I guess it is a different sort of social network. At least different in terms of what I use LJ for. On LJ, you end up making new friends who share your interests, on FB you connect with people you already know and then wonder why you ever hung out with them. :)

Right there with you on the FB privacy. I never even used my account and then, all of a sudden, I started getting friend requests from tons of people. Turns out that FB had changed a privacy setting and didn't alert anybody. I've tried getting into it, but I still f-ing hate FB.

:runs off to check privacy settings:

I liked it in college, mainly because it was useful for ~~stalking~~ finding out more about the cute boys in my class. :) But it was mostly just people I knew poking each other and stuff. I never really used it to keep in touch with people I didn't see all the time, and once the novelty wore off, I hardly use it at all.

YES!
ALL of that!

I get twitchy when the internet invades my privacy...

What is with Facebook continually trying to encroach on my privacy?

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