Facebook: Are you on it? Any Concerns?

[Retired]

Are you on Facebook? How much information do you share? Are you concerned about FB privacy policies?

What's good and what's bad about Facebook?

 

[boi]

I'm on facebook. I want to quit facebook. I do not use it that much and most of my settings are private. I have very little showing to friends and to strangers nothing is showing, not even my friends list. I'm slightly paranoid heheh.

Facebook, like other social networking sites and technology in general has its benefits and drawbacks. I think it is taking away from real life relationships and it has become a site for voyeurs and voyeurism. I have even browsed people's pages to see what they are up to. But why? since I hardly know them.

This is why I think technology is going too far. I miss the old days when you actually had to look up a phone number in your paper phone book (which I still have) and dial a number to speak to someone live.

they are my thoughts

 

[Retired]

I do not use it that much and most of my settings are private

Do you regularly check your privacy settings to ensure they are set according to your preferences? It seems when FB does software upgrades, privacy settings are returned to default settings, and FB users are not apparantly advised of the changes.

Also, I am told there is a new privacy setting called "Instant Personalization" that shares data with non-facebook websites and it is automatically set to "Allow." Go to Account > Privacy Settings > Applications and Websites> Instant personalization and uncheck "Allow"

I do not use FB.

 

[Daniel E.]

This is why I think technology is going too far.

And this is just the beginning There's a Harvard professor who says eventually people will think it's natural for a mobile phone to identify a person walking down the street, using facial recognition and online photos, such as at Facebook. And people will wonder how they survived without it.

 

[Banned]

Ok that's kind of scary, Daniel.

I'm on Facebook, but I haven't sold my soul to it. I keep my privacy settings locked up, but I don't put anything on there that I wouldn't scream from the mountain tops. I also don't put everyone who adds me to their facebook, on mine. Some people see it as a popularity contest - who can have the most friends. With me, you have to have a place in my life to be on it.

I constantly think about disabling my account, but it never goes away anyway. It's one of those things that can always haunt you, like it or not.

 

[Murray]

I do have a facebook account, but I haven't been on it in several months. Now I am a bit worried about my privacy settings since I have not looked at them in ages. I don't believe that I have anything on there that is sensitive, but I should probably check.

For a short period of time I enjoyed being on facebook. It quickly started to make me feel uncomfortable. I felt just like I was back in high school and it was some sort of popularity contest. It also turned into a bit of a time-suck so I have avoided it for a while.

And this is just the beginning There's a Harvard professor who says eventually people will think it's natural for someone's mobile device to identify a person walking down the street by matching the image of their face to their online photos, such as at Facebook. And people will wonder how they survived without it.

I agree with Turtle, that is really quite disturbing Daniel.

 

[Daniel E.]

I agree with Turtle, that is really quite disturbing Daniel.

On the positive side, in North Carolina:

The program has already succeeded in identifying, and aiding in the apprehension of, a double homicide suspect.

FBI Facial Recognition Software To Automatically Check Driver's License Applicants Against Criminal Database

In any case, it's another reason to smile...for the camera:

Other conditions where face recognition does not work well include poor lighting, sunglasses, long hair, or other objects partially covering the subject’s face, and low resolution images...

Many systems are less effective if facial expressions vary. Even a big smile can render the system less effective. For instance: Canada now allows only neutral facial expressions in passport photos.

Facial recognition system

And, as mentioned there at Wikipedia, getting older helps, too.

 

[Meg]

I am on facebook and I use it every day. Most of my family (even my grandparents in their eighties!) and my good friends use it too. It's great for keeping up with what friends I don't see very often are up to. I don't really use any of the application stuff. I just use it for keeping in touch, sharing photos, and private chatting. It's also very good for organising events - facebook was the only medium used in the organisation of my high school reunion. I also get invitations, for example, to concerts my friends are in that I didn't know about. I don't have my account locked up too tightly. I just don't put anything on my profile page that I would be uncomfortable sharing with an acquaintance rather than a friend.

I think it is problematic for many younger users, however. I hear the word "facebook" in my office when I'm counselling teenagers at least once a week. They put things on their pages and their status updates that perhaps they shouldn't because (a) it's very personal information that should not be shared so openly, or (b) they are openly insulting and degrading others and ruining their friendships. You do need to use it wisely.

 

[SilentNinja]

FB is a trap for us all.. they want us to go on type all out details so they know what we like, what we hate, what we're all talking about.. our phone numbers, friends, think of the trueman show... well there is people higher up Observing us all on FB, its controlling us, taking over, tricking us all, half the world use FB, they are feeding us FB now.. its build in Ps, xbox, new phones, everything! Also people now feel the need to write on it what there doing every 10mins, there is no privicy anymore, world just wants gossip, LOL can you tell im so against FB and twitter and all these social networking sites!!

 

[Retired]

According to recent news reports, some European Countries have expressed concern about the privacy policies of Facebook. Canada has acted to protect some privacy concerns of users, but it appears that some privacy settings are left up to users to adjust and re-adjust periodically in the U.S.

 

[boi]

Steve,
I do not check my preferences regularly. Maybe I should now. thanks for the tip
I want to quit facebook. its hard to. I think I might though....I don't like the superficiality of it. Even the people I have added, I still don't really talk to them. So why have them as "friends"?
Anyway, thanks for the tip