You know, I love messing around with the imagination. Guess most writers/artists do. But, I feel some things need to be left to the imagination.
So, I’m terminating my Facebook account.
I’m not going to rehash all of what Facebook’s doing–their efforts are well-detailed in links one, two, and three, a Facebook Watch site, and elsewhere, I’m sure. And check out another most interesting link about Facebook pushing the limits of privacy. The snippets on the http://facebookwatch.org/ site are most telling, especially the bit about Facebook’s former Chief Privacy Officer, Chris Kelly, informing us that he “…made a public statement against Facebook’s new “Instant Personalization” service, days after the program came under attack from a number of Senators.” That he “...distanced himself from Facebook saying, ‘Facebook’s recent changes to its privacy policy and practices with regard to data sharing occurred after I left the company.’”
And from this link comes: “New York Times writer Nick Bilton tweeted that a Facebook employee told him that Mark Zuckerberg does not believe in privacy.”
So, perhaps, I’m not so alone on this, huh?
Invasive.
Intrusive.
As much as I like to joke around, these are issues I take very seriously. And keep this in mind: it may seem “okay” to continued users now…but extrapolate this into the future. If the limits of privacy are what they are now, and we allow Those Who Wield Power to continue as they are now…what will the future hold? Put the brakes on now, and wield your control.
What do the powerful want?
What is knowledge?
Something just does not smell right about any of this.
Facebook took something that was kinda fun and is turning it into something “dark.” So, Facebook, fun as it might have been, and not that I used it a lot to begin with, but see ya later, and thanks for all the…fish….
Luckily this blog is safe. And email. And surfing the net. Facebook is just open about how little they regard privacy. And quite frankly – everything they have on there is given freely; they only have TMI because folks give them TMI. Look below this box – they say an email and a name are required.
Well, “Bill,” have you checked that “cyst” on the back of your neck lately? Wake up on some back roads without remembering how you got there–or your clothes? But, no FB is not really “open” about all this…they don’t relay any of the “logical conclusions” to their actions–just the glitter. Make it all seem “not a big deal.” It takes people who dig into their code and test things, then present it to the public. It’s up to individual choice what people put out there, but it doesn’t make it any more right when others take advantage of that. Yes, the argument can be made there really IS no privacy any more.Everything can be argued pros and cons. But I don’t want to make the decision any easier for those who may be trying to erode that privacy. And if there’s a choice invovled, I’ll take it if I can. If staying on FB doesn’t bother you, then stay on it. But the more who do stay on it, the more “acceptable” it becomes, and the less privacy we all have later on the down the road.
A friend of ours had his facebook hacked and someone posted something unflattering as if it were his wall post. Sigh. But alas, it is a tool and even a nail gun can be misused.
Boundries.
I know a writer who believes all work should be up for grabs for derivitives, free access to info, repeating same words anywhere on the Net etc.
A young man. One might have guessed.
The world changes. The Beetles are no longer believed to be mind warping. The boundries are becoming nothing but mild electric fences…if you make a little effort you can get past it. But it also hurts to come back in.
Well, we all have our opinions, but if you’re trying to make a living off your writing, that could be hard when it’s all out there for free, derivitives or no. May I ask how is that working for your writer friend?
What makes a good spy? Someone skilled at reading between the lines. In other words: someone who can quickly assimilate seemingly innocuous bits and pieces, formulate an algorithm that describes “you,” then manipulate you to play into their agenda. This isn’t a conspiracy fantasy, it’s big business – in the world of marketing as well as spying. Facebook is a professional phisherman’s dream…given enough information about you, identity thieves can guess your passwords, security questions, and who knows what else…heard of Web Bot? As human’s we tend to think we are unique and unpredictable, but behavioral and neuro sciences prove most of what we do is unconsciously follow programs – FB is exploiting this.
All that aside, there’s a lot of money to be made, and control to be had, by keeping people in a perpetual state of confusion – study history. I spent a hours learning the basics of FB, then everything I knew was obsolete, when FB changed everything. Add to this the fact that the default settings are opt-in, and you have to dig and dig and dig to opt-out (check out the “fine print” instructions for opting-out). FB’s goal is to is tie up our attention – our lives, by creating a system that we are addicted to, but can’t keep up with (yet another rat race to keep us distracted from what’s really going on around us).
In a court of law, the jury tries to determine one’s motives based upon one’s actions. What can we determine about FB’s intention from the way it is set up? Soon FB plans to make a quantum leap in exploitation. America needs to wake up – study human nature and history, then practice focusing on the bigger picture (like all those people with lots of money and resources do)…who really benefits from FB’s exploitation of human nature?
Great post, Chris! Today’s technology is making marketing much more scarier than just smart guys and gals thinking up new and more innovative ways to do things. The invasion of privacy can really become an issue in today’s world. And the addiction is also a very real issue.
I was only partly joking about this last January when FB announced a major ($1.5 billion) investment from Goldman Sacha and the wealthiest man in Russia, Yuri Milner, who owns Digital Sky and was already a major investor in FB.
You can’t take FB seriously… you’ve got to play it like theater.
And people think some of my posts are intentionally grating just because I’m an a-hole.
B^)
Wish I could be more “playful,” but when I see things like this, it gets to my more “serious side.” :-[ I’m a “create your own reality” guy, and this is NOT the kind of reality I choose to partake in….
You’ve also got to recognize aside from the investments from the Russians and banking parasites that the majority of people on FB are from countries where the idea of individual privacy is considered to be treasonous doubleplusbadthink.
Yeah, Ron, pot callin the kettle, dontchthink?! I mean I’m SURE you’re the parent company behind all this, you and your viritual world…. ;-]
Yeah, I was a little concerned when the first follower of my Government Intelligence Agency on Flyover War was 10 Downing Street.
I’ve actually tabled that project for a while. It’s coming true too fast to be entertaining fiction anymore.
Plus everything person, city, and company I create are showing up in listings as being real.
I am glad I only put limited info in my Facebook profile at the beginning, and I’m glad I’ve avoided all the games and apps along the way. Leaving Facebook would be a symbolic act for me, but it wouldn’t solve the privacy invasion problem. I just keeping thinking about how much Google and Yahoo already know about me and it’s creepy.
Me, too! I never did the games, etc. But, I feel it’s all cumulative, the leaving this, entering that. I mean, if “they” really are watching our every move, than they WILL see the departure from their applications, right? And if there’s enough uproar, the privacy issue will become more and more of an issue.Especially if Senators continue to make a stink about it. There’s always gonna be someone watching…but, all we can do is what we can do. Nothing’s futile! :-]
Besides… my freakin’ company (parent company) is penniless. No bribes for elected officials available.
Oh, just raise your taxes….
The coolest thing about my never having been on Facebook: I don’t exist! 😈 Advertisers don’t know how to sell anything to me, simply because I didn’t feel like trading off whatever privacy I have left simply to look at someone else’s family photos. If only Orwell could have imagined the outcome: “1984” via Farmville and snapshots. 😈