All the More Reason to Avoid Facebook

[Plant Planter]

Wow, Facebook's actually doing this? I never agreed with the idea of it. It's one thing when you publish a book or something, but it's another when you practically can write out your whole life online (even the most meaningless parts), can never truly get rid of it, and is available to anyone anywhere. Not just that, but Facebook and almost any other form of social media are pretty much a tag for a standard person. Everyone has a Facebook. No, not really, but it's a stereotype. Back in the day it was uncommon to even have a computer. Today it's uncommon to not have a computer or anything associated with one.

 

[DragonsEye]

... but it's another when you practically can write out your whole life online (even the most meaningless parts), can never truly get rid of it, and is available to anyone anywhere...

Hence why companies like Acxiom are rather scary entities when you stop and think about it. (Acxiom is an international data mining company that sells the info they glean to anyone who wants it.) I would expect, policies like that of FB will make the jobs of data miners much easier. Oh, and just for the heck of it, a rather interesting -- albeit creepy if you really pay attention to the lyrics -- song that is somewhat related to the whole data mining topic:

http://plantsarethestrangestpeople.blogspot.com/2013/06/music-hymn-of-acxiom-1st-draft-demo.html

Interesting to find out in reading this thread that I'm not alone in distrusting FB. Like Ron, I have considered -- albeit very reluctantly -- joining FB to try and reconnect with old friends I've lost touch with over the years. Crap like this makes it rather unlikely I will ever do so.

 

[mattb]

If you want to find someone on facebook, just use a friends' account. That's what I do.

 

[Maiden]

I dont use facebuck, im on planet twitter (@dals09)

 

[pearldiver]

Just a thought, what if you just fill out your profile with the minimum of info...try not to post in anger, don't include your address, phone, or anything past maybe state/city...only include pics of stuff you don't mind others seeing? It is an imperfect compromise, but its what I do. Thought I used to be able to navigate around
better. Now I look at "my" profile, and say, "What is this mess?"

 

[Est]

Eh, it's a tough spot. I'm of the position that I'd rather have some control of my image/presence.

I put a limit the information I put on facebook, I enable do-not-track options (for those that respect it) and I have tracker blockers (for those that don't). (Just like with ad blockers, it's important to use them with care; I'll let some analytics do their thing here, but I basically universally block social network tracking.)

Fun note: Every time a website has an "embed on social network X" button, that button effectively lets that social network know that you were on that page.

If only as a fun experiment, for Firefox users, look up addons like ghostery, DoNotTrackMe, and Collusion for a really eye-opening picture of who is tracking you, and how that information interacts. News sites (ironically, often including articles decrying snooping/tracking) tend to be the worst offenders.

 

[jimscott]

I know that FB has its detractors. Everything does. As stated by RL & Chibae, I am enjoying re-connecting with friends, co-workers, family, and classmates. I am also enjoying the new friendships that have been created, as well as having the opportunity to play Scrabble and Words With Friends. BTW, my signature has the link to my page, in case anyone is interested.

 

[Not a Number]

It gets a bit insidious than simple intellectual property issues. If Facebook can use anything thing you post for advertising without your explicit approval. Suppose your likeness or something you've written is used in an advertisement. And your material is presented in such a way as to make it seem you are endorsing (or not) whatever the ad represents. And suppose your actual views are the opposite.

 

[RL7836]

It gets a bit insidious than simple intellectual property issues. If Facebook can use anything thing you post for advertising without your explicit approval. Suppose your likeness or something you've written is used in an advertisement. And your material is presented in such a way as to make it seem you are endorsing (or not) whatever the ad represents. And suppose your actual views are the opposite.

I suspect that this is true, as well as the other thoughts expressed in the thread & I have no idea whether I will someday join this insidious time-suck.

However, given the number of people who are members, it does strike me that the issue of FB actually using anything of mine for their profit-driven (or other) motives - is one of principle more than the actual reality -- kinda like a reverse lottery (in a lottery - you hope you will win...).

 

[mato]

I suspect that this is true, as well as the other thoughts expressed in the thread & I have no idea whether I will someday join this insidious time-suck.

However, given the number of people who are members, it does strike me that the issue of FB actually using anything of mine for their profit-driven (or other) motives - is one of principle more than the actual reality -- kinda like a reverse lottery (in a lottery - you hope you will win...).

My thoughts exactly. This whole time my impression of this thread has been along the lines of, 'Who feels they are so important as to actually warrant the attention of Facebook's marketing campaign?' Opposing the precedent that Facebook sets is understandable, but the complaints sound more egotistical than likely. Besides, there is something called Google that is much more effective at "knowing" you.

Also, the idea of it being called a waste of time is a bit silly (even though it is..), considering where this complaint is being lodged (a time-sucking plant forum).

 

[Sundrew]

the complaints sound more egotistical than likely. Besides, there is something called Google that is much more effective at "knowing" you.

Also, the idea of it being called a waste of time is a bit silly (even though it is..), considering where this complaint is being lodged (a time-sucking plant forum).

I'd just like to stress these two points.

 

[jimscott]

I seriously doubt that pictures of my plants, cats, and family are going to elicit a whole lot of marketable attention!

 

[RL7836]

My thoughts exactly. This whole time my impression of this thread has been along the lines of, 'Who feels they are so important as to actually warrant the attention of Facebook's marketing campaign?'

Even though still unlikely, I suspect the more 'real' potential is that FB offers up their content to a host of others (for a price). As more companies sift through the content, they are more likely to use info or pics than FB itself - imo. Whether real or imagined, I do still find it quite amazing that there is not more of a backlash against FB for their brazen use (or at least potential use) of their user's content/info.

Also, the idea of it being called a waste of time is a bit silly (even though it is..), considering where this complaint is being lodged (a time-sucking plant forum).

This statement (as well as Sundrew's follow-up) somehow makes the assessment that:

- all time-sucks are created equal
- even while consciously (or unconsciously) wasting time on one, it is not acceptable to call out the time-wastage attributes of another

I disagree on both points (& could pontificate extensively on each - inadvertently making the time-wastage concept even more-vividly apparent) . . . . . . .

 

[Est]

However, given the number of people who are members, it does strike me that the issue of FB actually using anything of mine for their profit-driven (or other) motives - is one of principle more than the actual reality -- kinda like a reverse lottery (in a lottery - you hope you will win...).

I seriously doubt that pictures of my plants, cats, and family are going to elicit a whole lot of marketable attention!

That's the "miracle" of big data: It doesn't take a lot of work to monetize your information. Anyone who puts their phone number or address on facebook -- boom, they immediately can sell that information along with the correlated location data. So it's not that someone specifically wants to contact you. The more data you give, the more interested parties there will be.

Examples: If there's a hotly contested political race for your area, all the candidate needs to do is buy the database of all the locations and demographics that he's short on and target them for advertising. Or if I make safety products for children, I can use your monitored browsing habits to target my ads at you.

So it's not about you just being little ol' you when your data can be so easily pooled and monetized. There are plenty more ways for facebook to sell your data than slapping a picture of you in an ad. They vary in their degree of nefariousness, but none of them are fun.

It's like with NSA snooping. It's not "I'm not interesting, they won't care about me!" That just isn't how it works. When data collection (and collation and sales/usage) is all highly automated, nobody slips under the radar because they're too small.

 

[swords]

Hmm...

The parents of a teen who killed herself are outraged that her photo was used in an ad on Facebook

http://www.centurylink.net/tv/3/pla...-rehtaeh_parsons_photo_used_in_facebook_a-cnn

 

[mato]

 

[Brie]

^^^ like

 

[Not a Number]

http://nypost.com/2013/09/19/woman-sues-getty-after-photo-appears-in-hiv-positive-ad/

A Brooklyn woman is suing a major stock-photo company after she found her image splashed across ads in city newspapers as a veritable poster child for the rights of HIV-positive people.

A perfectly healthy Avril Nolan, 25, has filed a $450,000 lawsuit against Getty Images in Manhattan Supreme Court, accusing the photo agency of improperly allowing her image to be used in the advertisements.

The ads’ implication that she had the dreaded disease has hurt her personal and professional relationships and caused her emotional distress, she says in the suit.

 

[jimscott]

Anyone for Scrabble or Words With Friends?

 

[adnedarn]

Watch the first minute and a half of this video for something on being tracked

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