Random Output
Facebook is not your friend:5/15/2010
I want you to read this aloud because this is something that you must grasp at it's fundamental level.
Facebook is not your friend: Say Again
Facebook is not your friend: Again!
Facebook is not your friend:
Facebook is a business.
It's understandable how people overlook this reality, it's not like you submit a credit card number or sign a contract, no money changes hands. That said have you thought about how Facebook pays for everything it takes to create an internet site for the 420 million plus people who use it's services? Facebook's business model is to sell advertisement. It has to sell lots of adds to pay it's employees, it's investors, the folks who provide it services, it's owners and shareholders.
Now selling adds despite the annoyance is a legitimate model. Television, magazines, cable channels and even Google itself sells the right to advertise within it's product model. But here's the rub... Facebook wants to sell highly targeted adds, the Holy Grail of the industry. To get to this it has to offer more data about you. The Add Guys mine and sort the data building a profile of who you are, what you are interested in (therefore likely to spend money on) at a level so detailed it verges on creepy.
And you know what... I can live with that. I suspect most of us could live with that. I'm more than willing to see banners and adds targeted to my primary interests in computers or cars. I don't care if they know that I like cartoons, science fiction or spend money for music. I'd much rather see these sorts of advertisement than adds for feminine hygiene products, Bob with his natural male enhancement or sports memorabilia.
But here is where Facebook starts to go horribly wrong in my view. It seems each time it resets our privacy, it's to the butt naked level of privacy where any stranger can see who we are. I don't know what you have posted online, but I can tell you what you post could easily be used against you by someone with an axe to grind.
How will your family or boss feel about the picture of a pot leaf on your page? Those pictures of you getting plastered, showing your new tattoo (or other body parts) will not likely get you fired from a burger joint, but many employers are doing in depth searches of future employees for important jobs that include social networks.
Many people are now bitching and whining about Facebook's constant tinkering with it's privacy policy. To these people I would like to say the following, you got what you paid for. Your not the customer, your privacy is the product, wake up, smell the coffee, deal with it.
There are only four logical responses to the way Facebook likes to play.
Accept Facebook will sell you out but you don't care.
Accept Facebook will sell you out and be careful what you (and your friends) post.
Quit Facebook.
Make a fake profile.
Making a fake profile is easy and as long as you don't do it with the intent to commit fraud, legal. I would go as far as to argue it's the smart thing to do. Identity theft is rampant and the level of details that can be had on a Facebook page is alarming. That aside if you can't stop posting pictures of you snorting coke out of the navel of someone not your spouse, do you really want that getting back to your co-workers and family?
This is not rocket science, walk with me... Let's pretend your real name is John Parsons, you were born on August 2nd, 1969 and you live in St. Louis, Missouri and you sell gutters. Make a profile for Jon Persons of Crevecore, Mo. Your birthday is August 3rd, 1968.
Now you have a profile where only your friends in the know will find you. Your boss, your mom, your spouse or that old flame who stalks you will be out of luck. It kind of sad to take this step, but if you use Facebook, you need to consider it.