Comments on: Facebook – don’t speak lest someone hear you http://www.porganized.com/blog/dont-speak-lest-someone-hear-you-facebook Selected Works of Peter Organisciak Sat, 29 Oct 2011 23:16:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Andrew Keenan http://www.porganized.com/blog/dont-speak-lest-someone-hear-you-facebook/comment-page-1#comment-6 Andrew Keenan Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:08:25 +0000 http://www.porganized.com/?p=213#comment-6 Wow, thanks Peter! I had a few serious discussions with my girlfriend and friends about privacy issues around Facebook and how Facebook is an easy target to attack as insensitive to privacy. I think another major factor is Facebook's ubiquity. Obviously, social networks are security hazards depending on the level of information you reveal and the audience to which you reveal said information. Because everyone uses Facebook, it's easy to point the finger for Facebook's "mishandling" of your information, but it's information that YOU volunteered. Don't like that your pictures don't belong to you? Then don't upload them! It's your responsibility to read the user agreement. There's a growing trend for people who will sacrifice "security" of their information in exchange for a service they believe is worthwhile. Google is a prime example - we get free services, and they access our search data, email data, and the like. We are privy to United States law thanks to the location of their servers, but most users simply don't care. Those who do care are librarians and information freedom fighters warning of the POTENTIAL dangers of Google, Facebook, or similar companies. These arguments are important to understand, but ultimately, it's the choice of the user. If they believe "sacrificing" their personal information for a free service is appropriate, who are we to blame the companies? This data will essentially be used for demographic targeted marketing, which I personally enjoy. It lets me find better shoe sites online =) Wow, thanks Peter! I had a few serious discussions with my girlfriend and friends about privacy issues around Facebook and how Facebook is an easy target to attack as insensitive to privacy. I think another major factor is Facebook’s ubiquity. Obviously, social networks are security hazards depending on the level of information you reveal and the audience to which you reveal said information. Because everyone uses Facebook, it’s easy to point the finger for Facebook’s “mishandling” of your information, but it’s information that YOU volunteered.

Don’t like that your pictures don’t belong to you? Then don’t upload them! It’s your responsibility to read the user agreement.

There’s a growing trend for people who will sacrifice “security” of their information in exchange for a service they believe is worthwhile. Google is a prime example – we get free services, and they access our search data, email data, and the like. We are privy to United States law thanks to the location of their servers, but most users simply don’t care. Those who do care are librarians and information freedom fighters warning of the POTENTIAL dangers of Google, Facebook, or similar companies. These arguments are important to understand, but ultimately, it’s the choice of the user. If they believe “sacrificing” their personal information for a free service is appropriate, who are we to blame the companies? This data will essentially be used for demographic targeted marketing, which I personally enjoy. It lets me find better shoe sites online =)

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