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Privacy changes spark Facebook revoltMay 15, 2010 (The Augusta Chronicle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- I got my first "how do I quit Facebook" phone call last week. I can't say I was surprised -- I expected a rebellion against the Goliath of social networks after its privacy changes. Facebook has spread across the Web with social plug-ins and its Instant Personalization service. It has received backlash from politicians and leaders in the social-media community. A protest formed at facebookprotest.com, planning a Facebook blackout June 6 (supporters are urged not to sign in or use Facebook at all on that day). I've had a few friends decide to quit Facebook. New social-media networks that focus on privacy, such as Collegiate Nation and Diaspora, have formed to fill the niche Facebook once owned. I don't think Facebook is bad. But the rub is its massive change in philosophy since its humble college network beginnings. Remember? Before your mom was on Facebook? You could post silly pictures without worrying about an employer's seeing them, and there was a general expectation of privacy. Facebook has drastically changed its privacy policy since its inception. The problem is that the site has built its network with the expectation of privacy, but the automatic opt-in for new features and unclear communication about what's public and private on the new platform is a bad move. Debating whether to remain on the site? Keep these points in mind: - Anything you put on the Internet is public. You can restrict who sees it, but you won't have to worry if it's not something you wouldn't mind most people knowing (so it might be time to take down those photos from your bachelor party). Likewise, use good judgment about what photos and videos you post of friends. - Facebook can be a great hub for information and networking. With the social plug-ins, it can serve as a search engine and aggregation service for information. - Facebook is a good network because of its sheer size, too. Few other networks have a way to connect people in the way Facebook does. Jumping ship? There are other ways to share information, if you're willing to go through the trouble of getting individual e-mail addresses and taking some extra steps. Flickr is another way to share photos. You can share pictures with just your family or post them just for your access. YouTube now has unlisted videos, so only those with a link can find them. If you haven't used Twitter, it's just "status updates," so it has less private information. You can protect your tweets if you'd like only certain followers to know what you have to say. If you quit Facebook, all your information will still be on the site. To wipe the site of everything, log on to: ssl.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account Interact on Twitter @SarahDayOwen. To see more of The Augusta Chronicle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://augustachronicle.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |