On Facebook Privacy

January 05, 2011
15th-floor office, early afternoon
"Like a Hall-of-Fame 3rd Baseman, Facebook don't let nothin' past him!"

cjh
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We're no idiots, and we know the blither we blather to and fro in this here FaceWindow is watchable, and usable, and valuable to those in the Big Commerce Picture. Even the tidiest of us--whether reaching for a career in politics or clenching tightly to the notion of some sort of hippie exemption from it all--are decidedly labeled and predicted and pitched to. Whatevski I say; it's always been this way. We're just making it easier for them.

The "them" have always known what people were doing, roughly. This just puts a finer point on it. If the MadMen were able to pin us down with a practical certitude back then, today they can be mathematical, and maybe save a little money. They're right here in our hip pockets, inserting their messages with stealth and cunning, but we get many fine rewards in return, by way of self validation and ego strokement, if not some genuine community building and Friendliness.

I say embrace it. Tread lightly if you will, take care, but no sense pretending they haven't always been watching. You might want to avoid those who attempt an overt takeover of your life though, as with many of these dreaded Apps.

I just saw one for My First Status or somesuch that checks your backlogs and finds what you first wrote. You must give it permission of course, and this comes by way of a series of requests that it makes to you. In this particularly fucked up scam of an app, permissions are requested for the usual personal info and wall postings, but apparently also it wants to BE you. And I quote...

Permission to send messages to your friends on your behalf...

Permission to create and respond to event invitations on your behalf...

Permission to log in as Admin of your pages and make updates...

Please everyone, have your fun, be yourself, but not if that means being stupid. Read carefully, and don't use Apps.