Archive: Opinions

If you use Facebook you have probably see hysterical postings about how Facebook has dome something new that will compromise your privacy.  Part of the post is a frantic plea to report the warning, and to immediately go into your settings to do this or that.  Now I am not a fan of reposting, especially if what is obviously boilerplate that has been reposted multiple times tells me to repost.  Half of these are scams, and the rest?

Well, Facebook isn't particularly respectful of privacy.  They never have been, and sometimes it is annoying.  But Facebook is a social network.  They don't deny that.  They own it.  What is a social network?  It is a place where everybody shares stuff.  So when Facebooks wants you to share stuff it's not some evil plan.  It is simply the nature of the beast.

Everybody who signs up for Facebook knows that.  They just seem to forget it in the rush of sharing.  So if you don't want your private information to be shared there is a simple solution: don't post it on Facebook.

Nobody forced you to post it.  Nobody seriously expects you to post it.  Facebook is best used for superficial communication that doesn't give much away about who you are, what you're doing or where you are.

Because if you do you're an idiot.  Why not buy some time on the local TV station and say, 'Calling all thieves and people who want to emotionally abuse me... I just broke up with my girlfriend so I am going to Aruba to get stinking drunk next week, leaving $1,000 in cash under the sofa.  Please either rob my house or come to Aruba and take advantage of me while I am incapacitated."

However, if you don't mind your stuff being out there, go for it.  Facebook is for sharing the things you decide you want to share.  If you don't want to share anything at all, why the heck did you sign up for Facebook?

Email is for private electronic communications.  You send your stuff to very specific people, and they respond to you.  There may be some jerks who share your stuff, but you don't need email to do that.  Haven't you ever told someone a secret and then found out they told someone else?  No communication is fool-proof in terms of privacy.  But if you want a reasonable expectation of privacy, email's your medium.  Not Facebook, which is basically a gigantic public electronic bulletin board.

If you don't want your private stuff to be seen by just anyone why would you put it on Facebook in the first place?  Would you tape nude pictures of yourself on the foodcourt walls at the mall?  Would you post your address and the fact that you are out of town for three weeks on a telephone pole so anybody could come to your house and do who knows what?  Why don't you just tape the key to your poster?

Facebook is for public electronic communications.  In spite of the frantic alarms that want you to repost them, it is fairly easy to make your account private so only the people you choose can see your posts.  And by the way, everybody who wants to 'friend' you isn't really your friend.  So if you really want a semblance of privacy on Facebook you should only accept a very small cadre of actual friends as your 'friends'.

While I am ranting, here are things friends don't do in real life if they want to remain my friends.  Yes, I am about to share some personal stuff: 

• They don't rant endlessly about how stupid the Republicans are or how duplicitous the Democrats are.  An occasional snippy comment is acceptable.
• They don't post endless pictures of cats.  I happen to like cats, but they're just cats.  Endless pictures are not creative, cute or interesting.  And I've probably already seen them.
• Same for dogs.  Except dogs are not just cats.  They are just dogs.
• They don't ask me for donations for whatever their particular cause is -- I'll choose my own charities, thank you very much.
• And they don't invite me to play Words With Friends or Candy Crush.

Does anybody who knows me, really knows me, seriously think I want to play Candy Crush?

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