21 Comments

  1. Matthew
    Posted October 24, 2007 at 7:21 pm | Permalink

    Atta boy Chris – I’m really getting ready to leave but haven’t made the jump yet. I think that my blog gets about 10X the exposure from being on facebook though because no one knows about rss feeds…

  2. Wade
    Posted October 29, 2007 at 11:15 am | Permalink

    I applaud you. I dropped FBook a while back, and I feel better for it. I also blogged my feeling on this matter recently.
    P.S. why do you require my email addy when I want to comment. Are you selling my info!?

  3. Posted October 29, 2007 at 2:32 pm | Permalink

    It’s so that I can spam you later when I setup my new website – http://www.chrisbook.com.

  4. zosia ostrowski
    Posted November 23, 2007 at 12:13 pm | Permalink

    hello i would like my account on face book deleted
    thanks

  5. Posted November 23, 2007 at 12:50 pm | Permalink

    Hi Zosia (if you are a real person). This wouldn’t be the place to deactivate your facebook account. You’ll have to go under your account settings on facebook.com

  6. Lucas
    Posted December 6, 2007 at 8:50 am | Permalink

    Hahahahaha… are you serious about your comment of not being able to get your photos back out of facebook? Are you kidding…

    first off…to get it into facebook in the first place, you must have had the files saved to your computer or memory stick..

    Secondly you can right click and “save as”, choose a location on your computer and save the pic…. no idea what you are talking about when you say you can’t get your images back out… quite simple..I just did it this morning.

    Also, I think you are mistake about the Good old days of Blogging..facebook is not a block, its a social network…of course people will change their status to “I’m tired” or “work is hard” … simply because the entire universe is not looking to write significant blogs. The majority of people signing up to facebook do so to enable easier interaction with friends and the ability to reach out to all friends though one simple interface… to post info about events etc. Its simly the phonebook, calandar and daily newspaper tailored to your specific life….. its not mean to be focussed on blogging. …. but then again..you don’t have to “get it”

    Finally in regards to advertising and privacy… you’ve missed the point.. advertising is about reaching out en-masse to people with a generally broad message.. if if they are targeting… hey are targeting thousand..if not hundreds of thousands.. big brand advertisers don’t care in the least to know about who your mom is, what her hobbies are, who you hang out with… the data is to fragmented and does not yeild enough users to be of any value. What the real concern is that your information can be shared with government agencies.. facebook was originally funded by a shell company of the CIA, thats what you should care about, not the advertings.. though I do understand the issues with Beacon.. that aside, the general advertising program on facebook is not as highly targeted as you may think.

    Cheers and hopefully this was of some use to you.

  7. Brad
    Posted December 31, 2007 at 5:06 am | Permalink

    Lucas, I think the point on photos/vid etc. was to be able to link from other sites back to those items hosted on facebook.

    You are right, however, to make the point that facebook is a ‘social network’. Perhaps it’s not everybody’s ideal method of social interaction though… personally, I found it frustrating that I often had to invite 10/15/20 friends to add the same application as I wanted to use to make it work. That, to me, makes the social networking experience both tedious and sometimes seemingly pretentious.

    I have deactivated my account – at least for now… I also have a myspace site which I prefer because it gives me the functionality I want and I only have to trust myspace with my info – not a million and one different application vendors… in saying that, I’m not claiming to trust or distrust myspace or anyone else on the internet… it’s more a matter of risk minimalization.

    Peace

  8. Posted January 18, 2008 at 9:40 pm | Permalink

    Why can’t I setup a facebook page on facebook?

  9. Posted January 18, 2008 at 10:59 pm | Permalink

    Lucas: I was actually referring to not be able to _easily_ move my photos around like you can with flickr (or any number of other photo sites) through rss feeds and open APIs.

    Alexandria: While this isn’t the best place for facebook support, I’d say that if you’ve setup an account on facebook you’ve gotten a page on facebook. When you login and click on “profile” at the top, that’s the page everyone else will see when they are your friend.

  10. hehe
    Posted August 13, 2008 at 9:01 am | Permalink

    Hey. Thanks you gave me 3 more reasons to want to leave facebook :P . I’m definitely closing my account now.

  11. Posted August 13, 2008 at 9:04 am | Permalink

    @hehe: No problem! :)

  12. Lucas
    Posted August 13, 2008 at 9:14 am | Permalink

    Just a comment on the applications..the issue of having a million and one companies accessing your information! ..

    These applications are elective. You Do Not Have To Use or Accept Them! This is called the cost of doing business. Facebook has provided a canvass with which to post your life…applications are just brushes to help you paint a better picture (this is totally subjective)….but guess what! ..what did you pay for your account last month..or the month before? NOTHING! lol..its a totally free service and if you want to enjoy what facebook applications have to offer, you have to give up your info..thats the nature of society. webpages and server space and developers do not grow on trees. Somehow they need to eat too cause at the end of the day..the people pounding the keys are like you and me, they need money and don’t work for free. They use the info you give them for advertising initiatives and thats just the way it is.

    If you don’t like it a) you should have done better research before signing up – like the same wayyou wouldn’t give out your credit card number without knowing what for – why is personal info any different and b) Deactivate your account.. less crap popping up in other people’s news feeds.

    To play on the internet safely all you have to do is read a little before signing away… i just find it shocking how people learn of these thigns after the fact.

    Cheers

  13. hehe
    Posted August 13, 2008 at 10:01 am | Permalink

    Hey. Thanks you gave me 3 more reasons to want to leave facebook :P . I’m definitely closing my account now.

  14. Posted August 13, 2008 at 10:04 am | Permalink

    @hehe: No problem! :)

  15. Posted August 14, 2008 at 8:58 am | Permalink

    @Lucas: The argument that because it’s free so you can’t discuss possible issues isn’t something that holds water. Yes, we all realize we have a choice as to whether you put your photos/life/etc on Facebook/Flickr/Geocities/etc, and as part of that choice we can discuss the merits of one site/application over another.

    In my original article I wasn’t so much referring to applications that you install but more so Facebook itself that can sell very targeted ads based on the information you give them. Just a heads up for people so they realize what they’re getting into with it.

  16. Posted August 14, 2008 at 9:58 am | Permalink

    @Lucas: The argument that because it’s free so you can’t discuss possible issues isn’t something that holds water. Yes, we all realize we have a choice as to whether you put your photos/life/etc on Facebook/Flickr/Geocities/etc, and as part of that choice we can discuss the merits of one site/application over another.

    In my original article I wasn’t so much referring to applications that you install but more so Facebook itself that can sell very targeted ads based on the information you give them. Just a heads up for people so they realize what they’re getting into with it.

  17. Lucas
    Posted August 15, 2008 at 6:42 am | Permalink

    @iChris:

    Thats the thing.. I specifically work for one of those evil ad networks..I’m the guy that finds the sites to join, then we tag the site and with code that allows our ads to display…one of those very sites is facebook.. and speaking from experience.. you pretty much have nothing to worry about!…As per my original post, advertisers are working in Mass numbers..they don’t care of your profile says you like expensive electronics or cheeseburgers… all they care about is if you are Canadian, on the site and a male of female. THey don’t even age target because the age is averaged out based on the type / style of the site. Advertisers don’t have the time, money, resources or personelle to manage going through the trillions of bit of information. Its that simple.

    The only true issue you have to worry about (again, per my last post), is that groups like the CIA have a share of Facebook as a company. THats what you should worry about. If you like posting about you love of Improvised explosives or your feeling that terrorism is great and like to post about it… I’d worry a little bit..but if you are just a normal guy/ girl sharing tales with your friends or posting pics your pretty safe.

    I’d almost say its convoluted to thing people care enough to go after your information of qualitative nature (likes, dislikes, age hobbies)…..the only thing malicous people want is your SIN number or your credit card.

    Get over it.. you’re not that special, Im not that special.. and I’m not gonna blame facebook just to make it seem like my information is valuable.

    Just because you posted it, doesn’t mean there is some evil corporation looking for it…. 99.0% of it useless and unactionable!

    Pew Pew Pew!

  18. Posted August 15, 2008 at 8:23 am | Permalink

    @Lucas:

    Ah ha! You’re Dr. Evil Advertising Guy! I knew it! :) j/k

    It’s good to hear that most advertisers don’t have the time to filter down to that level and I realize it’s no different than what was/is done with television (i.e. stay at home mom’s love watching Rachel Ray so let’s advertise for a new mini-van, etc). Nor am I worried that they are going to do something malicious with my information – I think I get as frustrated as it sounds like you get over people who blame “the corporation” and “big business” for issues.

    My main point was to raise some issues that people may or may not have thought about when putting stuff up online, whether on facebook or otherwise. Facebook happens to be the place to be right now and it is a more focused entity than the hundreds of random blogs around the web.

    Truth be known, I’ve been drawn back onto Facebook just to be able to keep up with friends/family who don’t know how to use anything else. A bit like AOL in the old days.

  19. belle
    Posted November 30, 2008 at 3:49 pm | Permalink

    hear, hear!

  20. Me
    Posted February 2, 2009 at 6:07 pm | Permalink

    Oh god, I could tell Lucas was working for ‘them’!!

    Chris, I completely agree with all your points. I left facebook about 4 months ago after having been on it 2 years, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but after reading your blog I think it sums it up perfectly. And after reading Lucas’ blogs, it completely confirms it! Facebook is not for me! I can’t help but feel that Lucas arguments were just that – arguments and not really against the points that Chris made. They were just voiced for the sake of voicing and although I am pretty good at that too, I really hate observing it in other people…!

    I also feel a bit free after leaving facebook, like I am not a sheep following the rest of what society does. They all know it’s wrong in the sense that it enables stalking and kinda justifies people being really ‘sad’ but the more people that conform, the less wrong they are made to feel!! That’s just my opinion anyway, hope it makes sense, not the best writer.

  21. puzzled
    Posted February 18, 2009 at 10:57 am | Permalink

    Gee, I’m learning more and more about these sites! Thanks guys

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