Becoming aware... Think of FB like LJ. You friend people, and their posts show up on your Friends Page (on FB it's called your Wall). But FB is also an application platform, so there are little apps that you can "install" on your profile that will let you take quizzes or play Scrabble or send virtual gifts to your friends. So far so good?
Now, many of these applications will automatically post stories onto to your Wall. So, for example, if you beat your high score in Scrabble, the app will announce it to all your friends. Or if you enter a contest for a free iPod, that app will post that fact so that everyone can see it. So if you have a lot of friends, unless you block these apps, you're getting a lot of pointless noise thrown in your face.
In the larger scheme of things, I do think FB is very worthwhile, because it is ubiquitous, and it does allow you to stay in touch with people easily. But you do have to be disciplined about it. If you sign up, my advice would be as follows:
1). NEVER put ANY personal information up there you wouldn't want publicly available to everyone forever. Even if they say it's protected (because it isn't).
2). Learn the settings you have to change to keep your information secure. It's not easy, and they make everything default to world readable.
3). Never install FB apps except ones you really need and know are by reputable authors.
4). Never, ever, ever trust FB or its creators. They are sleazy, lying, greedy, scheming bastards.
5). I'd suggest being conservative starting out. Friend your friends and don't overdo it. Watch what your friends post, and block their apps as they show up. I've obviously taken this to an extreme. Take your time learning the ropes before diving in very deeply.
With those warnings, I do think FB is going to remain the biggest social networking facility around. It is useful and has a lot going for it, and I've derived a lot of value from it. However, you just can't trust them, and you have to take the usual conservative privacy precautions you'd take with any social networking site.
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Date: 2010-01-06 01:59 am (UTC)Becoming aware... Think of FB like LJ. You friend people, and their posts show up on your Friends Page (on FB it's called your Wall). But FB is also an application platform, so there are little apps that you can "install" on your profile that will let you take quizzes or play Scrabble or send virtual gifts to your friends. So far so good?
Now, many of these applications will automatically post stories onto to your Wall. So, for example, if you beat your high score in Scrabble, the app will announce it to all your friends. Or if you enter a contest for a free iPod, that app will post that fact so that everyone can see it. So if you have a lot of friends, unless you block these apps, you're getting a lot of pointless noise thrown in your face.
In the larger scheme of things, I do think FB is very worthwhile, because it is ubiquitous, and it does allow you to stay in touch with people easily. But you do have to be disciplined about it. If you sign up, my advice would be as follows:
1). NEVER put ANY personal information up there you wouldn't want publicly available to everyone forever. Even if they say it's protected (because it isn't).
2). Learn the settings you have to change to keep your information secure. It's not easy, and they make everything default to world readable.
3). Never install FB apps except ones you really need and know are by reputable authors.
4). Never, ever, ever trust FB or its creators. They are sleazy, lying, greedy, scheming bastards.
5). I'd suggest being conservative starting out. Friend your friends and don't overdo it. Watch what your friends post, and block their apps as they show up. I've obviously taken this to an extreme. Take your time learning the ropes before diving in very deeply.
With those warnings, I do think FB is going to remain the biggest social networking facility around. It is useful and has a lot going for it, and I've derived a lot of value from it. However, you just can't trust them, and you have to take the usual conservative privacy precautions you'd take with any social networking site.