Six reasons to hate Facebook's new anti-privacy system, "Connections"

[onehandle]

Wondering exactly why people are so pissed about Facebook's latest display of contempt for user privacy? The Electronic Frontier Frontier Foundation's Kurt Opsahl has a good, short article explaining just what's going on with the new "Connections" anti-feature:

1. Facebook will not let you share any of this information without using Connections. You cannot opt-out of Connections. If you refuse to play ball, Facebook will remove all unlinked information from your profile.

2. Facebook will not respect your old privacy settings in this transition. For example, if you had previously sought to share your Interests with "Only Friends," Facebook will now ignore this and share your Connections with "Everyone."

3. Facebook has removed your ability to restrict its use of this information. The new privacy controls only affect your information's "Visibility," not whether it is "publicly available."

more...

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/04/six-reasons-to-hate.html
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See also:

Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8268624

[msongs]

1. the purpose of facebook is to market your information to anyone with a buck nt

[BuelahWitch]

2. And they make "Connections" out of the most idiotic things!

Stupid phrases do nothing but bridge a couple of ideas together get a "connection." If you wrote, "a little of this, a little of that," it would get a connection even thought it doesn't MEAN anything!

[onehandle]

4. They mention that in #6: 'For example, if you use the word "FBI" in a post'

What a nightmare.

[tilsammans]

16. Yep. I used the word "even," and FB made it a connection!

WTF??? :wtf:

[Lithos]

3. hey, but you forgot...

need to hang around for the class action law suit which will happen when FB finally crosses the line.

L-

[Journeyman]

5. Truly amazes me -- everyone was incensed when Total Information Awareness was floated. . .

yet a scant few years later, people willfully provide far more intrusive information about themselves with nary a whisper of offense.

[graywarrior]

6. So is anyone gonna cancel out of facebook?

So far, I haven't but I'm wondering if maybe I should.

[City Lights]

7. FB is like the Hotel California.

You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

Disabling your FB account is not the same as deleting it. FB keeps it on file "just in case you want to come back."

[GoCubsGo]

8. No, I just removed all of my information.

Nothing for them to ad "connections" to. Fuck 'em. I'm only on it to maintain contact with friends and family who tend not to want to use e-mail. I can also chat with my sister without ringing up the phone bill.

[graywarrior]

11. It's a safer way to talk with family, that's for sure

So what, you removed all your profile stuff too?

[Moochy]

13. Facebook Chat Bug allows anyone to read private chats

http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/05/05/video-major-facebook-security-hole-lets-you-view-your-friends-live-chats/

This viewas feature has been in the field for many months, which implies this bug has been around since then at least.

[ixion]

14. exactly... that's what I did

I post photos up there for friends and family, and that's about it.

[Karenina]

9. . .

[fishwax]

10. Good information to know, although

I don't have anything in my profile that isn't basically publicly available anyway.

on edit: Even so, though, I'll probably just let them empty out my profile rather than doing the connections thing.

[Moochy]

12. Oh it gets much much worse.....New Bug documented yesterday lets anyone view your friend's chats

http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/05/05/video-major-facebook-security-hole-lets-you-view-your-friends-live-chats/

They've done the right thing and disabled chat, but this still works for zuckerberg's friend requests and private messages notifications...

Mark Zuckerberg's id is 4.

Speaking from personal work experience working with FB engineers....

Never before have the two forces of Incompetence and Arrogance aligned so perfectly.

[onehandle]

15. I saw that. I'm not surprised. nt

[IDemo]

17. Time for another option?

With all of the negatives that seem to go with FB'ing lately, maybe it's time for a newcomer to the social networking tool chest.

[tilsammans]

18. Agree!

I use FB as a means of keeping up with far-flung friends and family, so I don't want to deactivate my profile.

I wish there were an alternative without FB's chicanery. :rant: