Be careful with Facebook. See report.

01 May 08 - 12:27 PM (#2330704)
Subject: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Rasener

Just though I would share this report about Facebook add on applications and the security on the BBC website

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7375772.stm

please read and take whatever action you feel necessary.

Funnily enough the report can't find any problem with Youtube add on applications, because they have a different type of security

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01 May 08 - 02:17 PM (#2330795)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Peace

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7375772.stm

Thanks, Villan.

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01 May 08 - 02:27 PM (#2330804)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Rasener

Oh blimey, thanks Peace for putting the link. Thats not like me to forget that.

Goes away scratching head.

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01 May 08 - 04:08 PM (#2330897)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Joe Offer

All those Facebook "applications" bore me to tears. I like the people who are my "friends" on Facebook, but I just don't have time or interest for exchanging virtual hugs and comparing the kinds of flowers and movies and whatnot I like, and all that stuff. I feel like I'm rude not to respond, but it seems that everything somebody send me requires me to add another "application."
So, I don't do much on Facebook, although I haven't withdrawn yet. But if I don't respond to you, don't be insulted. I like you all just fine - but I don't like Facebook.

-Joe-

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01 May 08 - 04:15 PM (#2330903)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Herga Kitty

Thanks Joe - that's exactly how I feel about Facebook! I joined because of a group started about Herga folk club, which has reunited former members. But it gets a bit wearisome when the same items get posted on your Funwall over and over again by different "friends"...

Kitty

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01 May 08 - 04:19 PM (#2330906)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Rasener

The only one I had on mine was Scrabulous, but having read the report, I have removed it.

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01 May 08 - 04:19 PM (#2330908)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's unplugged Apprentice

I must admit that I've never been tempted to join Facebook or any of the other 'social'networks.

Charlotte R

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01 May 08 - 04:44 PM (#2330930)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: JohnInKansas

New vulnerabilities appear all the time, but this one does appear to be one that should be noted.

Another generic complaint:

Lots of users, both Mac and Windows, use QuickTime. It is almost impossible to tell when an "update" is just advertising and when it includes a significant and necessary security fix, due to Apple's policy of never revealing anything about vulnerabilities or their patches.

From a recent article on "yet another QuickTime vulnerability" -

QuickTime has proved to be one of the more porous applications. Apple, which doesn't have a regular patching schedule like Microsoft, patched the application for at least the sixth time earlier this month, fixing 11 vulnerabilities.

Some of the vulnerabilites reported by others (but not by Apple) have been quite significant. If you must use QuickTime¹, especially in Windows, and haven't "upgraded" recently, it would be a good time to allow them to give you the latest version, and to accept their upgrads on a fairly regular basis.

Multimedia Flash players are another for which it's impossible to tell if a "new version" actually does something new or if it patches serious security vulnerabilities. There have been several reported major flaws, none admitted by the source but all apparently patched in newest versions. Older versions do remain vulnerable.

¹ I do have a couple of things that require QuickTime, but I've gotten so fed up with it that I install the latest version when needed, and UNINSTALL IMMEDIATELY when I'm done with the task that requires it. If you download and save the installation file to disk, you can flip it in and out fairly quickly, although patching up the other things it breaks often requires some cleanup after the uninstall.

John

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01 May 08 - 07:59 PM (#2331061)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Gulliver

I got rid of Quicktime years ago and use VLC Media Player for most videos (PC not Mac, of course), Flash movies, etc. It hasn't requested an update yet.

I too hate all these childish apps on FaceBook, but had to get rid of most of my "friends" to stop their requests. But I did come across groups with useful technical and other information for my library work, so I'm staying with it for the moment--but I don't use my real name!

Don

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01 May 08 - 10:50 PM (#2331187)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: GUEST,leeneia

The BBC says it mined 'his name, hometown, school, interests and photograph.' This is information readily available to anyone who gets hold of a school yearbook. Is this really that worrying?

Now, if they had birthdate and social security numbers (or similar), that would be a problem.

Meanwhile, whatever happened to buying some snacks and inviting your kid's friends over to socialize?

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01 May 08 - 10:52 PM (#2331189)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Alice

Ah, confirms my immediate resistance to download any of those aps on facebook. I instantly heard alarm bells and red flags!
It's nice to check up on friend's messages, but I'm like Joe. Don't use the other stuff.

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01 May 08 - 11:54 PM (#2331206)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: JohnInKansas

I've done very little browsing at Facebook, since it requires you to register to get to much of anything.

I have done some poking about at MySpace, which can be done without "getting involved." A recent "milestone" class reunion found great gobs of people in the "whereabouts and status unknown" list, and I'd thought I might turn up one or two.

Although you can't actually search for people my age, since there's a cutoff on the maximum age you can select in the "find people" settings, there are a few returns - implying that anyone "older than sh*t" is just lumped in the category of "or older"

I haven't actually found anyone from the class there, but have found at least five separate "add-ins" in common use that my malware defenses report - and usually block completely - as dangerous malware and/or known phishing devices. A couple of others aren't blocked, but flash "Danger! Danger! Danger!" warnings. All are usually placed on the "victims" page by "a friend."

I'm referring of course to the "general" MySpace. It likely is safer in the "interest sections" where most of our 'catters have settled; but it would probably be a good idea to be selective in choosing "friends" even there, and to check your pages regularly for contaminants.

John

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29 Apr 09 - 02:04 PM (#2621357)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: gnu

Joe Offer... "So, I don't do much on Facebook, although I haven't withdrawn yet. But if I don't respond to you, don't be insulted. I like you all just fine - but I don't like Facebook."

I signed up t'other day on a whim... ditto what Joe said.

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29 Apr 09 - 02:41 PM (#2621382)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Beer

I am also member since 2007 and rarely visit. I get a lot of request from folks who want to be my "friend" but i don't go much further with it. i have recently been visiting but don't find it user friendly. Much prefer MSN.
Just my opinion.
Beer (adrien)

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29 Apr 09 - 03:14 PM (#2621408)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: VirginiaTam

I only go nto facebook when mudcat is down. No apps added to my profile. Not interested.

I use myspace and live journal to post my thoughts now and then. plenty of room for a good old fashioned rant if I need it.

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22 Sep 09 - 06:38 PM (#2729198)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Genie

I joined FaceBook too recently, at my sister's request, but I too use a fake name (actually a business name) and a face DOB and I have almost no personal info in my "profile." My family and real-life friends know what I look like, so they can recognize me from my avatar (and probably from what I post and to whom). For others, if I want to invite them to be friends, I send a message identifying myself.

I'm rarely add "friends" of my "friends" as new "friends" unless I know something about them and have reason to add them.   But replying to people's comments or sharing YouTube links, etc., doesn't seem to pose much of a security link.

The thing I'm very wary of is when someone wants you to participate in some online game or poll or post a comment at some other site.   Generally when you do that you have to add that site as a "friend" -- who will have access to all the info you post. Not worth it to me, so I just pass.

Genie

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22 Sep 09 - 07:50 PM (#2729247)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: sing4peace

In order to do all of the apps on Facebook you have to give permission for them to access all of your friends' information too. I don't do that and wonder why other folks do. The American Civil Liberties Union has a warning out about how Facebook apps are data mining. No, they don't get your social security number but people give up a lot more personal, political, psychological profile information than they are aware of. It oughta tip folks off when they see the advertising along the side bars changing according to the content of their status and comments. This happens in a lot of email programs.

Damn double edged swords.

JK

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22 Sep 09 - 07:55 PM (#2729249)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: bobad

Canada forces global Facebook privacy change
Author: David Reed | Published: Sep 2009

A year-long investigation by Canada's Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, has resulted in Facebook agreeing to implement changes to its policies from next year. The outcome will apply to all users of the social network and has implications for the revenues the site derives from behaviourally-targeted ads and applications.

Stoddart was investigating a complaint raised by the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic of University of Ottawa about inadequate notifications relating to sharing of personal information. Facebook has 12 million Canadian users and 200 million worldwide. The site has agreed to implement changes to provide better protection.
Banner Ad

"During our investigation, one of the biggest concerns we raised was the over-sharing of users' personal information with third-party developers who create popular Facebook applications such as games and quizzes," Stoddart announced last month.
"Facebook has agreed to retrofit its application platform in order to prevent developers from accessing users' personal information – unless users provide explicit consent."

Canada is the first country to have investigated the privacy practices of a global social networking site in this way and its work has attracted the interest of the European Union and Australia. Throughout the process, Facebook co-operated and agreed to make changes that ensure its compliance, including altering default settings to opt-out.

"In this case, we had a social networking site based in another country collecting and using the personal information of Canadians in a way that was not in compliance with Canadian laws. As Privacy Commissioner, I would hope that, in the future, more due diligence in the area of privacy will be done by global technology firms," said Stoddart.

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22 Sep 09 - 08:33 PM (#2729260)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Tim Leaning

I propose we start an antisocial networking site and call it cud mat or something like that .
LOL
Joking

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22 Sep 09 - 09:06 PM (#2729273)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Bat Goddess

I've been enjoying Facebook for several months now -- I like knowing what my friends are up to and letting them know what I'm doing/thinking/reading. And I like the ease of sharing photos and websites/YouTube videos, etcet etcet.

All of my "friends" are people I actually KNOW -- either in person or "know" at Mudcat, etc.

And I block all those damned games/quizzes/surveys/food fights/gifts/etcet etcet. Made my day when I discovered (here at Mudcat) how to do that.

They're a stupid waste of time and bandwidth and, of course, allow unknown apps to have access to personal info. Sorry, I have a life, too, besides spending time on the computer. I use social networks (like Facebook or Mudcat) to make communication with my friends simpler and easier.

Linn

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22 Sep 09 - 09:30 PM (#2729284)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: katlaughing

Tim, made me LOL! Thanks for the chuckle...then we'd all be Cud Matters..a bunch o'cows, eh?!

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22 Sep 09 - 09:44 PM (#2729290)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: open mike

yes, cud does matter!

and i have not the slightest interest in the mafia, or other wars and violent "games"

and do not care for any "applications" that require me to give up all my friends' info--sounds like a plot to me..

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22 Sep 09 - 11:04 PM (#2729324)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: EBarnacle

On at least 4 occasions, I have been invited to friend someone I know and join Facebook. On at least 2 of those occasions, that person was not aware of the invitation. We came to the conclusion that Facebook was simply taking all of the names on their e-mail lists and spamming the invite.

No thanks, I don't like Spam, even when it seem to come from a friend.

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23 Sep 09 - 04:11 AM (#2729408)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Richard Bridge

Recent academic warnings that many of the world's larges websites are using undisclosed and self-reviving Flash cookies (as distinct from html cookies) seem likely to include Facebook as one such site (but they do not name names)

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23 Sep 09 - 07:40 AM (#2729492)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Bat Goddess

You've got a choice, when you join Facebook, to send out an invitation to everyone in your address book -- or not.

Unfortunately, most Facebook newbies haven't had a chance yet to figure out that you DON'T HAVE TO. Just click "Skip" or "Ignore", whichever it is, and nobody gets invited until you choose to invite them.

I, fortunately, was "warned" by the experience of a couple real friends who inadvertently turned Facebook loose in their address book and gave the broadcast friend request a miss.

Linn

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23 Sep 09 - 08:11 AM (#2729512)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: SINSULL

I wondered why a certain 'Catter keeps sending me invitations to join and be her friend. She probably doesn't even know about it.

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23 Sep 09 - 11:04 AM (#2729618)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Tim Leaning

I use it but like all other online things its best to be wary and some of the friend suggestions are a bit awkward.
LIke the little games like pool etc
It is very repetetive innit?
Moooo

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23 Sep 09 - 11:10 AM (#2729627)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)

Never got the point of Facebook or 'social networking' sites.

If I want to make virtual contact with other people with whom I share an interest, I join a discussion board for that *interest*.

If I want to stay in virtual touch with old friends or family, I use E-Mail.

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23 Sep 09 - 07:31 PM (#2730026)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Sandra in Sydney

me too, Crow Sister

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23 Sep 09 - 07:33 PM (#2730029)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: kendall

Some friends I have lost track of until they appeared on Facebook.

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23 Sep 09 - 07:43 PM (#2730038)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: bobad

"Recent academic warnings that many of the world's larges websites are using undisclosed and self-reviving Flash cookies (as distinct from html cookies)"

Firefox browser has an add-on that blocks these cookies, see: Better Privacy

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23 Sep 09 - 09:45 PM (#2730111)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Suffet

Greetings:

I've had generally good experiences on Facebook, and so have many of my real life friends. Nevertheless, I am careful about giving out too much personal information.

One really positive result is that I have re-established contact with some friends -- and one cousin -- whom I have neither seen nor spoken with in many years. Also, my part-time singing partner Anne Price got in touch with someone who knew the whereabouts of tapes of live performances she gave in 1965 and 1966, and she has since turned those recordings into a CD called Very Early Anne.

Just use a little common sense, and Facebook can be a very rewarding tool.

--- Steve

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23 Sep 09 - 10:03 PM (#2730122)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: CarolC

I joined so I could see my son's pictures (at his suggestion). Apparently there are a lot of parents who join for that reason.

I don't participate in any of the apps, but I would definitely like to block them, if that's possible. How does one go about blocking the apps?

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24 Sep 09 - 02:29 PM (#2730591)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: PoppaGator

I sometimes get friend "suggestions" from FB that have no apparent raison d'etre. Not only are the individuals unknown to me, they are people with whom I have NO mutual FB friends (!). The only possible connection, as far as I can see, is that our names may have been found sharing space in some mutual acquaintance's e-mail address book.

That makes me just a little uneasy.

I do enjoy FB, and it has (for now, at least) replaced Mudcat as my favorite site for at-work internet malingering. Probably due simply to the relative novelty (which won't last forever), but also because it's easier to get in and out quickly without becoming too absorbed.

I avoid most of the games/quizzes/surveys, etc., with the exception of online Scrabble. And I'll admit to occasionally succumbing to temptation and participating in some silly quiz, even though it's almost always disappointing and leads to regret.

Incidentally: I make it point not to accept system-generated friend "suggestons," but I am always glad to accept any personal friend "request." You can find me under my real name, Tom Henehan. (I'm the one living in New Orleans; the Tom Henehan in Minneapolis is not me, and is not even related to me [as far as we can tell, going back four generations]).

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24 Sep 09 - 09:07 PM (#2730804)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: JennyO

Tom, I just sent you a friend request. I haven't been on here much, because of Facebook. Two years ago, my son suggested I join, and within a few weeks I had met Rob through the Mudcat group. He was only an occasional poster here.

The rest is history. We met in the UK last year, liked what we saw, and in a couple of weeks I'll be going back there to be with him, and we'll live together happily ever after! Me, complain about Facebook? I hardly think so!!!

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25 Sep 09 - 05:05 AM (#2730963)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Penny S.

Ah, an explanation of the invitation my sister had to be a friend to the woman whose atrocious behaviour drove her out of her job.

Penny

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25 Sep 09 - 12:01 PM (#2731147)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: gnu

I have just debited Facebook. I never really used it. Only reason I got it was so I might be able to chat with Severn while he was in hospital a while back... couldn't get the hang of it right away and decided to wait until someone could guide me... which never happened for whatever reason.

Anyway.... most of my good buddies are here or a couple of other spots or... email.

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25 Sep 09 - 12:55 PM (#2731186)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: CarolC

Well hell, had I known the wildebeest was a member, I would have sent a friend request. Ah well.

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25 Sep 09 - 01:17 PM (#2731202)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: gnu

Oh... yeah... all of you who sent me one of those, however they work I dunno, to whom I did not respond (pretty much all), now you know why. I am technologically deficient. Well, just too lazy to be arsed trying to figure it out.

Just as well you didn't, CC. All you woulda got was a PM saying I am too lazy to try to delete my account. I was told it was an awful chore.... wasn't bad.

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25 Sep 09 - 01:27 PM (#2731211)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: CarolC

Actually, accepting a friend request is pretty easy. Ah well.

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25 Sep 09 - 01:56 PM (#2731239)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: gnu

Yes, indeed. But figuring out the rest of it? If I post sommat, who sees it? How do I send a message to someone(s) or have a chat with a limited # of peeps? Etc. I asked these questions and fellow "friends", Mudcatters, could not answer, so I said fuck it.

Perhaps I should have asked you, but How was I to know you were on facebook? You said you did not know I was there????

Anyway, no mind a me. I am here and I am not there.

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25 Sep 09 - 02:00 PM (#2731245)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: CarolC

When people post something to their wall or profile, all of their friends see it on their walls. A message can be sent by clicking on a friend's name in one's friends list, which takes them to the friend's page, and clicking on the link in that page for sending that person a message. I've only ever had chats with one person at a time, so I don't know how that is done differently than a group chat.

Like I said... ah well.

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25 Sep 09 - 02:03 PM (#2731252)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: CarolC

Also, people can have conversations like they do in threads here in the Mudcat, if they make a comment on something posted by one of their friends. That creates a thread much like the threads here.

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25 Sep 09 - 02:19 PM (#2731267)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: PoppaGator

Also, FB has an "Inbox" feature which allows personal messages unseen by anyone but the sender and the recipient(s).

Just like Mudcat PMs, with the additional feature that more than 2 people can be included (which is just like regular e-mail).

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25 Sep 09 - 02:33 PM (#2731278)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: maire-aine

I still haven't joined FB or the others, altho I do have a profile on a business-networking site. My problem is that many of the organizations I belong to are creating a FB page & posting there instead of sending emails. I may need to create a skeleton profile just for that, but so far I'm resisting.

m

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25 Sep 09 - 04:27 PM (#2731362)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Azizi

Congratulations JennyO, to you and Rob!

All the best to you both.

-Azizi

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25 Sep 09 - 04:35 PM (#2731369)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Lox

I have no personal info on my page and I don't bother with applications.

Facebooks value is in the users ability to keep track of the movements of ones friends, in particular those with whom one doesn't get many reasons to keep in touch.

My friends on facebook are my real friends, and having them there means it is harder for me to forget them or lose contact with them.

The status update feature reminds me of my friends and what they are doing and allows me to comment as I choose, thus keeping otherwise distant links warm and alive.

I love it.

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26 Sep 09 - 05:53 PM (#2732065)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: frogprince

Just went to check Facebook and got a notice that "this website's security certification has expired", with the option of going on but a recommendation not to. Anyone have any clue as to the actual significance of that?

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28 Sep 09 - 03:16 PM (#2733413)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Azizi

Sorry for the bold font. I see the error of my ways. :o(

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28 Sep 09 - 03:34 PM (#2733423)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: artbrooks

I have been offered the opportunity to "be friends" with my thankfully-ex-sister-in-law, and have no idea how FB made the connection. I don't use one of the common disposable email sites such as google or hotmail, so I have no idea how hey came up with her. Oh well, "ignore" works.

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17 Dec 09 - 10:37 PM (#2790925)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: katlaughing

Thought this might be on interest:

From Boston.com

The Electronic Privacy Information Center said yesterday that it has asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into the changes and to force Facebook to restore its old privacy safeguards.

The changes, unveiled last week, include treating users' names, profile photo, friends list, gender, and other data as public information.

The complaint says the changes diminish user privacy by disclosing personal information that was previously restricted.

Joining EPIC in its complaint are the American Library Association, the Consumer Federation of America, and the Center for Digital Democracy.

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18 Dec 09 - 05:22 AM (#2791035)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: Bonnie Shaljean

I have gone into my privacy settings, and under "Search" there's an option whch says "Public Search Results" and a box marked "Allow" which I have left unticked. I presume this means I will then be excluded from the ordinary search engines like Google - ????

Every blessed time I open that page I get a dialogue box which says

Worried about search engines? Your information is safe.
There have been misleading rumors recently about Facebook indexing all your information on Google. This is not true. Facebook created public search listings in 2007 to enable people to search for your name and see a link to your Facebook profile. They will still only see a basic set of information.

and no matter how many times I click the yes-I-see-this-yes-I-get-it-you-don't-have-to-keep-telling-me button, it reappears the next time and totally covers up my page info until I click it again. This little game is getting old.

This is annoying enough, but even more so is the fact that this notice doesn't really tell you anything. They only see "a basic set of information"? That's still information, as far as I am concerned. It includes things I want available within Facebook but not to the general outside world. And how safe is "safe"? Until someone works out how to hack it? That's just a gold-plated challenge to the black-hat brigade.

Let's hope leaving the "Allow" box unticked means what it says -

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18 Dec 09 - 05:38 AM (#2791045)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: John MacKenzie

Well Bonnie, I am pissed off with Facebook too, and I am considering un-joining.
Seriously though. It tells me nothing that is of any real importance, and it wastes me hours, playing poker.

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18 Dec 09 - 09:20 PM (#2791724)
Subject: RE: Be careful with Facebook. See report.
From: kendall

I wonder why the word "Privacy" doesn't appear anywhere in the Constitution?

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