If you still use Facebook

[emeraldsedai]

If you still use Facebook, I think you owe it to yourself to see this amazing graph of the devolution of privacy on that service over the last five years. It's a shocking thing.

If you don't use Facebook and are just interested in the graphical presentation of information, you might want to have a look at it too. It's a gorgeous thing.

ETA: How

Comments

[finitejester37]

Wow, that's fascinating. I ain't never getting an account there. Not that I'd been remotely considering before seeing that, but my internet paranoia is strong enough without adding more fuel to the fire.

[emeraldsedai]

Facebook is a funny thing. Most people I know who have an account use it a lot, find great value in it, and would be very reluctant to give it up. It's like their lifeline. It seems to be the home of those internet users who a few years ago emailed photos, jokes, games, and personal news to great lists of friends and family.

For me, it was a complete waste of time. I never did give them much info, and whatever I did give them has long since escaped into the wild, but it was absolutely no heartache for me to delete my account.

So in my view, you're really not missing anything by avoiding it.

[finitejester37]

My thought on the matter is that old friends or extended family don't have contact info for me, online or otherwise, then it's because I want it that way. Of course, that doesn't stop former friends that I cut out of my life a decade ago still trying to track me down or get info on me from my sisters, who are on Facebook; heh. Or, worse, actually, when my dad (who deals in the field of information security and has very good reason to not want personal info on the web) had a major health scare recently and the first thing a cousin did was post on Facebook all "omg I hope my uncle [dad's name] doesn't die" -- fucking headdesk. I think that's the worst thing about the internet: you can be as private and cautious as you like but anyone else can post your personal stuff regardless.

[emeraldsedai]

Very true. In that sense, the internet is a perfect mirror of society. Word gets out. It's just that, of course, on the internet it gets out farther and faster and sometimes with much more devastating results.

The idea of keeping a secret has become almost laughable. I imagine we're moving toward a time where the very concept of a personal secret will just disappear.

On the upside, it's harder and harder for governments and corporations to keep secrets from us.

IDK. It's a brave new world. I try not to let it scare the crap out of me.

[vchrusch]

This is good to know. Thanks!

[emeraldsedai]

Glad to spread the word.