Is anyone starting to get concerned over Facebook?

[Tony_FLADEM]

I am starting to get a little concerned over Face book.

The fact that so many people share personal information on that site and it allows you to express personal preferences regarding details such as your personality type is starting to get me thinking.

Am I just being paranoid?

[Sanity Claws]

1. No

I've always had those concerns and never joined it.
Have you put your page on private so only your friends can see it?

[Tony_FLADEM]

4. I am not concerned about myself

It's just that millions of people are doing this. It's alot of information for one entity to have. Just something I am thinking about lately.

[Strong Atheist]

2. I have never joined. nt.

[silverweb]

3. There are privacy options.

You can limit who can see your personal information and you can limit the amount of personal information you provide.

[Tony_FLADEM]

7. I am not referring to keeping you information from other users

I am talking about the fact that one site has all this information. It's just something I've thought about lately.

[silverweb]

15. Don't give them anything you don't want them to have.

:shrug:

Some people are naive and put too much out there, for sure. But all you can really do is be cautious yourself and caution people you care about.

[liberalhistorian]

5. I understand where you're coming from, but the solution to that

is for people to not share such information on their profiles and to make their profiles strictly private so that they have more control over who sees it. I don't put my address, phone numbers or other personal contact information on there (although I do have my town and state of residence). I don't put my religious and political views and affiliation on my profile, nor do I make political comments on it. I'm very careful with what I put on there, both on my own "wall" and in my comments on the walls of my friends and family. The only pics I have on there are formal pics of my son and I when he was younger, and a couple of pics from my wedding nearly two years ago. Those are the kinds of things you need to do to minimize any potential problems and dangers as much as possible. People who share EVERYTHING are really not that bright on there.

[endless october]

6. i'm still paranoid about the discount cards that stores offer.

they ask for them at the point of purchase every time. if the store wants me to have a card that badly, i don't want to have one.

[ContinentalOp]

11. Those are worse.

Facebook knows my name, age, the city I live in, and the high school I went to. Plus I guess who a bunch of my friends are. The grocery store knows what I eat, what I drink, how much I spend on groceries, where I live, etc. The latter seems worse to me. Well, I don't know about worse, it's all a part of the same thing. I'm sure all of this information is sold and shared with whoever wants it.

[Sanity Claws]

12. I give fake info on those cards

Like wrong last name, wrong address, wrong phone number. The exception is petco because of rebates.

[ContinentalOp]

14. I think it still accomplishes what they want.

Which is figuring out people's buying habits in different locations so they can adjust their stock and pricing accordingly, and figure out how and what to market to you.

[sandnsea]

19. Exactly

I knew canned Hunts Spaghetti Sauce was going to go up 30 cents the second I saw those little cards. Oh well. I still like not having to worry about clipping coupons.

[liberalhistorian]

13. What drives me crazy about too many retail stores now is that

they are starting to demand a phone number while ringing up purchases, even when you're paying with cash. And they get downright hostile when you don't want to give it to them. There's NO reason whatsoever for them to have that information, regardless of how you're paying. And ESPECIALLY if you're paying with cash. In some cases, they insist on it or they "can't complete the sale." Really? I'm about to drop some bucks to aid their bottom line and profit margins and they're getting persnickety over someone refusing to divulge their phone number or other private information when they don't need it in the first fucking place? Fuck, no.

[grasswire]

32. I never give them my phone number

Never.

I'm paying cash for an item and the store needs my phone number? No. No.

I'll do business elsewhere, thanks.

[csziggy]

43. Do what a friend did - he gave a phone number to a store

When we left I asked him what number that was since I didn't recognize it as his. He said, "They asked for a phone number. They did not ask for MY phone number. So I made one up!" :think:

Since then I do the same thing for those "security" questions they ask - your mother's maiden name, your first pet, etc. I make shit up. I'm not going to use real information that anyone can look up for that kind of thing. Then anybody could get into my account. I use a made up thing that does not use a dictionary word for the answer. :shrug:

[Stephanie]

20. You're right about that, they're used to track data and profile you

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/loyalty_cards.html

I have exactly one of those cards - for Loehman's. I don't care if they know how often I buy clothes. But the drugstore, grocery store, etc? No way.

[Blue Belle]

22. You can get a Loehman's discount card?

I had no idea this was possible.

[Stephanie]

28. Darling!

They just switched their policy - you used to get occasional coupons for 10 or 20% off, now it's a straight 10% off every time with the new card (which I had to BUY, but they used the 10% discount to cover it). They don't pitch you every time you purchase?

[Blue Belle]

41. No... Although I don't get there much.

The closest one to me is in Seattle. :-)

[snagglepuss]

38. I second that. I don't want one either. nt

[barbtries]

8. i don't know if you're being paranoid

but i'm in touch with my extended family in a way i haven't been for years and i love it. and just yesterday i found a friend from over 30 years ago there.

[liberalhistorian]

17. I enjoy that aspect of it, too. I moved several states away from

most of my family and friends a few years ago, and a lot of my younger family are starting to get more scattered throughout the country as well, so it's a great way to keep in contact with people I miss and who I only see once a year now. And I've found some long-lost friends there as well.

[sandnsea]

18. I found my best friend from high school

My family moved and we all lost touch. She stayed in touch with our other best friend, so we all found each other now. Although on MySpace. My family and Kerry pals are on Facebook. I don't know why people get so paranoid over all of this stuff. If you're plotting a crime or to overthrow the govt on an internet site, you are too stupid to carry it out successfully anyway.

[crazy_vanilla]

9. I don't bother with it

All my real friends get personal updates directly from me, and I get updates from the people I care about. I don't see why I should be posting my business all over the internet.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Just old folks.

[Skittles]

I won't have anything to do with Facebook

at all

[RoyGBiv]

16. What?

Why are you "concerned"?

If you're concerned, then don't join. Problem solved.

[Blue Belle]

21. Please... Are you really worried about the quizzes over there?

Seriously, Cosmo puts out personality quizzes with more depth.

[Tony_FLADEM]

25. There are quizes that ask you how well you know someone

For example, a question might be - which city were you born in, which store do you like to shop at etc.

The fact that many people are doing that - just got me thinking, so I asked.

[Posteritatis]

42. The someone in question, not Facebook, made that quiz. (nt)

[JI7]

23. no

[Odin2005]

24. Yes, you are being paranoid.

A person can choose how private their info is.

[Tony_FLADEM]

27. I am not talking about keeping you information from others users

I was referring to the fact that one entity has all that information.

[The_Casual_Observer]

26. There are a million ways that your life could be ruined. Facebook

is probably down near the bottom.

[Tony_FLADEM]

29. I am not worried about myself

My life is not that interesting anyway. I was just referring to that fact that one entity has information on millions of people. Just got me thinking a little, so I asked.

[BlooInBloo]

30. Pro tip: If you don't want people to know something, don't put it on the internet.

[Tony_FLADEM]

31. I agree with that. Again, I am not talking about myself

I was referring to the millions of people that participate and put personal details in some instances.

[BlooInBloo]

34. Pro tip 2: Pro tip 1 applies not just to you, but to everybody.

[Jennicut]

35. Facebook could this info with certain companies but wouldn't it be illegal?

They would face some major lawsuits if anyone ever found out.

[Blue For You]

33. I have no use for those FaceSpace type sites.

They seem too high-schoolish to be of any value to me.

[Lex]

36. You have to *choose* to do those stupid quizzes on Facebook.

They aren't mandatory.

I never do them.

[Posteritatis]

40. And the users design the quizzes anyway

Getting paranoid over MBTI quizzes (which have been flitting around the site the last few weeks)? I've seen those on every forum, blogging network and social networking site I've laid my eyes on in the last ten years. Non-issue.

[EC]

37. Did I read somewhere that

Murdoch owns Facebook?

On Edit: Nevermind, I guess he only has MySpace...thought he bought Facebook too

[Posteritatis]

39. People are excessively paranoid about the net in general, and popular parts of it in particular. nt

[Grinchie]

44. Doesn't Rupert Murdoch own MySpace?

Maybe that should tell you something about Facebook.

[MadMaddie]

45. I am not on it and don't plan to join.

I agree too much personal information that could eventually be sold to the highest bidder. No thanks.