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Who Here Has a FaceBook, & Can Care Less About Their Privacy Policy?

HappyDude20

HappyDude20

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
3,688
1,479
Los Angeles, Ca
On an almost daily basis, especially on the weekends I come across old and new friends asking me to add them on FaceBook. & Every single time I'm given a face of complete surprise (& somewhat disgust) when I express I do not have a FaceBook account.

Some ask me how in the hell I stay connected with friends, while others ask me how I can function in the world.

Co-workers all have FaceBook accounts and tell me during every shift that i'm the only one not a part of their commenting and photo gallery world...

On some days people will tell me I should really consider getting one and other days the very same people will tell me it is a good thing that I don't have a FaceBook account; suggesting to me it will destroy my life. Upon a bit of prowling it seemed some people meant that having a FaceBook will complicated my love life considering every girl I speak with will be able to see my wall and previous girls, every comment, etc.

But the true reason I've never gotten a FB is cause of the repeadted news re: their privacy policies (or lack of, really)...and am just wondering if there are others here that have a FB account either cause they could give a ***** less about a privacy policy w/ FB, or disregard the privacy policy simply cause they need to be connected w/ friends...again, I don't even know...

Just thought i'd open the gates on this topic this morning.


-

Perhaps I'll be getting an account in Feb. before I head out to Tokyo for 6 months.
 
I could've sworn aside from the friend side, the company themselves was not only allowed into certain personal info, but also could sell it to other companies for better marketing... again, i'm not sure.
 
I'm on facebook and its a great tool to get in touch with old friends and stay connected with current friends.

I have little concern about their privacy policy because I really don't do much on facebook. I don't play those games, I'm not on it very much and besides. Being on the net means you don't have much privacy anyways. Just look at what google collects.
 
HappyDude20 said:
I could've sworn aside from the friend side, the company themselves was not only allowed into certain personal info, but also could sell it to other companies for better marketing... again, i'm not sure.
Click to expand...

I don't 'like' anything.
 
I got an fb account a month ago or so and I was in the same situation like you - probably the last one among my friends who did not have one. I had the same privacy concerns. The solution for me was:
- block all games and other cr.p
- set everything to "friends only"
- add only friends who I really know, no people who I met for a minute etc.
- before writing anything on fb, I ask myself if it was "unconfortable" for me when complete strangers would know this information.

Edit: Maflynn beat me to it, I agree with his post completely.:)
 
Facebook will ASK you for all kinds of personal information, the trick is to say no.

I know some people who've filled out everything they've been asked. Full given names, addresses, phone numbers, where you went to school, college, where you worked, it's like their full resume is on there. Then they turn on the "Places" feature so I can see exactly where they are at any given time, even if it's at their house ("Joey is at 1055 Petunia Avenue"). Then they post new photos every other hour so I can see exactly what they've been doing day by day.

Don't do that.

If you want to be on Facebook but preserve some element of privacy:

Register using a throwaway email address.

Use a nickname or variation of your real name. Enough that friends know who you are, but that's it. If your name is Dan Smith, you might use "Dan S", or "D Smith", some variation of your name ("Dance Myth") or some nickname like "Dan the Man", "Kansas Dan", "Dan and Kate", whatever is good enough for people you know to distinguish you in their feed.

As your profile photo, use an image of you taken from afar (say a photo of you waterskiing, or amongst a group of friends), or use a photo of something that your friends might recognize -- a photo of an iPod if everyone knows you're an Apple nut, a picture of your baby or even a picture of you when you were a baby. Or, hey, nothing at all.

Go through your privacy settings and set them however you like. You can turn off the ability for random people to search for you or view your friends list.

Don't fill in anything else. Don't "like" any groups. Don't fill in your address, phone number, where you went to school, work, hometown, etc.

If a friend ever invites you to click on a link and it says "____ app is requesting permission to view your data, post on your wall, etc.", just forget it and hit the "back" button. Most of the "games" on Facebook are thinly disguised attempts at data mining and then they propagate themselves to all your friends, like a virus.

When friends tag you in their photos, you can untag yourself if you don't like it.

Follow those steps and you shouldn't be leaking too much information on the 'net. Your friends will know who you are but nobody else will be able to find you or identify you.
 
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