Link to Facebook privacy settings: Who cares?

“Overall, our data show that far from being nonchalant and unconcerned about privacy matters, the majority of young adult users of Facebook are engaged with managing their privacy settings on the site at least to some extent. The frequency with which they adjust their settings and their confidence in doing so may vary, but most report modifying their settings.

[...]

Assumptions that all users have a uniform approach to the site and how their accounts are set up are incorrect and may leave certain user populations especially vulnerable. If experience and skill matter — and it appears that they do — it is imperative that companies and policy makers consider how default privacy settings and changes in these settings affect populations differently.”

“Five months after it first announced coming privacy changes this past summer, Facebook is finally rolling out a new set of revamped privacy settings for its 350 million users. The social networking site has rightly been criticized for its confusing privacy settings, most notably in a must-read report by the Canadian Privacy Commissioner issued in July and most recently by a Norwegian consumer protection agency. We’re glad to see Facebook is attempting to respond to those privacy criticisms with these changes, which are going live this evening. Unfortunately, several of the claimed privacy “improvements” have created new and serious privacy problems for users of the popular social network service.”

Facebook Exodus –

“Things fall apart; the center cannot hold. Facebook, the online social grid, could not command loyalty forever. If you ask around, as I did, you’ll find quitters.”

Study reveals shocking truth: Most Facebook apps are silly, pointless.

One, to use the computer in the training setting in a way that it doesn’t matter too much whether or not people continue to facebook around (I have even seen Facebook being used in training).

Second, to ban computers directly (by agreeing with everyone that it might help the training or workshop if people could concentrate on it), or indirectly (by blocking the wireless signal – nasty but I have seen that one – or by bringing in studies how badly the average person can actually multi-task…).

But all in all, this is difficult to say from afar…

Have you started to find yourself dreading yet another email from Facebook announcing something that you have to log into Facebook to deal with?

and observes

Ultimately, Facebook, for me, is a solution looking for a problem… My attempts to use Facebook as a personal toolkit haven’t worked all that well.

Wendy also points at a different take on Facebook by Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals, who writes on his blog «Ted’s Take» that, for him, Facebook has turned away from being a community and transformed into a bazaar:

I am burnt out, too, on Facebook…

I don?t want to know what you are reading anymore. I don?t want to be invited to another event…

And why is everyone’s relationship status ?complicated” anyway?

I go to Facebook less and less now. It needs to be cleaned up. It has gotten out of hand. It may be open and it may be a platform but it has stopped being about community for me. It is now a bazaar and it has a lot more noise than signal for me which is a shame.

Isn’t it amazing how Facebook keeps people thinking and discussing? It has so much potential, and so many problems at the same time. This ain’t the end…

For the better part of a year, I was using the platform and using it well and extensively. And yes, it was fun – reading that this friend is having a hangover today, or the other friend is studying for an exam. I loved that kind of quick status info, but no longer can I justify in front of myself – with all the developments pointing too clearly towards economical exploitation of the network – animating my friends to post such messages so I can read them. So I left.

Since I am pondering whether twitter might be an alternative…

But anyhow, I don’t think it matters what you and I do so much for the development of Facebook. I have left with a very easy mind, because my attempts to utilise the platform for training have, so far, been fruitless – and taught me, once more, that – when the time is ripe – the young people I work with will show us what works and what not, and what link between their private lifes and their educational experiences they are willing to accept.

Until that day, I will work to explore (and maybe even develop) alternatives for networking and social platforms in education…

A nice weekend to you, too – and may your hope of (if not peace, let’s say at least) calmness for the Balkans become true!

Andreas

Sakis

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/

Maybe the programme itself mostly represents parental-care-approach and individually-painful-cases but still were are young people who express themselves.

Especially I recommended to read the interview with a youth researcher C.J.Pascoe who is specializing her researches in the field of youth culture and new digital media. I like her ‘youth attitude’

Give a chance to Facebook!:)

[Source]

Take Twitter for example,

«… a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected.»

You can send your updates via text messages, and receive an sms back with any updates from your friends. Up to 250 a day or something like that.

What do people write there, you ask? One example:

«Why are the buses always five minutes too early when it is coldest? Next bus: 10 minutes. How not to start a day.»

What are the effects of social networking with regards to the next generation? will they constantly keep logging into sites such as Facebook and Bebo just to see if something has changed, or someone has ‘poked’ them?

I wonder whether in 5 years times, facebook or similar ventures will be integrated into all our daily applicances e.g. TV, radio, watches (heck it’s on our phones already!)

Stephen argues, for example, there is no zone of shared meaning (unlike what millions of communication theories tell us, I might add). At best, he says, there is an intention of the sender.

Good food for thought, also for our training practice in which we often tell participants there is a zone of shared meaning. Is there?!

PS: Whatever intent Facebook had, it certainly arrived different where I stand… Sorry, couldn’t resist :)

But there is a huge difference: people who choose to talk about their love life on a public bus on the way to their parents know who is listening, and that someone is listening. They may have no idea about the consequences, and they may have no respect for the rights of others to travel on the same bus without hearing about last night’s boringness.

With Facebook, it’s different. You don’t know who is listening, and you don’t know who will have access to your records. It goes even further: Facebook reserves the right to collect information about you outside of Facebook. For what I know, one of them could be sitting on the bus, so that afterwards on Facebook they can offer me an advertisement link to the book I talked about on the phone. Thank you very much.

And that is where it goes too far, for me anyway. I am not confused by Facebook, I find it useless for myself and my work, and see no reason why I should accept any intrusion from their side for no return at all.

While the saving of communication data in relation to cellphones and emails is an intrusion of privacy and a violation of individual civil rights as well, the context is a different one.

In some European countries, including the one where I live, the «EU Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications» has been heavily abused.

Its original intention to safeguard the «right to privacy in the electronic communication sector» has been ridiculed – in Germany all data is now stored for six months, just in case.

Because I cannot choose to opt out of email and telephone usage (different to Facebook, which I do not need), I have become politically active about these issues, already a long time ago.

Not that it has changed much…

Isn’t it amazing how McLuhans classic essays from more than 30 years back still make people think today? Another thought-provoking book from recent years: «Mediated: How the Media Shape Your World» by Thomas de Zengotita.

yes, there is still a difference as we keep anonymous when using services. but is it so? being on the bus and talking via phone about our love relations. storing our data?

or can we still be conscious when using Facebook and not signing any playful application they offer? how much will they know about me when? and what from that I would like to hide? and why?

and why we strive for youth researches with an aim to understand young people better? maybe in order to provide better services! again, still it remains anonymous. But don’t we make profit out of what we get to know?

I will keep using Facebook and see what it will bring me. new media makes us always confused.

lately, I read a very good book by M. McLuhan “Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man”. I strongly recommend it! it made me reflect a lot.

Sometime, there will be an «International Delete Your Facebook Account Day», too.