Friday, December 30, 2011

Facebook haters: please read and digest!

This has been on my mind for sometime and on a quiet Friday evening before NYE 2011 I've decided it's time to say it how it is with regard to everyone's favourite (well almost) social media platform, Facebook.

The main reason I'm writing this post is that I'm seeing more comments about FB related features, upgrades and 'improvements' being posted on FB and I seldom agree with either the sentiment or the accuracy.

Some are just copy/pasting what someone else has posted, so a comment/hate goes viral - often inaccurate or unfounded. If you don't like Timeline after you have seen the 'sample profile in Timeline mode' THEN DON'T OPT TO GET TIMELINE.

Some are just one liners with no explanation, "I hate timeline" or, "I hate the sidebar". Then there are those strange requests people copy and post that request you, as their friend, to do something so that you can't see what your friend is doing on FB.


If you don't like Timeline after you have seen the 'sample profile in Timeline mode' THEN DON'T OPT TO GET TIMELINE.


Let's just start with the premise of the 'deal' with the FB user and FB itself. Firstly, Facebook is NOT a committee or community based forum for you to meet your friends or make new ones. It's run by a company. They have the right and I would argue, obligation to improve the site and make changes as THEY see fit, NOT you.

If you feel so strongly about the change or the 'improvement' you don't like you can leave FB, no one is making you stay.

FB should be applauded for making improvements and developing the site - if there were no improvements in the tech/online world we would all be still using WordStar for our word processing and battling with the F keys or still battling with DOS or the first Windows.

Now, not everybody will like improvements that FB do to their service and no one ever expects that - again, if you don't like it enough then you can leave and not use this free service.

The contract you have with FB is that you can use the service for free and in return you will see advertising and sometimes FB will sell your information enmass and you will see advertising that may be more appealing to you - not that bad a deal I think.

IF you don't like your information being used in this way then either don't use the service or don't put information up on FB that you don't want them to use this way - simple stuff isn't it?

Over the past couple of days I've seen this:


"With the new 'FB timeline' on it's way this week for everyone please do us all a favour and hover over my name above In a few seconds you'll see a box that says 'Subscribed'. Hover over it, then go to 'Comments and likes' and unclick it. That will stop my posts and yours to me from showing up on the side bar for everyone else to see, but most importantly it limits hackers from Invading our profiles. If you re-post this I will do the same for you. You'll know I've acknowledged you because if you tell me that you've done it I'll like it. Thanks."


1) Timeline has nothing to do with the sidebar. Timeline is the 'opt-in' new version of your profile - it is going to be available for everyone but at the moment it's 'opt-in' which means you have to WANT it. If you don't then keep your profile as is.


2) You can un-check 'Comments and likes' for your friends if you want and then they will not show up in YOUR sidebar but unless you are friends with someone the activity there would NEVER show up "for everyone else to see".


3) Hackers don't gain access to your account from the sidebar! They don't even see your likes and comments in the sidebar unless you have hackers for friends. Hackers get to your account (and only if it's worth hacking and most are NOT) by two main methods - sloppy or easy passwords. 123456 or PASSWORD is NOT a password. The other way is by you leaving your FB logged in and your computer in an area where someone can open it up and change your password - I see FB accounts 'high-jacked' daily by family and friends who post joke status updates - the next step up from this is someone you DON"T know gaining access. The sidebar is NOT a way in to your account!


So, dear FB user who hates this or hates that about FB, please don't post hate comments - I think you should leave the service if you are so pissed off. Also, before you go making changes to your settings - make sure that the instructions are based from FACT not fiction.


Also, take time to look at your settings on Facebook. These settings are your control. Adjust your settings to control the access people have to the information you upload rather than just unchecking individual friends in a non-effective and ad-hoc way that does little to control access to anyone, whether friend or hacker!


Happy New Year!






















































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