Sometimes I feel like this social networking debate is coming to a head. In all honesty, I don't pay much attention to the news and various privacy laws. But I do sometimes read articles or comments made by people I know.
I know a lot of people are worried about how much FB "owns" and controls, and I admit that it's a little scary if you think about it...essentially one agent practically watching you live your life. I wonder if there is any sort of equivalent in previous generations that we could compare it to.
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| Sneaking a peek while on bath duty... |
BUT....I still can't quite bring myself to care much. I guess I haven't really figured out the implications. Is there anything scandalous that could be used to blackmail me? No. Inappropriate photos? No. Do I care if people see photos of David? No. Is there controversial political commentary? Not really.
I'm sure you could find out a lot about me and my world views via my FB page. Once my last name got out there, there wasn't much anonymity left, at least for blogging purposes. But I don't know if that's a big deal or not.
I don't have FB on my phone. When another website asks me to log in via FB, I decline. Why would I want FB to watch over my shoulder as I make a hotel reservation or perform some other unrelated task? I would rather not make business transactions via FB, and I would hate for my computer to get hacked. I wouldn't want the personal contents of private messages to be shared-because it's personal. Yeah, I've made plenty of ditzy/Mommy brain/foot-in-mouth comments, but the benefits (from the interaction) are pretty significant, too. Maybe I will quit social networking one of these days, just to rid my life of something excessive. But other than that, I guess I don't really care if I'm being "watched." I do think we should stand up for our rights when necessary, and always read the fine print.
What about you?
OK - my computer is going mad. I wrote a nice, long response to your post.... then I see it come up as the last email I sent.
ReplyDeleteFunny, considering your topic. Just one more time I'm really glad that I live a good, clean life! Ha!
Oh, that's my worst fear, especially with text messaging! Really odd that you didn't even realize until it had sent already.
DeleteI intended to say that I feel as you do. I don't want to hide on the internet any more than I want to hide in real life.
ReplyDeleteEVEN THOUGH I have had that dreadful, painful and humiliating experience with mean-spirited strangers on my blog.
I've found the inter-connectivity of FB to be helpful, actually. I had wanted to buy a pair of shoes for Monnie, but lost the site. It was great to see them pop up on FB. I've found other good connections on my side bar that way, too. It's not like some person is watching me shop, after all - its' a computer. Who cares!
Yes, you have put yourself out there. Legally I tend to trust laws to protect me from getting in trouble or even from fraud, even though I know cyber criminals can be pretty ruthless. But on a personal level I do try to exercise a certain level of reserve. There are certain topics I love to discuss, but if it feels too personal I save it for private forums. It's unfortunate in a way, because I miss real down-to-earth blogs where people just blogged about their lives without trying to get hits.
DeleteWhen I see the ads come up in email or FB, I know that some robot has been tracking my emails and what I search for. Yes, it kind of bothers me that FB knows what I do on Google, for example. All that exchanging of information. And I don't like my information being sold...but it doesn't make me paranoid.