Facebook Throws Privacy Advocates a Bone 126
sarysa writes "In response to a week-long assault by privacy advocates, and following a well publicized all-hands meeting, Facebook has introduced two new security features in response to privacy concerns. One feature allows users to whitelist devices associated with a Facebook account, and the other allows users who verify their identity to view previous logins. While both are useful features, they do nothing to address the recent privacy complaints."
Re:wha? (Score:2, Interesting)
What do you use instead?
Re:BFD (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm sick of this extreme form of pointing and laughing.
No, no one is literally forcing you to use Facebook. You can gladly stay off of it.
Problem.
If any of your friends use Facebook, they can easily tag you in a photo without your ass ever knowing it. If any relatives use Facebook, they can easily mark your birthday as an event. If a boyfriend/girlfriend uses Facebook, they can boast about where you ate dinner.
If you ever joined Facebook, even if you joined back when they had the promise of privacy for those who sought it, you are permanently in their system, even if you try to delete your account.
If you stay off of Facebook, your friends and colleagues assume it's because of some anti-social horrible problem with you and treat you very differently.
But, you're right. No one is literally trying to kill you, so Facebook should be allowed to rape and pillage privacy rights.
Is Facebook toast? (Score:4, Interesting)
The morning drive-time radio DJ I listen to (Rod Ryan in Houston) did a segment yesterday on how people were fleeing Facebook due to privacy concerns. He interviewed his own interns who all said the same thing "I've shut down my Facebook account. I'm not going back there." (or words to that effect).
When it breaks to the mainstream press that Facebook is bleeding subscribers, when even the morning DJ runs a long segment on the problems with Facebook and talking about how to go about leaving Facebook, then I'm prompted to ask - Is Facebook toast?
More down to earth - Was that DJ right? Is Facebook losing huge numbers? Is there any way to know for sure?
Re:Non Sequitur (Score:4, Interesting)
The "$100 Walmart Gift Cards" have been around as long as I can remember. They fall under the same category as the "Free iPods" thing that went around the internet in 2003-2005.*
Facebook is now a popular website, so of course advertisers are going to target them. If you really want to see how targeted they can make ads, go create your own on facebook. [facebook.com] I'm using it to recruit for our Rugby team. I can target gender, age, interests, geographical area (and radius), etc.
*My first 'nice' camera was a Canon SD 550 that I got for free, I got one for my girlfriend at the time. I got 8 iPods for free (used one and sold off the rest). My parents have a MacMini I got for free. My main TV is a 37" 720p Samsung I got for free. I've gotten the $100 Walmart gift cards before.
You just have to read ALL the fine print and make sure you follow the rules/directions to the letter. Cancel any offers you set up (or use a disposable credit card number like I did).
Re:Security, not privacy (Score:4, Interesting)
Diaspora's main faults.
1) The name. MySpace. FaceBook. LinkedIn. Diaspora. Orkut. Which two don't belong?
2) They don't have a product. All they did was raise capital. The least they should have done would be to make a mockup or a working website.
All they really need, from me, to be a success is an easy way to upload photos, a way to tag people in photos and a way to share photos with people not on diaspora.
Register this computer? (Score:2, Interesting)
Hah, so i just tried to log in to Facebook to tell my friends about this, and now Facebook requires me to "Register this computer" in order to continue. No option to do otherwise. All you can do is click on the facebook logo, which then asks for your password again. SO now I can't use facebook at all unless I "register my computer".
Zuckerberg is a Bitch.
And whats with verifying your identity? I mean, aren't my 100 friends enough verification? Who needs my verification?
Re:In other news... (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't see anywhere where facebook claims that these new features were a response to the privacy concerns.
Re:wha? (Score:3, Interesting)
And really, we should all be able to just use any blog with syndication for this purpose. Just give your URL to anyone who you want to 'follow' you. Protect it if that's not everyone. Perhaps what we need is some sort of standard for mixing RSS and certificate authentication?