What's the deal with Facebook?

[berlinlife06]

One of my friends sent me an invitation to join Facebook. Honestly I have no idea of why would I join that! Do any of you belong there? what's the purpose of it? Benefits? can it be used as a marketing tool??

[SageMother]

It is like Myspace. I have seen a few people extoll the virtues of using it as a marketing tool, and you can make a few contacts but I haven't really explored it, mainly because using it seems counter intuitive to me.

[Seth Damien]

Facebook is basically a cache of information for the US Government, seeing as everyone involved in the development and maintenance of it is or was involved in the Feds' Information Awareness Office. People who use it willingly submit their most intimate details that can then be used against them, either by the Feds or by malicious private citizens.

[berlinlife06]

Interesting answer Seth.. and how do you know that?? Are you part of that program? a victim of that program??? I personally do not belong to mySpace either. I think those places are a waste of time if you are not promoting or marketing something.

[zach]

very interesting.. I didnt know about that.

From what I just read around the web, it looks like facebook was funded by venture capitalists who have relations with, or who have previously worked for government intelligence services, like the CIA and DARPA (what Seth was talking about above).

This is definately worrying, but then again, who can stop the government (or anyone) from accessing public information. If you decide to put your home address online, and your ohone numbers, and so on, then surely their exposure becomes your responsability. In any case, that's legally the case because of the terms of service of facebook that basically say (to sum it up) that they can do what they want with the information.

Im definately against survellence, but the argument to me is like saying that the feds shouldnt be able to gather information published in newspapers..

But if it is a front for intelligence services, then I can see how not mentioning it anywhere is a breach of potential implicit trust, and is unethical. But ethics and legality dont always overlap.

[berlinlife06]

Yesterday I was talking to an old friend, and she was surprised that I had several e-mail accounts. She couldn't understand that I rather have everything separeted, what is business and personal stuff, and then of course my other web-personalities... so if people are putting up their real info, they should know what is the risks they are taking. Still, I'm not a fan of those networking sites!

[afoodbook]

face book is a network,in which you can find,search for old friends,post your photos & whatnots

[SageMother]

Seth Damien Wrote:Facebook is basically a cache of information for the US Government, seeing as everyone involved in the development and maintenance of it is or was involved in the Feds' Information Awareness Office. People who use it willingly submit their most intimate details that can then be used against them, either by the Feds or by malicious private citizens.

Where did you get this information from? I would love to see more on the angle you have presented here.

[SageMother]

berlinlife06 Wrote:Yesterday I was talking to an old friend, and she was surprised that I had several e-mail accounts. She couldn't understand that I rather have everything separeted, what is business and personal stuff, and then of course my other web-personalities... so if people are putting up their real info, they should know what is the risks they are taking. Still, I'm not a fan of those networking sites!

You should never use any of your truest information on these sites. I keep my things separated as well.

[Seth Damien]

I made a sort-of blanket statement above, which should have been taken with a grain of salt, and I am afraid some people might have taken certain implications from my statement that I didn't necessarily intend. I didn't mean to infer that what the owners of FaceBook are doing is illegal, or even immoral...I'm just not comfortable with contributing to the pool of information in that way, which is why I don't personally utilize those services. If others wish to, what happens to them is largely their own responsability.