Why I'm not leaving Facebook
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 1:50PM 
With all the hype about how terrible Facebook is and how their privacy policies are crap and how the world is coming to an end, I think that most people miss one part of this big pizza pie. If you don't want your information shared, don't post it.
Coming from a network security background, I've always told my clients that the only safe computer is one that's turned off and unplugged from the network. With that, there's still a slight chance that someone breaks in and steals the hardware so your information really isn't safe unless it was never created. Strange, I know.
While I understand that people wish that Facebook was better at sharing their policy changes and that they cared more about what their users were saying, the sad fact is that they provide a service to millions of people for free (of cash that is). You have opted into their service and you are paying with your information. For those of you out there that didn't know -- Facebook makes their money from ads and partnerships. Those partnerships pay to have access to your information and to make the world (wide web) go around. It's how the ecosystem functions.
I understand if you want to quit Facebook. It's a quick fix to a much larger problem. Too many people over share information that they don't want out there. I see it everyday on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, email, Yammer and more. If you don't want to share it, then don't. But please don't preach about how Facebook has done you wrong. From the way I look at it, they've done you a favor -- They've connected you with all of your long lost friends and didn't make you open your wallet. Isn't that what you always wanted?
facebook, privacy, security, technology in Random Rants 
Reader Comments (4)
I think there are a myraid of overlapping reasons people have left facebook, or are leaving facebook. For me, the reasons is simple.
To rephrase your opening line, I started using Facebook because I wanted my information *selectively* shared, and Facebook has effectively stopped providing that service. Facebook was originally built and advertised to keep a lot of things private ( see http://mattmckeon.com/facebook-privacy/ - 2005) as one of it's competitive advantages vs. Myspace, tribe, and other 'social network' systems. That feature is now 'gone'. That is to say in, you can turn that type/level of privacy back on, but it's a fight to keep resetting to that level of privacy each time your post, and time they upgrade/update the service.
At that point, I might as well just use tiwtter, my weblog, flickr, and email, instead of dumping my data into their walled garden. And as an outgoing annoyance, there is no way I could find to export me export my data and setting. So everything I *did* put into their walled garden is now stuck there.
Far,
These are all great comments and thoughts on how Facebook has changed. It's true that they've evolved into something different than they were when they started but they are still one of the only hubs out there that make it stupid, simple to share information with other people. I find myself using Facebook chat more than AIM, Facebook events more than Evite and wall posts instead of short (open) emails to my friends because it's so simple.
The idea of a walled garden is not new at all but it seems that in today's world people find it to be so much worse than it used to be. Car companies do this with their auto parts, cable companies with their boxes and even super markets with their convenient saving cards. All of these services require you to use their services exclusively (unless you want to go ahead and void warranties and/or hack it together) but most people aren't complaining about this. Why is Facebook so different?
Jesse,
I completely disagree. You see, I feel utterly compelled to write EVERY single thought that I have directly into Facebook. I also believe that it is wrong that anyone should be allowed to read these extremely private thoughts. Why shouldn't I express my deepest fears and desires in a public forum, and not expect them to be completely secure as if they were inside of my own head??
Right there with you ... I do think though they could be a bit more upfront about privacy settings, its pretty damn confusing for most people. But then again, as you say, it is a free service, and if you opt in, you opt in ... 'nuff said.