Thinking about opting out of Facebook

I have been hearing a lot about Facebook and privacy lately and didn't think too much about it. I know how to use the privacy settings and I have them set to a considerable private setting. I am not paranoid, I just like to control who can see my pictures and read my random thoughts.

I recently read this article (ironically enough, posted in my Facebook feed) and I was shocked to read some of the things that Facebook is doing.

One thing that really bothered me was that my status update could be shown on the wall of third party pages. I decided to check this out. I recently posted an update with the name of a government agency in it and I searched that government agency and sure enough there was my status update for all to read along with all the feedback as well as a couple other unsuspecting updaters. I was not a fan of this page, I had never been to this page and I have the security of my status updates set to 'only friends'.

It was quite disturbing and I erased all my status updates going back to the beginning of the year. I am thinking about profile suicide.

Must consider further, any thoughts?

There's no law that says you have to use your real name or use actual details from your life. Use a psuedonym. And leave the personal info blank.

My Facebook identity and info is very sparse, as I have obnoxious relatives who would try to add all of my friends, especially friends from here. I like you all too much to put you through that kind of torment.

I just got Suzies Credit card details.

Quote: Steve Sunshine @ May 13 2010, 12:06 AM BST

I just got Suzies Credit card details.

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But fortunately not the correct spelling of her name.

I'm just a bogstandard mum and housewife, their dad isn't.

I should hope not.

Here's a URL to a (rather tame) picture of some boobs.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/boobs/lakeishac4/Picture14.jpg

If you go to that page, and you're currently cookied as logged into Facebook, you should see your own face and name underneath the picture of the boobs.

Isn't that reassuring?

So, If I refuse & delete cookies regularly & have a higher than medium security setting on my PC/laptop, Facebook might only depict me with a thermal vest on?

Quote: chipolata @ May 12 2010, 10:45 PM BST

There's no law that says you have to use your real name or use actual details from your life. Use a psuedonym. And leave the personal info blank.

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Wait so Chipolata isn't your real name?!

There are loads of people who start character accounts, seen no end of star wars accounts etc.

Thinking of starting a Meerkat one, no idea where that came from though.

Quote: Mezz @ May 13 2010, 1:42 AM BST

So, If I refuse & delete cookies regularly & have a higher than medium security setting on my PC/laptop, Facebook might only depict me with a thermal vest on?

View original

Not everyone does / knows how to do that though Mezz.

Facebook leaks so much information it's stupid.

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ May 13 2010, 1:17 AM BST

Here's a URL to a (rather tame) picture of some boobs.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/boobs/lakeishac4/Picture14.jpg

If you go to that page, and you're currently cookied as logged into Facebook, you should see your own face and name underneath the picture of the boobs.

Isn't that reassuring?

View original

But can anyone else see it?

I have considered it many times of getting rid of fb, but it's so entwined with my social life that I would find it really hard. Plus I like seeing pictures of my cousins and friend's babies growing up etc.

Don't post or publish anything on facebook that you wouldn't mind anyone seeing and I can't see any huge problem with it.

Companies are collecting data about us all the time - alot of it must be wildly inaccurate - and can't be used for much. When it involves the internet we find it more sinister and get more paranoid.

I found this story of the "Epic Boobs" girl quite interesting.

http://www.pcc.org.uk/cases/adjudicated.html?article=NjM5OA

Is it wrong I want to search "Epic Boobs" girl? But may get in trouble at work.

Don't post or publish anything on facebook that you wouldn't mind anyone seeing

An early contender for today's 'stating the bleeding obvious' award.