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Facebook, user question, pros and cons

edited August 2013 in Off-Topic
Good Saturday Morning to All,

Not a Facebook user at this time. But, so many functions and info is now posted via Facebook. Our main uses would be for the local school system, and some friends and/or family. Our family(s) ages range all over the scale; with some preferring to use email, others only using Facebook and some use both.

We do not intend to "make" Facebook a posting site for us; but we need to become a member to access other's sites.

How much personal info does Facebook require to be a member?
Is Facebook invasive towards users; being related to spam mail and related?

I thank you for trinkets of info for either the bad or good from one using and/or being a member at Facebook.

Regards,
Catch

Comments

  • Dear Catch22: Facebook is the perfect place for you rather than MFO.
    Regards,
    Ted
  • edited August 2013
    Howdy Ted, :) :) :)
    Thank you for the reference.
    A special request was just called into the station, for you..... hold on, I'll get it started right now.
    Wait a minute. Another request, thank you, caller number two.
    Have a pleasant remainder of your day, too.
    Regards,
    Catch
  • Hi Catch, IMHO, best uses for Facebook are the special groups, plus the ability, through the simple search function, to find an old friend you've lost track of.

    If you do the regular F'bk thing, be careful who you sign up with as "friends," and don't be shy about cutting somebody loose if they dominate posting on your page. It's a good way to keep up with people you want to maintain as friends, but don't have an opportunity to see a lot, e.g., friends living in a place you've moved away from.
  • Hi, Catch.

    If you don't intend to post, at all, your privacy concerns should be minimal. There is one thing that I can think of to definitely watch out for, but I'm not sure if it still applies. When you sign up with Facebook, read each window carefully before agreeing, especially if you add a smartphone app. At one point, Facebook was harvesting your contact lists, with very ambiguously worded permission. In general, reading carefully, rather than just "nexting" through the process is always important with social networking sites.

    I don't get many Facebook emails, mostly because I've changed my settings so that I only get notified when my password is changed and when someone sends me a direct message.

    If you configure your settings carefully privacy shouldn't be an issue at all, even if you do decide to post an occasional vacation photo. Just watch out for when Facebook changes their privacy policies or adds new features.

    You can read about the various settings here: http://www.facebook.com/help/445588775451827

    I like Facebook for keeping up with my nieces and nephews and a few far away friends. I post rarely, but read somewhat regularly.

    Enjoy,
    chip
  • edited August 2013
    Reply to @Ted: Ted, that was not nice!

    I am with @Catch22 that a lot of businesses are making some of their business over Facebook now. As you indicated, school districts have started communicating over their Facebook more often. It is also making keeping up with family and friends easier when most of friends are already there. Now I am still one of those few that doesn't have an account yet. Too busy. At some point that will not be an excuse.

    I am actually interested on LinkedIn which is more towards professional networking. And following a few over Twitter could be an alternative.
  • Reply to @Investor: This in an mutual fund investment website, not a chat room.
    Regards,
    Ted
  • Reply to @Investor: This in an mutual fund investment website, not a chat room.
    Regards,
    Ted
  • edited August 2013
    Hi Catch. Learn about Facebook privacy controls and use them. Perodically do review them as Facebook have frequent changes in the area.

    Do not provide more than required level of personal information. Address and phone info should be private. If you go on vacation don't post pics etc. until after coming back as I have heard criminals are using that information to pay a visit to your home when you are on vacation. Be careful who you allow as friend.
  • Reply to @Ted: we do have off topic area for occasional stuff like this. You don't have read these if you want. Just look at the topics posted at Fund Discussions category if this is not of interest to you.
  • edited August 2013
    Thanks for the post Catch. IMHO, I view weekends a little differently. Markets are closed. Can't trade funds. Lot of people away. No Fed-Speak or other important financial news. But, I guess if you're fully engaged in investing 24-7, than I can see where the "far OT" stuff would bother you. Hopefully everybody's needs and interests can be accommodated. I'm not on Facebook - but they seem to be chasing me lately when I click on seemingly innocent and unrelated links! Yikes, like leeches. Take care
  • (Hey, Ted. Lighten up! JEEZ.) Catch: I'm on FB all the time. I don't use it for anything official, so I feel free to simply falsify any personal information that FB asks for, that I can get away with. You'll need a REAL email address to sign-in with. You know how it is, everywhere these days. Many of these websites would LOVE to have every shred of detail about you. So I tell 'em I'm female, born in 1911, and my zip code is 1,000 miles away from the real one. Even if those who buy your information are not doing anything criminal with it, it SHOULD be a criminal offense for anyone to be making money simply off of WHO YOU ARE. And the marketers will make sure you see ads that are local for you, and therefore, they're apt to make more sales. These days, even the words you type repeatedly are tracked, and you're apt to see all sorts of ads that are barely connected in some fashion to the way you might be using the word. You must assume that NOTHING is private. FB (Facebook) will sell anything it has to anyone who will buy it.
  • edited August 2013
    Reply to @MaxBialystock: Max - A lot of devices have built-in GPS nowadays. Leave it accidentally turned on ONCE when you login and - hell - they know not only your street address, but which room of your house you're sitting in. The tekies here no doubt know other ways your identity can be traced. Sorry to break the news ... but we have no privacy anymore. It doesn't exist. BTW - Ever pull up your home on Google Earth? I did. I can actually count the number of cords of fire-wood stacked in the backyard! And here's one for those of us that use Apple's Siri Assistant: "Apple Remembers Where You Wanted to Get Drunk for Up to 2 Years" http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/04/apple-remembers-where-you-wanted-to-get-drunk-for-up-to-2-years/
  • Reply to @hank: Big money pouring into Facebook, now that Catch22 is on board.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://seekingalpha.com/article/1641722-big-money-is-pouring-into-facebook-from-all-directions?source=yahoo
  • Reply to @Ted: (-:
  • edited August 2013
    Mark, I'm on and did so at first mainly to keep track of my daughters. Not so much anymore since they've reached legal age. In many ways it's how they communicate, FB or texting and they sure don't want to be talking with dad on the phone. However they are moving over to Instagram, primarily because they don't even talk to their friends. Everything is about photos, where you are and who you're with. When they are in a group each has their face buried in the smart phone in front of their face. However when we go out as a group for dinner or similar all phones are put in a pile. Whoever reaches for theirs first pays for dinner.

    Still, I use FB now to mainly share with friends distributed across the US and beyond and also for outdoor travel and adventure, like backpacking trips and trails, canoeing, national parks and so on. I find it's a great way to get insider info and lots of off the beaten path information. FB has only the very least amount of necessary signup info from me that I could get away with, like Max not all of it true, and I don't load or add on any of their apps, games and so forth. If I receive a post saying so-and-so likes Walmart or whatever I click on the box saying don't put this on my page anymore.

    Just be smart about how you use it and you will be fine. Lastly, someone else mentioned it and I second it, be very, very careful about who you friend. Even folks who might appear normal can be psycho online.
  • I'm in complete agreement with Investor. I thought I was the only one in the world not on Facebook, but gosh, there are two of us:-).

    I don't use LinkedIn much, but do find value in a focused system. In contrast, Facebook strikes me as AOL 2.0 - trying to be everything to everyone. But at the same time, trying desperately to monetize any bit of personal data it gets its hands on (unlike AOL, which just spammed you).

    As far as this thread being irrelevant to MFO, consider that Facebook is now used as a de facto user authentication system - raising the question of whether MFO should integrate with it as well. (I think you can tell from my post and my lack of participation with Facebook what my views on that are.)

    Besides, if we're going to have a universal authentication system, let the NSA do it - they already have more data than Facebook - they know where you really live.
  • Reply to @hank:
    Right, man. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was THAT bad. Orwell's "1984." It's here.
  • Just be cautious and aware of what you type on FB. Your birthdate should not be your real one. Also, I used a junk email account when I signed up. Don't use your primary email.

    In a couple of instances, Facebook had changed some of my privacy settings during updates etc. It is a good idea to go back occasionally and check your privacy and security settings.
  • edited September 2013
    N.S.A. Gathers Data on Social Connections of U.S. Citizens (including Facebook profiles) - NY Times

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/nsa-examines-social-networks-of-us-citizens.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

    "The agency can augment the communications data with material from public, commercial and other sources, including bank codes, insurance information, Facebook profiles, passenger manifests, voter registration rolls and GPS location information, as well as property records and unspecified tax data, according to the documents. They do not indicate any restrictions on the use of such “enrichment” data, and several former senior Obama administration officials said the agency drew on it for both Americans and foreigners."
  • Reply to @AndyJ: Ditto. Short and sweet.
  • edited September 2013
    "South Park"'s Fall opener "Let Go, Let Gov", was a mildly amusing parody of Twitter and the NSA.



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