Via Laura at Apt 11d, I read Henry Farrell’s post on why he’s leaving Facebook. Of the various things I’ve read lately about Facebook, it comes the closest to capturing my reasons for being unhappy with FB. I’m not a privacy purist –for one thing, I’m well aware that the corporate databases have far more info about me than I’ve ever posted online. I’m willing to give up some privacy about my shopping for a few bucks off of groceries (e.g. store loyalty cards), and the ability to stay in loose connection with friends and relatives is worth more to me than a few dollars. I don’t post anything that I’d be horrified to read repeated in a public forum. And I’ve never been unhappy with the ads that google shows alongside my gmail account (although I’m not sure I’ve ever clicked through either).
But a couple of weeks ago, a colleague reported to me that Xobni is showing her my facebook profile picture when she gets a work email from me. Even though 1) my privacy settings on Facebook say it should only be available to friends of friends; 2) I haven’t friended any of my colleagues (I’m happy to connect on LinkedIn); and 3) I don’t have my work email connected to my Facebook account.
So, this pisses me off on general principles (because it appears that Xobni is not honoring the FB privacy settings and each company seems to think it’s the other’s fault). And also because even though my profile pic is totally innocuous, it’s not “professional” — I’m in casual clothes, and laughing. If I wanted to associate a picture with my work email (and I don’t), it would be the boring one of me in a suit that’s on my organization’s website. I reject Zuckerberg’s idea that having different images for work and for personal life is out of date. I like reading Penelope Trunk, but dear god, I don’t want to be her.
May 16th, 2010 at 12:00 am
well, i have reasons for wanting to fly under the radar, but still have personal connections. i don't join FB groups, my photo is of cats, and my name is not one i use professionally. i'm a little paranoid. but this report really sucks.
May 16th, 2010 at 7:18 am
Yeah, that would have me pulling out, too. But I was already inclined to leave.
As of this morning, I’m planning to delete just about everything from FB, leaving pretty much just a name and location and very bland photo. Deleting entirely would cut me off from too many people I was happy to find again online.
May 16th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
As far as I know, FB has changed its settings such that it’s no longer possible to restrict who has access to the photos in your “profile” album.
Also, I love your profile pic.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:31 am
I can’t pull out of fb because the various volunteer orgs I work with use it much like a mailing list.
Sigh.
May 18th, 2010 at 6:36 am
The answer is probably ‘bland and anodyne’, but there goes the fun. I have never joined, now won’t.
June 6th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
well, i have reasons for wanting to fly under the radar, but still have personal connections. i don't join FB groups, my photo is of cats, and my name is not one i use professionally. i'm a little paranoid. but this report really sucks.
+1