While I do like some of the new features of the whole Web TOO point OH thing ( AJAX, tagging , wiki's , blogs,etc) I've never been much for the whole social network thing, I guess it has it's uses , but I truthfully like more directed forums and mailing lists for following things I'm interested in, they've worked since the days of BBS's to get the info I'm looking for. I do have accounts at most the big ones mainly just to see what it's all about and .....uhh.... borrow good idea's.
But facebook has just taken that proverbial step over to the darkside, I guess that's what happens when MS gets a piece of you. So maybe you have or hadn't heard about facebook's Beacon setup http://www.facebook.com/business/?beacon , here's a bunch of news stories , http://news.google.com/news?q=facebook+beacon .
But the one sentence summary is it allows a website you visit to automatically post what you did there to your facebook account.
It's taken me a couple days after first hearing about it to understand why this sucks. And there are two reasons.
First and most importantly there is not a simple global opt-out. I don't want to participate, I want to have as much control as possible over what is public information about me as I can and they have just ripped that out of my hands, and then told that I'm better for it and it's better this way.
Secondly, well there isn't a second one the first one is quite enough.
Basically and I'll yell this so they hear me.
I DECIDE WHAT I PUBLISH AND I WANT ONE SETTING, EASILY FOUND, TO DO IT!!!!!!
Sure the first comment will be hey if you don't want this then don't have a facebook account, and sure that is a solution , and looking to be a better one every minute I think about this, but facebook has been useful on occasion.
For now since I use Firefox exclusively I'll follow these instructions to block beacon http://www.ideashower.com/blog/block-facebook-beacon/ and I'll keep my eye's open to see if facebook tries to get around that.
If they do, that's it see you facebook it's been fun.
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