When I first joined Facebook I'd sometimes see people join groups with strange names such as: "I lost my digits!" or "Michael's phone got stolen... I need your numbers" or "Digits for Helen please" or "Like a drunken fool, I lost my phone."
I clicked on a few of these groups to see what they were about and invariably they would be about how someone had just been parted with their mobile/cell phone and needed to input everyone's numbers again. The groups would almost always be open and public.
On the surface you'd expect this to be a brilliant way to recruit your friends' numbers. But... all these groups can be seen by anyone! I have no idea who Rell is, but I know his friends and their numbers. Do a search for "lost phone" on Facebook and you'll see groups like: "Hey there I lost all yal numbers" - am loving the reply that says, "u never had mine but its 972-xxx-xxxx."
In the last year or so, I haven't see these groups pop up any more. I figured people had got the message. But today another friend joined a "lost phone" group.
Check it out for yourself. A few enterprising application developers have also conjured up third-party apps to make it "easy" for people to recruit numbers from friends, but I have two quick, ingenious and private ways for you to get those numbers back!
1. Back them up NOW... write them in a book, back up your sim... whatever.
2. If you and your phone get separated, maybe email your friends and get them to email your numbers to you.
Relax! :) Sounds obvious doesn't it. Not for the countless people who've joined someone's "lost phone" group and broadcast their number for you, me, and anyone else who cares to look.
Sunday 7 December 2008
Saturday 6 December 2008
Christmas party season means photo albums galore!
Well, the Christmas party season has begun, and the images have started to pour into the Facebook photo album coffers. People, check them out! Not only for the brilliant gossip material, but for evidence of you looking a little worse for wear. No, that's not a Rorschach Blot - it is probably your bum from the office photocopier.
Had coffee today with a former work colleague. "Went to the office Christmas party," she told me. "You've probably seen the pictures that so-and-so put up?" Apparently, there were a few messy ones.
"No, she's not my Facebook friend."
Well, I didn't have to wait long to see her photos, as she'd tagged a mutual friend and her album was accessible by Friends of Friends!
Had coffee today with a former work colleague. "Went to the office Christmas party," she told me. "You've probably seen the pictures that so-and-so put up?" Apparently, there were a few messy ones.
"No, she's not my Facebook friend."
Well, I didn't have to wait long to see her photos, as she'd tagged a mutual friend and her album was accessible by Friends of Friends!
Tuesday 25 November 2008
Facebook notification settings reset: implications
Today I received an email which may or may not have been from Facebook. It simply read:
I'm always on my guard when it comes to things like this, and feared it was a phishing scam where someone was trying to steal my details. After all, how could Facebook lose such important settings? Email notifications allow you to let Facebook send you alerts when something happens, so you don't have to constantly log into the site. But such alerts can be annoying -- you can get alerts for every tag, event or group invitation. So I've pretty much turned all of these off. Surely Facebook couldn't lose these settings?
Well, when I logged in to Facebook I got a similar message:
Logging into the notifications page, sure enough, most of my alerts had been reset so that I had to change THIRTY-TWO...(32) email alerts to "off".
Email alerts don't pose privacy problems as such; just annoying alerts (although if you use Facebook at work, such excessive alerts could be picked up by your IT/HR department so they can detect your activity). But the technical glitch does make you think of more serious scenarios, namely the loss of privacy settings. Does Facebook have these backed up? What if all privacy settings were suddenly reset and your profile was exposed to more people than you'd intended -- even though you, as a responsible and privacy-conscious Facebook user, had painstakingly set up your Facebook privacy profile?
I'm interested in hearing what Facebook has to say about it. In the meantime, I'm doing a screen shot or noting down my current privacy settings and double-checking a few things.
Unfortunately, the settings that control which email notifications get sent to you were lost. We're sorry for the inconvenience. To reset your email notification settings, go to: http://www.facebook.com/editaccount.php?notifications
Thanks, The Facebook Team
I'm always on my guard when it comes to things like this, and feared it was a phishing scam where someone was trying to steal my details. After all, how could Facebook lose such important settings? Email notifications allow you to let Facebook send you alerts when something happens, so you don't have to constantly log into the site. But such alerts can be annoying -- you can get alerts for every tag, event or group invitation. So I've pretty much turned all of these off. Surely Facebook couldn't lose these settings?
Well, when I logged in to Facebook I got a similar message:
Logging into the notifications page, sure enough, most of my alerts had been reset so that I had to change THIRTY-TWO...(32) email alerts to "off".Email alerts don't pose privacy problems as such; just annoying alerts (although if you use Facebook at work, such excessive alerts could be picked up by your IT/HR department so they can detect your activity). But the technical glitch does make you think of more serious scenarios, namely the loss of privacy settings. Does Facebook have these backed up? What if all privacy settings were suddenly reset and your profile was exposed to more people than you'd intended -- even though you, as a responsible and privacy-conscious Facebook user, had painstakingly set up your Facebook privacy profile?
I'm interested in hearing what Facebook has to say about it. In the meantime, I'm doing a screen shot or noting down my current privacy settings and double-checking a few things.
Monday 24 November 2008
Teacher dismissed after Facebook faux pas
A North Carolina teacher complaining on her Facebook profile of working "in the ghetto of Charlotte" was suspended last week and risks being dismissed. The move has prompted teachers in the area to revise their policies on staff's online behaviour. The teacher did not mean for her flippant remark to be viewed by all and sundry, but it was uncovered after a search of teachers in the area.
Juror dismissed after asking friends to help make a decision!
All right, out of all the stupid things we've heard people do this week, this one takes the cake. A juror involved in a British child abduction and sexual assault case asked her Facebook friends to help make her decision!
Do these people not realise you aren't allowed to discuss these things even verbally, let alone on a public website? Geez!
Apparently, the woman said: "I don't know which way to go, so I'm holding a poll." She had not even turned on Facebook privacy settings.
Lady, check out the Facebook settings, sure, but don't risk contempt of court in the first place!
Do these people not realise you aren't allowed to discuss these things even verbally, let alone on a public website? Geez!
Apparently, the woman said: "I don't know which way to go, so I'm holding a poll." She had not even turned on Facebook privacy settings.
Lady, check out the Facebook settings, sure, but don't risk contempt of court in the first place!
Saturday 22 November 2008
Inviting the whole world
A girl's 16th birthday party was ruined when 60 youths gatecrashed the private event after reading about it on Facebook, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
Events on Facebook are a handy way to coordinate parties and get-togethers. But many events are not made closed, meaning the details are technically readable by all and sundry. If you're a member of a network, your event may even be accessible via the network's home page!
The owner of the south London Baba Foundation community centre - which doubles as a restaurant - said he was horrified when the massive gang appeared outside after reading about the party on Facebook.
Daniel Sisilu said he 'blamed himself' for the trouble last Saturday after putting only one bouncer on the door.
He said he only agreed to the party because he was friend's with the teenage girl's mother.
He said: "I blame myself and I totally regret this. But I've been totally had.
"If you put an invite on Facebook then you are inviting the whole world to come along."
Source: The Daily Telegraph
Events on Facebook are a handy way to coordinate parties and get-togethers. But many events are not made closed, meaning the details are technically readable by all and sundry. If you're a member of a network, your event may even be accessible via the network's home page!
Friday 21 November 2008
Your friends' applications are sucking your data!
Sounds like a long-winded B-grade horror movie title, doesn't it? Your friends' applications are sucking your data! But these third-party applications are very likely siphoning personal info from your profile, if you haven't adjusted privacy settings.
Confused? It's like this: each time your friends add an application, your info could be shared with developers whose applications you haven't even installed! This even extends to things like the type of relationship you're looking for, religious views, even your Wall!
Granted, not all these are on by default. But it shows how much Facebook developers can (and I hate this term but I'm going to use it) drill down to minute detail. Think of what marketers can do with this data!
To find out what info you're sharing, go to the Application Privacy page (under Privacy), and look at What Other Users Can See via the Facebook Platform. You can see a list of things that you can or can't share:
Tick or untick as appropriate. As you can see, you have no choice but to share your name, network and list of friends.
If you want absolutely nothing shared, then underneath this box, you may see "Do not share any information about me through the Facebook API". But very likely, if you've added any applications, this will be grayed out. Click on "Why can't I see this?" and you'll see this explanation:
Basically, this means you'll need to uninstall all the applications in order to turn off all sharing.
Confused? It's like this: each time your friends add an application, your info could be shared with developers whose applications you haven't even installed! This even extends to things like the type of relationship you're looking for, religious views, even your Wall!
Granted, not all these are on by default. But it shows how much Facebook developers can (and I hate this term but I'm going to use it) drill down to minute detail. Think of what marketers can do with this data!
To find out what info you're sharing, go to the Application Privacy page (under Privacy), and look at What Other Users Can See via the Facebook Platform. You can see a list of things that you can or can't share:
- Events I'm invited to
- My Photos
- Photos of me
- Relationship status
- Online presence
- What type of relationship I'm looking for
- Which gender I'm interested in
- Who I'm in a relationship with
- Religious views
If you want absolutely nothing shared, then underneath this box, you may see "Do not share any information about me through the Facebook API". But very likely, if you've added any applications, this will be grayed out. Click on "Why can't I see this?" and you'll see this explanation:
You are unable to fully opt out of sharing information through Facebook Platform because you are currently using applications built on Platform. To enable this option, you need to remove any applications you have added, and remove your permissions to all external applications that you may have used.
Basically, this means you'll need to uninstall all the applications in order to turn off all sharing.
Thursday 20 November 2008
Deleting applications: Are they really gone?
Facebook has lots of fun third-party applications you can add to your profile. Where you've travelled, IQ tests, movies and books you've read, games, quizzes and so on. If, for some reason, you no longer want these applications, you can click the Applications tab at the bottom of any Facebook page (once logged in) and delete or block as appropriate.
So, problem solved, huh? You won't get bombarded with vampire spam or endless quiz invitations. Well, not really. Every application I've uninstalled and then reinstalled, with no exception, has remembered my previous scores, settings and personal information I've inputted. The Trip Advisor map remembers the cities I've pinned, the IQ Test app remembers my IQ, even the Hatching Eggs remembers what eggs I've send and received. Nothing's really been deleted. It's the equivalent of deleting a desktop shortcut icon but not the application itself.
This is a serious risk to privacy. When you install third-party applications, you really are adhering to privacy policies outside of Facebook. Rather than add them willy-nilly, it's essential to read individual privacy policy statements. Can't find any? Then seriously think of the ramifications of adding the application. If it's just a game, then it's not so bad. But all the books and TV shows you've read and watched? Can that info be deleted?
Facebook's privacy policy states:
So, it can't guarantee your info will be used ethically. And each time you add an application you're allowing it to access your data; you have little choice.
So, problem solved, huh? You won't get bombarded with vampire spam or endless quiz invitations. Well, not really. Every application I've uninstalled and then reinstalled, with no exception, has remembered my previous scores, settings and personal information I've inputted. The Trip Advisor map remembers the cities I've pinned, the IQ Test app remembers my IQ, even the Hatching Eggs remembers what eggs I've send and received. Nothing's really been deleted. It's the equivalent of deleting a desktop shortcut icon but not the application itself.
This is a serious risk to privacy. When you install third-party applications, you really are adhering to privacy policies outside of Facebook. Rather than add them willy-nilly, it's essential to read individual privacy policy statements. Can't find any? Then seriously think of the ramifications of adding the application. If it's just a game, then it's not so bad. But all the books and TV shows you've read and watched? Can that info be deleted?
Facebook's privacy policy states:
...third party developers who have created and operate Platform Applications ("Platform Developers"), may also have access to your personal information (excluding your contact information) if you permit Platform Applications to access your data. Before allowing any Platform Developer to make any Platform Application available to you, Facebook requires the Platform Developer to enter into an agreement which, among other things, requires them to respect your privacy settings and strictly limits their collection, use and storage of your information. However, while we have undertaken contractual and technical steps to restrict possible misuse of such information by such Platform Developers, we of course cannot and do not guarantee that all Platform Developers will abide by such agreements.
So, it can't guarantee your info will be used ethically. And each time you add an application you're allowing it to access your data; you have little choice.
Saturday 8 November 2008
Relationship status: aargh!
On Facebook, there's a place where you can fill in profile information such as your relationship status.
By default, any change in the relationship status is relayed on the News Feed so everyone else is alerted to it. A friend was once surprised they hadn't heard about a change in relationship status because he "didn't see it appear on Facebook". This is because alerts had been turned off!It's kind of sad that people think they can only find out about big upheavals in people's personal lives through the Facebook feeds. In a sad and recent case, which is not Facebook's fault, a man was sentenced to life after murdering his wife when she changed her status to 'single'. The man has been dubbed the 'Facebook killer', but I'm not keen on how the media portrays it as all Facebook's fault -- clearly, other dynamics were at work; the man was on drugs at the time, he was bitter, he had made threatening phone calls.But you know, it's best to make sure those status updates aren't relayed to all and sundry (find it under Privacy > News Feed and Wall. Uncheck that box!). And if you don't get along with your ex, delete them from your friends list for goodness sake!
Bono and bikinis - another privacy warning
Cheeky pictures of U2 lead singer Bono and several bikini-clad babes made their way around Facebook after one of the girls made all the photos available to everyone in her network. What was her 'network'? Oh, only one of the biggest cities on the entire planet... New York! That's why we don't recommend being in a Facebook network at all. When you join a network, Facebook changes your settings by default so that people in that network have access to your profile. Dip into the privacy settings to make sure only your friends can see the information you're disclosing on your profile.
Airline staff sacked after Facebook insults
Thirteen staff at Virgin Atlantic were sacked for making disrespectful comments about passengers and derogatory allegations about poor safety standards on public areas of the Facebook social networking site. Less than a week later, British Airways staff were reprimanded for whingeing about "annoying" and "smelly" passengers.
The events highlight how companies are realising how powerful the web is at shaping reputations, as this Economist article, Losing Face, explains.
No doubt PR companies who specialise in mediating and monitoring how brands are represented by bloggers and denizens of social networking sites are jumping at the chance to promote their own 'damage control' services.
Clearly, companies haven't been doing more to let their staff know what is and isn't acceptable in the first place? Every workplace has an internet usage policy, but it seems that people assume it's switched off when they leave the office, or they forget that things they post online can be traced.
After the Virgin Atlantic sackings, the company posted on its official fan page:
"Virgin Atlantic has been made aware of some malicious comments that have been made on a social networking site by a small number of its staff. The airline has started an immediate disciplinary investigation. We do not tolerate any criticism of our passengers or industry-leading safety standards and we are taking this matter very seriously."
The events highlight how companies are realising how powerful the web is at shaping reputations, as this Economist article, Losing Face, explains.
No doubt PR companies who specialise in mediating and monitoring how brands are represented by bloggers and denizens of social networking sites are jumping at the chance to promote their own 'damage control' services.
Clearly, companies haven't been doing more to let their staff know what is and isn't acceptable in the first place? Every workplace has an internet usage policy, but it seems that people assume it's switched off when they leave the office, or they forget that things they post online can be traced.
After the Virgin Atlantic sackings, the company posted on its official fan page:
"Virgin Atlantic has been made aware of some malicious comments that have been made on a social networking site by a small number of its staff. The airline has started an immediate disciplinary investigation. We do not tolerate any criticism of our passengers or industry-leading safety standards and we are taking this matter very seriously."
Monday 27 October 2008
Keeping parents away from your friends list
Randomly came across this opinion by a columnist in the Boston Herald about why parents should stay off Facebook.
So true. Coincidentally there was a recent Desperate Housewives episode where Felicity Huffman's character Lynette Scavo pretends to be a teenage girl and befriends her own son on a social networking site. Invariably Lynette's son falls in love with her, in the wrong kind of way. When Lynette sends a break-up email to her son she accidentally signs it "Love, Mom", in a modern-day version of the joke where the kid writes his own sick note and signs it "My mom".
Facebook might shock your family, but it can spur a self-esteem death spiral, too. Like if you’re always the connector, never the connectee. Or watching a request go ignored. And then there are the godforsaken status updates. Not only are they written in third person, so everyone sounds a little like Sesame Street’s Elmo: “Lauren is . . . making breakfast,” they border on passive-aggressive bragging: “Amy is . . . volunteering at soup kitchen and working on her screenplay.”
Not to mention everyone looks as though they’re re-creating the Miley Cyrus shoot by Annie Leibowitz.
So true. Coincidentally there was a recent Desperate Housewives episode where Felicity Huffman's character Lynette Scavo pretends to be a teenage girl and befriends her own son on a social networking site. Invariably Lynette's son falls in love with her, in the wrong kind of way. When Lynette sends a break-up email to her son she accidentally signs it "Love, Mom", in a modern-day version of the joke where the kid writes his own sick note and signs it "My mom".
Friday 24 October 2008
When your boss is your Facebook friend... SICKIE WOO!
So. You're sick. Sick of work, that is. And you don't want to come in. So, what do you do? You call your boss and say, "I can't come in this morning. I'm unwell."
In the old days, your boss would sigh and say, "I hope you feel better soon."
But these days, your boss doesn't feel sympathy. They know how to prove you were lying. It doesn't involve hiring a private investigator and having someone follow you to make sure you don't leave the house.
All they have to do is log on to Facebook. Now, this particular story may turn out to be urban legend, as the alleged e-mail exchange is denied by boss and culprit... but the story goes like this:
Kyle Doyle chucked a sickie, as they say in Australia, and on his Facebook status update were the immortal words,
Kyle Doyle is not going to work, fuck it i'm still trashed. SICKIE WOO!
When Kyle refused to give his boss a medical certificate, saying it was unnecessary, his boss then pasted the status update into an email as 'proof' of the deception.
True or not, the email illustrates rule number one: your current boss should never be your friend on Facebook. That's what LinkedIn is for. Rule number two you can work out for yourself...
Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=651937
Does anyone remember Beacon Ads?
We aren't saying Facebook is bad. We use it. We're all about helping individuals make the most of it while still being aware of the level of personal information they, and their friends, are giving out.
Facebook exploded in mid-2007. It absolutely exploded. The company had to be seen as a commercial entity; one that could make money. Targeted advertising is the key!
In November 2007, there was a massive brouhaha about Facebook privacy –and rightly so. Project Beacon launched, and it broadcast certain user habits (primarily buying items) to other friends via the news feed without asking for permission. This ruined several people's Christmas shopping surprises. The Beacon feature tracked what you were doing on Facebook partner sites while still logged on to Facebook.
Initially, the Beacon feature was touted as being opt-in. That is, you would be asked if you wanted a certain action to be published to the news feed. But when Beacon launched, it was distinctly opt-out. People found their actions being broadcast to practically all and sundry – the equivalent of a camera behind your shoulder, recording your every move!
Around 44 partner sites, including ticket vendor Fandango and Coca-Cola, initially signed up to Beacon. Within days, there was a huge outcry. Without going into all the details, you can read the apology from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The company backtracked and made Beacon opt-in again, and also gave people the option to turn it off altogether.
However, the young company would not have backtracked were it not from the tens of thousands of people who caused a massive outcry –ironcically by joining a protest group on Facebook.
So, how to make sure your actions aren't being dispensed to everyone? For more of the dirt on Beacon, check out the FAQ and the Wikipedia entry ... make sure you have turned Beacon off by going to Privacy > Applications > Settings within Facebook.
Facebook exploded in mid-2007. It absolutely exploded. The company had to be seen as a commercial entity; one that could make money. Targeted advertising is the key!
In November 2007, there was a massive brouhaha about Facebook privacy –and rightly so. Project Beacon launched, and it broadcast certain user habits (primarily buying items) to other friends via the news feed without asking for permission. This ruined several people's Christmas shopping surprises. The Beacon feature tracked what you were doing on Facebook partner sites while still logged on to Facebook.
Initially, the Beacon feature was touted as being opt-in. That is, you would be asked if you wanted a certain action to be published to the news feed. But when Beacon launched, it was distinctly opt-out. People found their actions being broadcast to practically all and sundry – the equivalent of a camera behind your shoulder, recording your every move!
Around 44 partner sites, including ticket vendor Fandango and Coca-Cola, initially signed up to Beacon. Within days, there was a huge outcry. Without going into all the details, you can read the apology from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The company backtracked and made Beacon opt-in again, and also gave people the option to turn it off altogether.
However, the young company would not have backtracked were it not from the tens of thousands of people who caused a massive outcry –ironcically by joining a protest group on Facebook.
So, how to make sure your actions aren't being dispensed to everyone? For more of the dirt on Beacon, check out the FAQ and the Wikipedia entry ... make sure you have turned Beacon off by going to Privacy > Applications > Settings within Facebook.
Still avoiding Facebook? Our top 5 initiation tips
We all know them. People who refuse to go on Facebook. I've got about four or five who just refuse to use it. I don't blame them, really, it's not like they're missing out on anything by not going on there. Some are concerned about how much information they'll have to give away by joining it, but they are still keen to check out what's going on.
One friend I had joined a group whose aim was to get some poor soul on to Facebook. Not only had they amassed about 20-odd people, but they'd also posted some rather embarrassing photos of the person who would never know their images were plastered all over the site...
If you haven't joined but feel your social life is suffering and only want to dip your toes in the water, then here are our top five tips. One of them does contravene Facebook policy, but in the great scheme of things, it's nothing much!
1. Don't use your real surname. This is our tip, but it violates Facebook's terms of service so prepare for your account to be deleted any time. However, we see plenty of people on there with bizarre names, and Facebook has tens of millions of users. It's not going to check to see whether your name is real or not. It has better things do to. So, just make your name believable and you should be fine. Not using your real name means that your full name needn't be revealed to the site, and besides, your friends will know it anyway.
2. Make your search listing and friends list private. There are several options to avoid people finding you on Facebook, and these are found in your privacy settings. You can do all or just one or two of the following:
4. Don't use your regular e-mail address. If someone looking for you types your regular e-mail address into Facebook, they will automatically initiate a friend request for you if you are registered under that address. By all means, avoid the request if you wish, but you can avoid them in the first place by creating a free account from Hotmail or Gmail.
5. Make a limited profile. You can adjust your profile so that selected acquaintances don't need to see pictures of your big night out.
Has anyone got any other suggestions?
One friend I had joined a group whose aim was to get some poor soul on to Facebook. Not only had they amassed about 20-odd people, but they'd also posted some rather embarrassing photos of the person who would never know their images were plastered all over the site...
If you haven't joined but feel your social life is suffering and only want to dip your toes in the water, then here are our top five tips. One of them does contravene Facebook policy, but in the great scheme of things, it's nothing much!
1. Don't use your real surname. This is our tip, but it violates Facebook's terms of service so prepare for your account to be deleted any time. However, we see plenty of people on there with bizarre names, and Facebook has tens of millions of users. It's not going to check to see whether your name is real or not. It has better things do to. So, just make your name believable and you should be fine. Not using your real name means that your full name needn't be revealed to the site, and besides, your friends will know it anyway.
2. Make your search listing and friends list private. There are several options to avoid people finding you on Facebook, and these are found in your privacy settings. You can do all or just one or two of the following:
- Make it so your search result listing is not listed by search engines.
- Make it so your profile picture is not viewable by people not on your friends list.
- Let only friends of friends, find you on Facebook search, if you want to remain under the radar, or make it so no one can find you
- Make it so non-friends can't view your friends list.
4. Don't use your regular e-mail address. If someone looking for you types your regular e-mail address into Facebook, they will automatically initiate a friend request for you if you are registered under that address. By all means, avoid the request if you wish, but you can avoid them in the first place by creating a free account from Hotmail or Gmail.
5. Make a limited profile. You can adjust your profile so that selected acquaintances don't need to see pictures of your big night out.
Has anyone got any other suggestions?
It's not just Facebook... applications know you, too!
This blog, and others, focuses on Facebook settings and how to make them work for you. But there are thousands of third-party Facebook applications out there (games, quizzes, photo sharing, review sites, maps... the list goes on) that make money from you.
They'll do so mainly either via affiliate links or straight ad revenue. What does this mean? Here are some real-life examples.
Affiliate revenue: Say you've installed an application that allows you to list the books you've read. If a visitor clicks on the book title, they'll be taken to an online bookstore where they can buy a copy. If the visitor goes through with the sale, the application developer, who has set up a deal with the bookstore, will get a cut.
Ad revenue: You might see Google ads at the end of a game. Click on an ad and the app maker will get a cut. Many websites, including this one, display similar ads.
Sometimes an application has no ad links and is a brand awareness exercise. The agency will want to convince their clients that the application is helping the brand name get across.
To measure the effectiveness of these campaigns, application developers need to be able to see demographic information about the people who use their tools. They can use analysis tools from companies like Refresh Analytics, who allow developers to get stats about people who add their programs. Refresh Analytics' tool is described thusly:
So, although personal information about you is never revealed, if you have included information about where you're from, your age, marital status and interests, all this information can, and does, get pulled out and it's able to be broken down by app makers so they know, say, the average age of the person who plays their games.
That's why I've not listed any interests or even my gender in my profile. I don't need the advertisers to know all this information if I don't have to reveal it.
They'll do so mainly either via affiliate links or straight ad revenue. What does this mean? Here are some real-life examples.
Affiliate revenue: Say you've installed an application that allows you to list the books you've read. If a visitor clicks on the book title, they'll be taken to an online bookstore where they can buy a copy. If the visitor goes through with the sale, the application developer, who has set up a deal with the bookstore, will get a cut.
Ad revenue: You might see Google ads at the end of a game. Click on an ad and the app maker will get a cut. Many websites, including this one, display similar ads.
Sometimes an application has no ad links and is a brand awareness exercise. The agency will want to convince their clients that the application is helping the brand name get across.
To measure the effectiveness of these campaigns, application developers need to be able to see demographic information about the people who use their tools. They can use analysis tools from companies like Refresh Analytics, who allow developers to get stats about people who add their programs. Refresh Analytics' tool is described thusly:
The tool can be easily integrated into any Facebook app. It tracks users across 13 demographic and six interest categories: geography, gender, age, marital status, music, books, etc. The info is collected in aggregate to protect user privacy and respect Facebook rules. A daily snapshot of 1,000 users is provided, and historical reports can be generated for the past month, six months or two years.
So, although personal information about you is never revealed, if you have included information about where you're from, your age, marital status and interests, all this information can, and does, get pulled out and it's able to be broken down by app makers so they know, say, the average age of the person who plays their games.
That's why I've not listed any interests or even my gender in my profile. I don't need the advertisers to know all this information if I don't have to reveal it.
They're still out there: Facebook Applications
The new-look Facebook does away with having to endure the tedious applications that plagued traditional profile layouts. In the past, you would see, quite literally in some cases, more than a hundred icons and boxes representing various apps that your friend may have added to their profile page. Now, all this crap is hidden behind a tab called Boxes, and under this tab you can choose to display chosen Applications or just access them via the Applications menu.
In 2007, the most popular apps included Scrabulous (the unofficial online version of Scrabble), and the ability to be bitten by a vampire. Flixster, Super Walls and slideshows were also the rage.
Although you may think your Applications are now gone for good, they've just been shoved under a mat and they do pop out from time to time. You will still need to make sure Applications like games don't harangue your friends every minute to try and beat your high score, or post updates to your profile every time you play. To do so:
Click Applications, located at the bar to the bottom of your screen, then Edit, to see a list of all your applications.
Next to the Application settings you want to view, click Edit.
For Geo Challenge, I see these options:
Then there are the e-mail notifications. To adjust these, click Settings at the top of every Facebook page. Click Notifications, and right at the bottom, under Other Applications, you'll be able to select whether or not you want to be alerted on e-mail whenever something happens (whatever something is).
In 2007, the most popular apps included Scrabulous (the unofficial online version of Scrabble), and the ability to be bitten by a vampire. Flixster, Super Walls and slideshows were also the rage.
Although you may think your Applications are now gone for good, they've just been shoved under a mat and they do pop out from time to time. You will still need to make sure Applications like games don't harangue your friends every minute to try and beat your high score, or post updates to your profile every time you play. To do so:
Click Applications, located at the bar to the bottom of your screen, then Edit, to see a list of all your applications.
Next to the Application settings you want to view, click Edit.
For Geo Challenge, I see these options:
Then there are the e-mail notifications. To adjust these, click Settings at the top of every Facebook page. Click Notifications, and right at the bottom, under Other Applications, you'll be able to select whether or not you want to be alerted on e-mail whenever something happens (whatever something is).
Facebook photo privacy settings
Strangers are just friends you haven't met (but who've met you).
Facebook photos are all the rage. Practically every day, I see someone who's posted a photo of themselves or their friends. And when I go out with my camera, my friends are always scared I'll post a picture of them on Facebook. This does happen, but I'll always honor takedown requests.
What happens when you post a photo on Facebook is that you can choose to have the photo visible by either:
But that's not all! Pete can now browse through your entire album even if Jim isn't in any more photos. In the past week I've seen plenty of albums belonging to people I don't know. Random babies, honeymoons to Uluru in Australia, Singaporean weddings, decadent parties with 19 year old girls posing seductively to the camera... and so on. And I have no idea who these people are.
So when you create your album you need to think of the parameters you're applying to the entire album, not the individual photos. Flickr allows you to edit privacy settings for each photo, but for Facebook you need to do it for each album.
Facebook photos are all the rage. Practically every day, I see someone who's posted a photo of themselves or their friends. And when I go out with my camera, my friends are always scared I'll post a picture of them on Facebook. This does happen, but I'll always honor takedown requests.
What happens when you post a photo on Facebook is that you can choose to have the photo visible by either:
- Friends (say you have 100 friends, then all 100 friends can see your album)
- Friends of friends (if your 100 friends have 90 friends each, then 9,000 people could potentially see your album)
- Everyone on Facebook (if your profile is public to your network, say, then anyone in that network can click through to your profile and your albums)
- Some Friends (if you only have a couple of people you want to see your photos)
- Except these people (if you want everyone except your boss to see your photos)
But that's not all! Pete can now browse through your entire album even if Jim isn't in any more photos. In the past week I've seen plenty of albums belonging to people I don't know. Random babies, honeymoons to Uluru in Australia, Singaporean weddings, decadent parties with 19 year old girls posing seductively to the camera... and so on. And I have no idea who these people are.
So when you create your album you need to think of the parameters you're applying to the entire album, not the individual photos. Flickr allows you to edit privacy settings for each photo, but for Facebook you need to do it for each album.
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