19 February 2009
Tech Tips: The Dangers of Facebook
Facebook seems to be somewhat of a hot topic right now, doesn’t it? After recently changing its terms of service, it seems internet socialites everywhere are suddenly waking up to some very real facts.
The same exciting portal bringing real life friends into the make believe world of the internet also creates a doorway from the internet into people’s real lives.
Personally, I’m not really that worried about the whole terms of service issue. I think (although it’s entirely possible that I’m wrong) that the changes don’t really do anything that isn’t already pretty much par for the course. It seems that at least a few other people, smarter than I, think so too.
But I’m hoping that this sudden ‘Facebook will own your life’ shock might bring a few people around to considering the other much more real risks of Facebook. There is a seduction about the internet. It draws you into thinking that because you’re shooting the breeze within the familiarity of your four walls outsiders cannot look in.
Well that’s just not true. And if you haven’t realised it by now – you need to catch up. Because if you’re serious about becoming the power suit wearing biglaw grad, if you’re thinking about going into government, if you’re going to shout from an ivory tower about how the world should be or if you’re considering any form of professional career at all – you need to control your image.
And for now, at least for today, you should start with Facebook.
Privacy, Privacy, Privacy.
In my opinion, it is always better to go super extreme hardcore on the privacy and then deal with any issues later down the track. The worst thing that could happen is that someone that is trying to contact / communicate with you runs into a wall.
I just cannot think of any reason for why someone would still have their profile open to the public.
An excellent resource for setting up your privacy settings is this article, 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know.
Cull, Cull, Cull.
While I may not agree with this article, Get Off Facebook, which suggests that essentially Facebook is nothing more than a popularity contest, I do think that everyone’s friends list could do with some trimming. In some cases, a lot of trimming.
So take some time to go through your friends list. Do you really need more than 100 people there? Do you really use Facebook to stay in contact with that many people?
If you do, ok, how about 150 people. Have you ever really been thankful that Facebook has kept you in contact with more than 150 people? Are there people there you dont need?
If you’re worried about what kind of message it sends, cutting someone from your friend’s list, stop worrying. It’s just not a big deal. People will understand, or they will have a hissy fit in which case you stop and wonder why they care so much.
Then you realise that they were probably crazy stalker people, the exact type of people you are looking to get rid of. If you’re really worried – you can always create an occasionally checked GMail account and tell them to keep in touch there. If in doubt, cut them.
If That is your Real Name …
Come up with a fake name. It’s great, it makes you feel mysterious and it stops potential employers from finding you in two or three easy jumps. Keep your first name and then come up with a fake last name. Some of my friends use the last name ‘Lamb’. Feel free to copy that.
People are most likely going to be able to ID you by your profile picture anyways, or by your mutual friends list, or you can PM them and let them know the deal.
Be Mindful
Remember that, depending on your privacy settings, people can still access your information through your friends unprotected profiles. Always be mindful of everything you write there.
If you write on your friends wall ‘Oh man we got so smashed last night, that was great! I owe you $500 for the drugs and if you need a place to hide from the cops come on over’ – people can see that. It is entirely possible that potential employers (or potential employees) might take the extra 10 mins to look through your friends.
If you join a group that is dedicated to complaining about your employer (this isn’t even a far fetched example, I’ve actually seen lawyers do this) then again, depending on your privacy settings, people can see that. If you write on the groups wall – chances are you will be seen.
Finally – watch who is tagging you in what. Your privacy settings should stop people from tagging you – but even so – be careful. As far as I can tell, there isn’t any way that you can force someone to remove a pic of you from their open profile. But hopefully I’m wrong, because even if it isn’t tagged with you it is still a risk.
Do You Really Need Facebook?
Personally, I’m not sure if I’m going to continue with Facebook. I think that I will, but I have plans to drastically cut it out of my life. Think about your own use of Facebook. Is it just a habit? Do you really need to have your information plastered up there?
The internet is a vast place and it seems every few days there is another social media experiement ready to bridge your real life identity to your internet identity. I have fallen for these things many times, but I’m only just starting to realise that I need to be smarter than that.
It isn’t necessarily about avoiding social media entirely. It is about control. Even if right now you don’t see any risks in Facebook for what you are involved with today, due to the nature of the internet, if you dont start to control this information early it can haunt you for years to come.
And besides, what is the worst that could happen if you do take these precautions? Your contiki tour finds it a bit harder to keep in touch?
Is it really such a bad thing that those photos dont find their way back to you?
Related posts:
- Tech Tips: Google Profile
- Tech Tips: Google Goodies #1 – GMail
- Tech Tips: Taking Notes #1 – Word
- Tech Tips: Google Goodies #2 – Google Reader
- Tech Tips: Google Goodies #3 – Google Docs
Also, check out this study which suggests that even though users might have hundreds of friends they are really only interacting with a much smaller number.
Meaning the rest of that friends list is ultimately a pointless risk.
http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/02/27/facebooks-in-house-sociologist-shares-stats-on-users-social-behavior/