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Exactly. Facebook is a bad actor. It's good if we can do something about it. But Facebook is not the root of the problem. There will always be bad actors. Th
by sametmax 9y ago
Exactly.
Facebook is a bad actor. It's good if we can do something about it.
But Facebook is not the root of the problem. There will always be bad actors.
The root of the problem is that people don't care.
I told me friends and relative, again and again, about those issues. I answered any question. I did research, on MY time, to answer their concerns, for them who would not dare spending a second on it. I listened patiently to the witty comments on the fact I didn't have a FB account, for years.
They just didn't care enough to make any effort, any change.
And they still don't, no matter what the scandal feels right now. They will forget tomorrow.
And even if they didn't, they will blame the bad actor, not their choice. And it will start all over again with another bad actor. That's what happen with crazy ex, lying politicians and bad movies.
Now I (somewhat) get that choosing what you buy has a high impact on you life, and so I gave up on expecting people to vote with their wallet. It's sad, because that would have a huge effect, but it's the reality.
But "not using Facebook" is different than choosing to move out of a city or not having a car or other life altering decisions. It's just a communication tool. We have so many.
So I have currently zero empathy for the "victims" of this leak. Quite the contrary, I feel a little angry. Because I have to leave in a world that could be much more beautiful if only people, sometimes, just sometimes, though about the consequences of their life instead of just going with the motion. And this affects much more than privacy. And it's unfair.
- mistermann 9y agoI feel like I understand this situation fairly well and I still use Facebook, is that a mistake or very bad idea?
- sametmax 9y agoI don't know you, I can't tell. I would advice to stop, but facebook is just the tip of the iceberg. It's about doing (as much as it's humanly possible, we are small weak creatures after all) what we can to create a society in which we want to live in. And for that, before voting, before anything political or big, there is the day to day life. What you you consume. What you communicate. How you behave. I don't pretend it's easy. I fail at it most of the time, most of the days. I've failed since I was born. But it's what matters. Not facebook in particular.
- aninhumer 9y ago>So I have currently zero empathy for the "victims" of this leak. Quite the contrary, I feel a little angry. Because I have to leave in a world that could be much more beautiful if only people, sometimes, just sometimes, though about the consequences of their life instead of just going with the motion. And this affects much more than privacy. And it's unfair. And the very fact that you insist on blaming the individuals for a collective problem is why problems like this are so hard to solve. If so many people don't care about this issue, despite its importance, maybe you should stop blaming them and expecting them to magically start caring, and start thinking about how our society leads them to believe it's not an issue?
- wool_gather 9y agoI don't know that their belief is a cultural problem, or at least one that's changeable. The book "The Design of Everyday Things" has this idea that users of things fall into one of two broad groups: a) users that want fine control and expertise, and are willing to sacrifice simplicity to get it b) users that want simplicity, and are willing to sacrifice control to get it I think that most issues of privacy and security boil down to the simple fact that most people are in group b (really, I think that's true of any issue you care to choose). They don't care, and they won't. The cultural change that could make a difference is when the more secure, more privacy-positive options are also the easier and simpler choices.
- throwaway413 9y agoChalking everything up to “society” is a great way to never get anything solved. Change starts with oneself. Connecting on an individual level, making changes on an individual level, understanding and valuing even minute consequences on the individual level - that’s what going to bring about permanent change. Not more groupthink. We have brains and decision-making abilities for a reason. Yes, I understand society has a very influential role in how we go about our lives. But that is not some catch-all excuse for not taking any responsibility for our individual behaviors. There are two sides to the coin that both need to be addressed.
- aninhumer 9y ago