4 ms·

I could have sworn that FB now lets you choose what's publicly shared and what's only shown to friends? Given that, how is this a problem?

sp332 15y ago
Most people will "friend" almost anyone who asks, or random people they meet at parties, or coworkers, etc. Lots of people are my "friends" on Facebook that would make this creepy.
- TeMPOraL 15y ago
  So? And still, you can group friends into lists and share selectively. Just like Circles in Google+.
  - sp332 15y ago
    Sure, but do you? I don't, and I don't see most people taking the time to do that.
    - TeMPOraL 15y ago
      No, I don't, and I'm OK with that. And I'm OK with other people not doing that too. I don't mind sharing what I put on Facebook, and I like reading what my (Facebook) friends are doing. So I personally don't mind those changes, at all. I understand though that many (most? - given the comments under Facebook-related stories) people are not so OK with that.
    - joelhooks 15y ago
      I've started to for some things, mostly as a courtesy to the viewer over filtering publicly consumable content.
- bonch 15y ago
  That's your fault for friending anyone who asks.
- sahillavingia 15y ago
  Well, that's your fault for adding them and considering them your "friends," isn't it? I don't think your mis-use of Facebook is their fault at all.
  - sp332 15y ago
    I don't consider them friends. I think of them as contacts, maybe acquaintances. You know, social connections. Facebook calls them "friends" but that doesn't mean I do.
    - yuliyp 15y ago
      Coincidentally, Facebook now lets you add people to an "acquaintances" list, and easily set privacy on things to all of your friends except your acquaintances.
  - dasil003 15y ago
    It's easy to blame someone for who their friends are, but that's ignoring social norms which end up being set by the Facebook sluts. I think in actuality most people only rarely add friends, but tend to accept almost any friend request from someone they've met in person—it's awkward not to. My solution to this problem is just to post anything questionable or private to Facebook at all; it's a much more comprehensive solution than hemming and hawing over friend requests.
amcintyre 15y ago
> "I could have sworn that FB now lets you choose..." For me, it's the "now" part. The Facebook management can decide to make that information available to others, openly or behind the scenes, if they deem it to be in their financial interest. Sure, maybe they won't. I just don't like voluntarily building such a collection of information and leaving its fate so completely in the hands of others.
- wccrawford 15y ago
  This isn't new information we're talking about. It's information that's been on your account since you started using FaceBook. Why are you suddenly worried about them sharing your data with the world?
  - amcintyre 15y ago
    Sorry--I'm not "suddenly worried," I was worried from the start, and hence don't have a Facebook account. I apologize as if I inadvertently made this seem like a "that's the last straw" moment for me. However, I do know several regular Facebook users that do indeed view this sort of thing as too much, and (for the moment, at least) they are reconsidering whether they want to continue being users.

sp332 15y ago

Most people will "friend" almost anyone who asks, or random people they meet at parties, or coworkers, etc. Lots of people are my "friends" on Facebook that would make this creepy.

TeMPOraL 15y ago
So? And still, you can group friends into lists and share selectively. Just like Circles in Google+.
- sp332 15y ago
  Sure, but do you? I don't, and I don't see most people taking the time to do that.
  - TeMPOraL 15y ago
    No, I don't, and I'm OK with that. And I'm OK with other people not doing that too. I don't mind sharing what I put on Facebook, and I like reading what my (Facebook) friends are doing. So I personally don't mind those changes, at all. I understand though that many (most? - given the comments under Facebook-related stories) people are not so OK with that.
  - joelhooks 15y ago
    I've started to for some things, mostly as a courtesy to the viewer over filtering publicly consumable content.
bonch 15y ago
That's your fault for friending anyone who asks.
sahillavingia 15y ago
Well, that's your fault for adding them and considering them your "friends," isn't it? I don't think your mis-use of Facebook is their fault at all.
- sp332 15y ago
  I don't consider them friends. I think of them as contacts, maybe acquaintances. You know, social connections. Facebook calls them "friends" but that doesn't mean I do.
  - yuliyp 15y ago
    Coincidentally, Facebook now lets you add people to an "acquaintances" list, and easily set privacy on things to all of your friends except your acquaintances.
- dasil003 15y ago
  It's easy to blame someone for who their friends are, but that's ignoring social norms which end up being set by the Facebook sluts. I think in actuality most people only rarely add friends, but tend to accept almost any friend request from someone they've met in person—it's awkward not to. My solution to this problem is just to post anything questionable or private to Facebook at all; it's a much more comprehensive solution than hemming and hawing over friend requests.

amcintyre 15y ago

> "I could have sworn that FB now lets you choose..." For me, it's the "now" part. The Facebook management can decide to make that information available to others, openly or behind the scenes, if they deem it to be in their financial interest. Sure, maybe they won't. I just don't like voluntarily building such a collection of information and leaving its fate so completely in the hands of others.

wccrawford 15y ago
This isn't new information we're talking about. It's information that's been on your account since you started using FaceBook. Why are you suddenly worried about them sharing your data with the world?
- amcintyre 15y ago
  Sorry--I'm not "suddenly worried," I was worried from the start, and hence don't have a Facebook account. I apologize as if I inadvertently made this seem like a "that's the last straw" moment for me. However, I do know several regular Facebook users that do indeed view this sort of thing as too much, and (for the moment, at least) they are reconsidering whether they want to continue being users.