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I've yet to see a positive comment regarding this new feature, but I'm wondering, has that anything to do with the type of site that HN is? There's been a lot

I've yet to see a positive comment regarding this new feature, but I'm wondering, has that anything to do with the type of site that HN is? There's been a lot of anti-Facebook chatter recently, most of which I agree with mind you, but given the backlash so far regarding this new restriction, do you think there's really enough weight behind these online discussions to make them change their minds? Particularly if there's a contract sitting in a drawer, saying they must take this course of action, regardless of user/customer sentiment.

jerf 15y ago
It's a fair point. Here's my anecdote: I use Facebook solely via my "spouse firewall"; that is, I don't have an account or use it, my wife just lets me know anything I need to know about through it. She is probably a straight down the middle average Facebook user; daily-but-light use, has learned just enough to squelch people she needs to squelch, the standard mix of friends, family, and old high school co-attendees, etc. The only priming I've done is to remind her that you shouldn't allow Facebook to have the canonical copy of family valuables; upload whatever photo and video you like as long as we still have the originals somewhere. She's definitely been getting increasingly frustrated by their grabbiness, and has been coming to me with stories about Facebook and privacy on the Internet. Granted, that's because she knows I'm interested, but we don't move in the same circles online, which means that these stories are indeed penetrating further than just the HN bubble. She's nowhere near ready to dump the service yet, but the idea is clearly thinkable. (Anecdote? Certainly! Let me know when you figure out how to run a repeatable study on this topic.) To be honest, if Facebook IPO'ed tomorrow, I think I'd pass. I'd probably miss out on an initial increase, but I bet in 2014 Facebook will not be as dominant as it is now, and their growth (not their survival, but their growth) depends on that not happening.
- danielhunt 15y ago
  Funnily enough, I've noticed a good few of my own non-techy friends have been pinging about a few privacy related topics, and how Facebook have been 'grabby' as you so eloquently put it :) I do have my own account, and certainly use it far too often to share far too much, but I've been almost anal with restricting 3rd party access to my personal feed of posts. That said, I would absolutely stop using Spotify if I felt that my listening habits were being forcibly fed to Facebook, despite my auto-scrobbling to Last.fm edit: typo
- ddw 15y ago
  I was out with some (non-tech) friends this weekend and they were talking about how the new FB is "creepy." Yes, just another anecdote. I don't understand the argument that the non-tech public doesn't care about their privacy, because they do. Why do people make their accounts private in the first place? Because they don't want future employers reading their posts, but they're fine with a faceless corporation doing it? Honestly I think a well-written NY Times article could start to hurt them on this.
danielhunt 15y ago
At the risk of sounding whiney, I'd appreciate a note explaining why on earth this deserved a downvote
ralphc 15y ago
As for this having to do with the type of site that HN is, I'd say that this a cautionary tale for those making the next hipster social site - how not to treat your customers.
- danielhunt 15y ago
  Oh absolutely - forcing things like this on the type of people who frequent HN is a sure fire way to stoke the fires of flamebait
StrawberryFrog 15y ago
> I've yet to see a positive comment regarding this new feature Spotify -> Facebook integration used to be optional. Now it's becoming mandatory. It's hard to find an upside of that for users. The only upside that I can possibly think of is that some ... "non-technical" users won't get confused by choices. So now the choice has now been made for them to exchange their privacy for happy fun friend feeds. Simple!

jerf 15y ago

It's a fair point. Here's my anecdote: I use Facebook solely via my "spouse firewall"; that is, I don't have an account or use it, my wife just lets me know anything I need to know about through it. She is probably a straight down the middle average Facebook user; daily-but-light use, has learned just enough to squelch people she needs to squelch, the standard mix of friends, family, and old high school co-attendees, etc. The only priming I've done is to remind her that you shouldn't allow Facebook to have the canonical copy of family valuables; upload whatever photo and video you like as long as we still have the originals somewhere. She's definitely been getting increasingly frustrated by their grabbiness, and has been coming to me with stories about Facebook and privacy on the Internet. Granted, that's because she knows I'm interested, but we don't move in the same circles online, which means that these stories are indeed penetrating further than just the HN bubble. She's nowhere near ready to dump the service yet, but the idea is clearly thinkable. (Anecdote? Certainly! Let me know when you figure out how to run a repeatable study on this topic.) To be honest, if Facebook IPO'ed tomorrow, I think I'd pass. I'd probably miss out on an initial increase, but I bet in 2014 Facebook will not be as dominant as it is now, and their growth (not their survival, but their growth) depends on that not happening.

danielhunt 15y ago
Funnily enough, I've noticed a good few of my own non-techy friends have been pinging about a few privacy related topics, and how Facebook have been 'grabby' as you so eloquently put it :) I do have my own account, and certainly use it far too often to share far too much, but I've been almost anal with restricting 3rd party access to my personal feed of posts. That said, I would absolutely stop using Spotify if I felt that my listening habits were being forcibly fed to Facebook, despite my auto-scrobbling to Last.fm edit: typo
ddw 15y ago
I was out with some (non-tech) friends this weekend and they were talking about how the new FB is "creepy." Yes, just another anecdote. I don't understand the argument that the non-tech public doesn't care about their privacy, because they do. Why do people make their accounts private in the first place? Because they don't want future employers reading their posts, but they're fine with a faceless corporation doing it? Honestly I think a well-written NY Times article could start to hurt them on this.

danielhunt 15y ago

At the risk of sounding whiney, I'd appreciate a note explaining why on earth this deserved a downvote

ralphc 15y ago

As for this having to do with the type of site that HN is, I'd say that this a cautionary tale for those making the next hipster social site - how not to treat your customers.

danielhunt 15y ago
Oh absolutely - forcing things like this on the type of people who frequent HN is a sure fire way to stoke the fires of flamebait

StrawberryFrog 15y ago

> I've yet to see a positive comment regarding this new feature Spotify -> Facebook integration used to be optional. Now it's becoming mandatory. It's hard to find an upside of that for users. The only upside that I can possibly think of is that some ... "non-technical" users won't get confused by choices. So now the choice has now been made for them to exchange their privacy for happy fun friend feeds. Simple!