With the addition of Facebook to my life it has been interesting to say the least. I have more and more contacts all the time. But added to more contacts is the additional list of friends – that are not only friends but rather more clearly being designated as potential relatives.
This morning I received a list of potential relatives. Goodness I now have about 204 people that could be related and the Facebook App is asking me to give them a potential designation to their “relative-ness” to me. When the “We’re related” notification arrived I nearly fell over. I have possibly 204 people on Facebook that may be related to me!
Looking closer after I opened the email and clicked through to the Facebook App – I don’t know these people – but the Facebook people are assuming that I not only know them but also am connected via blood lines.
One of the people suggested is a son of my son-in-law’s cousin. I don’t think I have ever met this cousin let alone his cousin – yet I am potentially related. Maybe I heard a story about him some where along the way. But I don’t know if you are related to some one like this or not. Facebook says there is a possible link.
As I looked at the list of 204 real people I started to think about the total amount of information that the Facebook computer has on me. They know all about me. They know who I might be related to – even when I have never met this relative! I recognize the name – but am at loss to know if we are connected.
But it doesn’t stop there… they want me to describe how we are related… like my daughter’s husband’s cousin’s son’s dog. Or… my aunt’s husband’s second wife’s son’s second child’s wife.
I don’t think they are related… but maybe they are.
But so was Adam and Eve – with my Christian Biblical belief system… so were Noah’s sons and their wives. I am sure about Adam – but not sure which of Noah’s sons I was connected to – one was a Grandfather and the other two were Uncles with a lot of Greats in front of their names.
I am waiting for Facebook to try to connect all the dots that makes me linked in some way to some really old relatives that are even gone. I can see a new App for Facebook – “Family Tree” which will include all the dead relatives as well as the alive ones.
Seriously though – there are some real issues in Canada with our privacy laws – and the Privacy Commissioner’s Office.
Recently a delegation from Ottawa was forced to spend a whole 30 days in sunny California trying to get the Facebook attention. Tough eh?
In an article today Matt Hartley of the National Post states the following…
“Privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart's office identified four areas in which Facebook's policies violated Canadian privacy law.
Among her concerns were Facebook's practice of indefinitely storing personal information of its 250 million global users, even after users deactivate their accounts or die, and that the privacy information contained on the site is often confusing or incomplete.
The report also detailed "significant concerns" about the way Facebook shares the personal information of its users with third-party software developers who create games, quizzes and other applications run on its network.”
I never thought of this before. They tell on me. They tell on the idiot things that I do – and then tell companies about my idiot ways so that they can keep me trapped into deeper idiot things.
Then there are the Facebookers – friends of mine and even some relatives that keep sending me information that I can join in on… i.e. “Save the Endangered Cricket of Southern Saskatchewan Living Under Olaf’s Granary”
I had made an idiot move and joined a Friend’s cause to support him… now that has ushered in a whole new era for me… I can join into protests of all sorts.
On CNN today the short video report tells of the “12 Most Annoying Facebookers”
Here is the list from CNN –
The Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-of-My-Day Bore. "I'm waking up." "I had Wheaties for breakfast." "I'm bored at work." "I'm stuck in traffic." You're kidding! How fascinating! No moment is too mundane for some people to broadcast unsolicited to the world. Just because you have 432 Facebook friends doesn't mean we all want to know when you're waiting for the bus.
The Self-Promoter. OK, so we've probably all posted at least once about some achievement. And sure, maybe your friends really do want to read the fascinating article you wrote about beet farming. But when almost EVERY update is a link to your blog, your poetry reading, your 10k results or your art show, you sound like a bragger or a self-centered careerist.
The Friend-Padder. The average Facebook user has 120 friends on the site. Schmoozers and social butterflies -- you know, the ones who make lifelong pals on the subway -- might reasonably have 300 or 400. But 1,000 "friends?" Unless you're George Clooney or just won the lottery, no one has that many. That's just showing off.
The Town Crier. "Michael Jackson is dead!!!" You heard it from me first! Me, and the 213,000 other people who all saw it on TMZ. These Matt Drudge wannabes are the reason many of us learn of breaking news not from TV or news sites but from online social networks. In their rush to trumpet the news, these people also spread rumors, half-truths and innuendo. No, Jeff Goldblum did not plunge to his death from a New Zealand cliff.
The TMIer. "Brad is heading to Walgreens to buy something for these pesky hemorrhoids." Boundaries of privacy and decorum don't seem to exist for these too-much-information updaters, who unabashedly offer up details about their sex lives, marital troubles and bodily functions. Thanks for sharing.
The Bad Grammarian. "So sad about Fara Fauset but Im so gladd its friday yippe". Yes, I know the punctuation rules are different in the digital world. And, no, no one likes a spelling-Nazi schoolmarm. But you sound like a moron.
The Sympathy-Baiter. "Barbara is feeling sad today." "Man, am I glad that's over." "Jim could really use some good news about now." Like anglers hunting for fish, these sad sacks cast out their hooks -- baited with vague tales of woe -- in the hopes of landing concerned responses. Genuine bad news is one thing, but these manipulative posts are just pleas for attention.
The Lurker. The Peeping Toms of Facebook, these voyeurs are too cautious, or maybe too lazy, to update their status or write on your wall. But once in a while, you'll be talking to them and they'll mention something you posted, so you know they're on your page, hiding in the shadows. It's just a little creepy.
The Crank. These curmudgeons, like the trolls who spew hate in blog comments, never met something they couldn't complain about. "Carl isn't really that impressed with idiots who don't realize how idiotic they are." [Actual status update.] Keep spreading the love.
The Paparazzo. Ever visit your Facebook page and discover that someone's posted a photo of you from last weekend's party -- a photo you didn't authorize and haven't even seen? You'd really rather not have to explain to your mom why you were leering like a drunken hyena and French-kissing a bottle of Jagermeister.
The Maddening Obscurist. "If not now then when?" "You'll see..." "Grist for the mill." "John is, small world." "Dave thought he was immune, but no. No, he is not." [Actual status updates, all.] Sorry, but you're not being mysterious -- just nonsensical.
The Chronic Inviter. "Support my cause. Sign my petition. Play Mafia Wars with me. Which 'Star Trek' character are you? Here are the 'Top 5 cars I have personally owned.' Here are '25 Things About Me.' Here's a drink. What drink are you? We're related! I took the 'What President Are You?' quiz and found out I'm Millard Fillmore! What president are you?"
Okay – Okay – I know that I joined into the group and that I can drop it at anytime… but there is something about being needed. People want to connect with me. They are my friends and relatives. If I disconnect or nuke them or ban them – who will I have left?
Someone asked me about another person and a relationship that had gone sour… according to that person… I was dumbfounded. The day before I had been with both persons at the same time – they were together and looked very happy. The “new reporter” had shared that the relationship was going down… this week!
What a nutsy world I live in. How many crazys am I related to – or are friends with.
I experienced the first two break ups – a couple separating from each other – on Facebook. The ripping and tearing at each other was something else. Right out their in public.
In the old days they only did that in the house next door. When you heard the fight spill out on to the street, then the Cops arrived, you kind of not look the other way any longer. Now their fight comes to my Computer Monitor. Hokey Mokey!
My world has changed in ways that are hard to imagine. It is very difficult to keep up to…
When my Great Grandfather moved his family to Southern Saskatchewan from Iowa it was very different from now. No airplanes or runways. No TV or the many other media things that flood their way into our lives today. His world was so different… so very, very different than now. They only relied on Gossip and Gossipers – now I have so much more.
And before I complete this posting I must admit that it is I am a Facebooker along with all my Friends… and I have committed many of the Annoying Things stated in the list above.
Facebook modification is needed – not because the Privacy Commissioner of Canada says so… but because I need to spend a whack of time just keeping up.
How about you?
~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com/
Source:
http://www.canada.com/business/fp/Facebook+modify+privacy+guidelines/1902992/story.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/20/annoying.facebook.updaters/index.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment