Slog - Comments on Orwellian Future Here Now Alert

Comment by Hmmmm

Hmmmm — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:45:51 -0800

I've been hearing about this, andyes it sounds bad, but maybe you can explain to me the part that I don't get-- how does facebook KNOW when you buy something? They don't have your credit card info or anything.

Do they track your email address? Like, if your facebook and amazon are under the same email address, will facebook know what you buy from amazon? Can you stop this whole thing by just using one email for facebook and another for everything else?

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:17:19 -0800

Puh-lease.

Comment by Sirkowski

Sirkowski — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:53:00 -0800

Yeah, your boss might fire you if he finds out the Nazi propaganda you're posting on FaceBook. That's what pseudonyms are for.

Comment by Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:58:32 -0800

This is sort of a bullshit story and your summary at the end is almost entirely inaccurate as is the post at Americablog.

More here.

I'll admit, it's confusing, but not nearly as sinister as you claim.

Comment by Joh

Joh — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:02:58 -0800

God now everyone will know how many time's I've seen Glitter.

Comment by Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:05:41 -0800

Well, hell, let me try that again:

More here.

Comment by Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:12:53 -0800

And for those who don't want to read that entire Metafilter thread to get to the truth, you have to opt in for Facebook to publish your purchases. Americablog is completely whacked out with their claims that you're automatically opted in and you have to go to each consumer website to opt out. That's patently false.

So, as long as you don't manually link your Amazon account to your Facebook account, you're good.

Comment by Peter

Peter — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:17:49 -0800

Adults use Facebook?

Comment by wbrproductions

wbrproductions — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:22:39 -0800

Go ahead and keep using Facebook and MySpace. The rest of us only benefit from your stupidity.

Comment by elenchos

elenchos — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:30:06 -0800

So it's like as a Safeway Club Card? Somebody is offering you a couple discounts in exchange for the chance to send you personalized junk mail.

Scary shit man.

Comment by Packratt

Packratt — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:46:11 -0800

You know, at least you can use the internet to defend against some of the information that does get collected about you that you don't have any control over.

Comment by Young Wipper Snapper

Young Wipper Snapper — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:30:57 -0800

Oh Chicago Fan, you old people can be so silly sometimes... As for the rest of you, if you've actually put yourself on Myspace (unlike the author, who speaks of things he does not know) then I would hope you've had the foresight to set your profile to "private". It does wonders for keeping things like Google and future (or in my case, current) employers from reaching you. Of course if you're an attention whore who accepts every friend invitation that comes your way, this will do you no good- but those people never really wanted privacy to begin with.

Now if we could all accept that social networking sites are here to stay, and create one not run by either big brother or Rupert Murdoch, I'd be a happy man.

Comment by Para Noid

Para Noid — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:39:04 -0800

There is so much to be paranoid about with the current government and business apparatus, that this fake story about Facebook collecting data is total moronity.

Comment by serious

serious — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:45:22 -0800

Maybe they do it by implanting a virus on your computer
http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/dontadd.asp

Comment by BFD

BFD — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 04:33:52 -0800

I'm fucked.

Comment by giffy

giffy — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:49:36 -0800

Um, if you don't like what a website like Facebook is doing, you can always, you know, cancel your fucking account.

Comment by G.S. Troop Local 846

G.S. Troop Local 846 — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:18:29 -0800

Our friends at Yahoo have discovered a fossil of Grendel's Mother. They've used the latest tech advancement, Holomoophpetizering, to recreate an intimate scene between the son and mom.
I still think gazing for hours at bugs in the dirt is a cooler thing to do, even indoors.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_sc/biggest_bug_ever

Comment by S. M.

S. M. — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:45:46 -0800

Once again, Slog hasn't been updated in over 12 hours. It's not Thanksgiving yet.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:15:34 -0800

This is why I use cash.

Except on Friday this week, which is Buy Nothing Day.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:25:11 -0800

@8 - yes. There's even an I Was Born In The 50's facebook group.

Just like there's a We Are Green Seattle facebook group for people who use the I Am Green facebook app.

Comment by Geni

Geni — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:14:13 -0800

My stepson's all pissed off about the Facebook thing. He bought his girlfriend a present, one he'd looked for for a long time, not realizing that he'd done the whole linking-of-accounts thing (he's not all that computer savvy, but in his defense, they did present that as a good idea for convenience' sake). His girlfriend now knows what she's getting for Xmas, and he's beside himself, because he can't afford to buy her something different.

It's an opt-in, yeah, but I don't think they exactly made it really clear to the users what they're opting in for. Most blow by it in spouse-mode, just hitting Accept Accept Accept, just like most people do with a EULA. It's disingenuous for Facebook to claim that the users opted in. They know perfectly well most users aren't reading the fine print.

Comment by Marty

Marty — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:56:13 -0800

See, it was just harmless fun when your boss finds pictures of you in a fairy dress, but now 'tis evil.
Gee, who in my generation knew you should be careful when buying things online? NO WAY. (By the by I'm 22...) I mean come on people, use your heads about things occassionally...

Comment by Hmmmm

Hmmmm — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:13:31 -0800

@21 Do you know where exactly those hidden opt in buttons are? I've been using facebook and I havent' seen anything asking me to link accounts.

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