Social Networking Without Facebook
Privacy is the prevailing and principal concern for adults using Facebook. One reads, almost daily, of some or other security breach which allows the informations users store on Facebook to be accessed by less than scrupulous organisations. The problem though it also the reason for Facebook’s popularity – to bring together everything you want to share about yourself and invite your friends to view it is an incredible opportunity but it does also constitute a threat to your privacy.
Facebook has been successful in consuming the way most people arrange to meet IRL (in real life, for those who do not follow the particular twists and turns of internet parlance). The trouble with this is that that it opens up the process too much, it leaves your details and details of what you do exposed (even at the most stringent privacy setting there is likely to be someone who has access).
The cure might not necessarily to leave the site alone all together. Nobody can deny that social networks provide a fantastically easy way to keep in touch over long distances or in the day-to-day. The best idea to keep your privacy is to post as little information as possible and not to use ‘apps’. The users o social media are bombarded by constant requests to become virtual labourers on their friends’ digital farms or mid level members of an imaginary criminal organisation or mafia, these inane diversions are embraced as harmless fun by a great many people but they exist to generate income for their creators, sometimes harmlessly by advertising but on occasion by harvesting information which you amy not realise you have allowed them to view and share with others.
Arranging to meet your friends is easily done without the use of Facebook events, groups or spurious apps.
If you intend to use Facebook (with a stripped down profile offering only your name and a photo so your friends can verify your identity) the inbuilt email system is perfectly useful for keeping in touch. It is, though, just that – an email system – you must have an email address, everyone does. So, why not just email your friends. The art of emailing seems to have gone out of fashion, the 90s saw a surge in online communication taking away from postal services. This communication, although first by private email, has moved to sites like Facebook.
The point at which I am driving, furiously, is that you might feel that you need Facebook to keep in-the-loop with your friends, but you needn’t engage with the culture of reckless information sharing and inane time-wasting. Make it known that you keep in touch by email, private email. Ultimately the reason it is so easy for social networking sites to catch users is that they put everything in one place. Instand messaging, email, keeping in touch with friends and sharing your contact details all on one page. The internet is quick, you don’t need to save the two additional seconds it would take to use different servies for everything.
Ultimately my advice is use social networks sparingly, wisely if you like but also use them only when they provide the one effective means of doing what you want done and most definitely only post information which you would not mind being shared with the entire world.
Surf safely and securely.
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Facebook has been connected to so many viruses that my browser settings don’t even let me use any of the features. I get a sort of weird page where everything runs down one side and can’t navigate or even log in. I am starting to freak out with this facebook, i’d rather use twitter than fb for now!
I find facebook more annoying than useful, I’d rather use some other social networking that seems to be easier to use, less applications and required less decisions. For me facebook SUCKS in many ways!!!
IM IN THE MIDST OF TRYING TO GET SOMETHING OFF THE GROUND HERE..JUST NOT SURE WHAT DIRECTION TO TAKE.. WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING WORTH WHILE THOUGH, SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE, NOT WITH FACEBOOK NATURALLY!
I can live and socialize with others in so many ways, I use to do that before wherein facebook doesn’t exist and I will use to live without it!
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greetings!
i’m at work at the moment, therefore i do not have very much time to write… however! I truly appreciated reading through the article. It turned out to be a bunch of really good stuff. thank you! Regards, Resan
In my opinion, FB instills a degree, albeit a small degree, of peer pressure for the many, seemingly insecure, users who feel the need to inform their crowd of their routine, mundane activities on a sometimes, minute by minute basis. The issue with this is that nefarious “friends” and friends of friends can use this information against them. When people publish their routines (where then go and when), this kind of information can potentially be used for crimes against them. There is a reason that HR departments and law enforcement search FB and other social sites – copious quantities of info, personal info. In this method, profiles are created and lifestyles classified, most of it totally unbeknownst to the average user.
FB can also be a liability to some users who are not constantly mindful of their language. The illusion of free speech can easily be challenged and verified by simply posting an opinion in some cases. Employers who regularly check these types of sites for any negative comments about them will quickly and definitively terminate employees for any negative comments related to their business. Is this fair? There are entire legal departments now, specifically for the litigious purpose of adamantly defending a company by means of a civil lawsuit. Since the average guy doesn’t have the thousands of dollars to even defend him/herself, we must suffer the repercussions alone and in may cases just keep the comments (which might even be factual) to ourselves.
Then, lets discuss the topic of posting images. Provocative images that will live online forever. When you are famous or running for public office, they mysteriously appear.
In 2011, the user experience is still gaining momentum and the demands of users for an entertaining, rich, multimedia experience on any website is a base expectation. Perhaps this is why flash animations have increased tenfold in many sites. Also, this might be why people choose to use FB for communicating over basic email?
Do kids need this? There is no doubt FB is where the people are at. That is why companies such as Pepsi stopped adverting in the Superbowl (after 25 years) and switched to online social sites. Also recent terrorist attacks against social sites indicate that is where the masses are.
Perhaps i am just not embracing the social site, and all they bring to users like they were intended to. It might be that old school part of me that has issues with change…LOL
Great article – that’s why we invented INCLIQ. Your private data is never transmitted-to (or stored on) incliq.com servers.
Facebook is like a refrigerator. You get bored and keep checking, but nothing ever changes.
For sure we need to get out of this stupidville games and find some real friends.
Earlier, I used to waste a lot of time on Facebook almost daily and it was affecting my studies. But I am glad I read the tips for saving time while using Facebook on AvoidFacebook.com. Now I don’t spend hours on the site and have time for studies. Facebook has literally ruined my routine. I was getting addicted to it.
Some of the invite I get from Facebook users who have hundreds of friends on their account are not interested in me. They just do it to show the numbers. They are insane and may be addicted to FB.
I couldn’t agree with you more!
They talk about that privacy settings but once we make a comment or post a picture it is not private any more. I am sure there will be few looking for ways to sneak through these privacy settings.
Better safe than sorry.