reasons to pass on facebook
Some people have inquired on why my company (or myself, for that matter) is NOT on Facebook. This is an on going web page, check back for additional updates.
While I don't expect software technology companies to be perfect, Facebook crossed that line a long time ago and accessing and using this site places your computers, and more importantly, your identity - who you are - your way of life - your livelihood, at significant risk.
Newest Posts
Feb 11, 2011: Finding Facebook Trolls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1kFNYuteAjA
Jan 31, 2012: Facebook Fatigue
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-i-have-facebook-fatigue.html
"That may be why several current and former users I've spoken with continue to steer clear of Facebook, deactivate their accounts, or ratchet down their usage. The evolving Facebook experience has either turned them off or the social network increasingly drew them away from the real world, breeding a false sense of intimacy where following friends and family on Facebook displaced deeper, quality interactions with them."
Jan 12, 2012: Credit Lenders monitor social Networking
If they think you hang out with a bunch of low life people you may be denied credit. What's next could your credit score go down based on your Facebook friends?
http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/social-networking-social-graphs-credit-1282.php
Security Issues
Dec 22, 2011: Cybercrooks deploy new weapon to pollute profiles
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/22/browser_plug_in_facebook_scam/
Dec 7, 2011: Facebook bug sees Zuckerberg private pictures posted online
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16067383
Nov 29, 2011: Facebook worm leads to heavy infection
http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=1921
Nov 24, 2011: Fake Facebook account deletion warnings target users
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=11998
Nov 4, 2011: How cyber thieves are getting around online security questions
http://www.ktnv.com/news/local/133263318.html
Privacy Issues
Jan 12, 2012: Credit Lenders monitor social Networking
If they think you hang out with a bunch of low life people you may be denied credit. What's next could your credit score go down based on your Facebook friends?
http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/social-networking-social-graphs-credit-1282.php
Dec 21, 2011: Be careful what you Like - Your Face in Sponsored Stories
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/21/facebook_sponsored_stories/
Nov 30, 2011: Zuckerberg submits privacy mea culpa after FTC ruling. "We've made a bunch of mistakes" on privacy, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has admitted. An eight-count complaint (PDF) issued by the FTC against Facebook, held that the company "was unfair and deceptive, and violated federal law." Here's a list of instances in which Facebook allegedly failed to keep promises it had made to its users about their data. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/30/zuckerberg_ftc_privacy_mea_culpa/
Nov 29, 2011: Why is Facebook constantly pushing people to share things?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/facebook-privacy-settlement_n_1119538.html
Sep 25, 2011: "Apparently, Facebook has a lot of work to do on its privacy controls. In some cases, the new 'frictionless sharing' features of Facebook can make it so that even when you're logged out of Facebook, your browser is still tracking every page you visit, sending that data back to Facebook." http://mashable.com/2011/09/25/facebook-privacy-issues/
Apr 2011: Facebook Facial Recognition: Its Quiet Rise and Dangerous Future
"Awesome! Now I can take pictures of cute girls at the grocery store or at the park, upload them and Facebook will tell me who they are!"
http://www.pcworld.com/article/226228/ facebook_facial_recognition_its_quiet_rise_and_dangerous_future.html
May 8, 2010: How to find the IP address and physical location of someone who posts on your Wall or comments on your post. http://newsblaze.com/story/20100508062743tm75.nb/topstory.html
Feb 2011: How Google and Facebook are filtering our Search Results
http://www.flixxy.com/beware-of-online-filter-bubbles.htm
Up and Coming Competitors
Dec 29, 2011: Google Plus gaining Traction
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/google-gains-traction-researcher-says/?WT.mc_id=BU-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M234-ROS-0112-L1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_c=176922
Dumping Facebook
Jan 31, 2012: Facebook Fatigue
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-i-have-facebook-fatigue.html
"That may be why several current and former users I've spoken with continue to steer clear of Facebook, deactivate their accounts, or ratchet down their usage. The evolving Facebook experience has either turned them off or the social network increasingly drew them away from the real world, breeding a false sense of intimacy where following friends and family on Facebook displaced deeper, quality interactions with them."
Dec 13, 2011: Shunning Facebook, and Living to Tell About It - the Facebook Resistors
"'People always raise an eyebrow,' said Chris Munns, 29, who works as a systems administrator in New York. But my life has gone on just fine without it. I'm not a shut-in. I have friends and quite an enjoyable life in Manhattan, so I can't say it makes me feel like I'm missing out on life at all."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/technology/shunning-facebook-and-living-to-tell-about-it.html?_r=1&hp (Anonymous Link)
User Statistics
Feb 3, 2012: Attackers use fake friends to blend into Facebook
A new Barracuda Labs study provides an example of an increasing number of attackers move to social networks to carry out their wares.
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=12340
According to the report at InternetWorldStats.com
http://www.internetworldstats.com/facebook.htm
Of the 347,394,870 people in North America, 272,066,000 people are Internet users. Out of those 272 million, 149,054,040 people are facebook users, as of June 2011. The leaves 123 million users who don't use facebook. That's a huge missing segment, for all of you businesses that pour marketing dollars into facebook for their business.
Nov 2011: Facebook User Demographics: The majority of users are age 34 and below. Not the place to be to reach 35 to 40 and 50+ audience.
http://www.quantcast.com/facebook.com
May 2010: Why the number of people creating fake accounts and using second identity on Facebook are increasing
"There are a lot of users on Facebook but some of the people who join this social networking website seem to be creating fake accounts. Facebook has reached a level where the user base is roughly estimated to cover around 37% of the total world population and along with this huge user base, the fake user base has risen to 27% of the total Facebook users."
http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/05/why-the-number-of-people-creating-fake-accounts-and-using-second-identity-on-facebook-are-increasing/
User Opinion
"I think part of the problem is the changes that Facebook undertook a few years back. It used to be a closed online community reserved for college students and college alumni to stay in touch with friends at other universities. It was closed to everyone else, and therefore your boss could not access any of your info unless they were an alumni from the same university or you befriended them. Now that let anyone (including minors) join the site, and it's become a source of ongoing problems as a result." anonymous Yahoo post
"It would be interesting to see some authoritative research on Facebook users. From reading this paper and debate the claim of 400 million users may be an exaggeration if there are many people using multiple profiles. Perhaps the claim of 400 million active users should be modified to 400 million active profiles. Perhaps the Facebook market penetration is not as great as they claim." keithlaw, on netstudies.org
"'I wasn't calling my friends anymore,' said Ashleigh Elser, 24, who is in graduate school in Charlottesville, Va. 'I was just seeing their pictures and updates and felt like that was really connecting to them.'" New York Times article
User Complaints
Consumer Complaints and Reviews
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/dating_services/facebook.html
Jan 2011: Are You Being Impersonated on Facebook?
"Does Facebook do enough to keep malicious impersonations off the site? Does Facebook provide anything like adequate user support? My answers are 'No', and 'No'."
http://caffeine.shugendo.org/2011/01/13/are-you-being-impersonated-on-facebook/
Criticism of Facebook
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Criticism_of_Facebook
Social Implications
Feb 11, 2012: Finding Facebook Trolls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1kFNYuteAjA
Feb 9, 2012: Facebook Parenting for the Troubled Teen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1ujzRidmU&feature=player_embedded
Feb 8, 2012: Motive in double murder centers around de-friending on Facebook
http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/feb/08/1/men-charged-johnson-county-double-murder-court-tod-ar-1673810/
Aug 31, 2011: When social media 'hinders' revolution
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-08-31/tech/social.media.stop.revolution_1_social-media-facebook-and-twitter-facebook-photos?_s=PM:TECH
Oct 20, 2010: Social networking hurts the communication skills of college students
http://www.thedaonline.com/opinion/social-networking-hurts-the-communication-skills-of-college-students-1.1689315
Business Benefits
Apr 6, 2011: Facebook - Where Marketing Efforts go to Die
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/06/facebook-where-marketing-efforts-go-to-die/
Apr 2009: Facebook and Twitter: Measuring ROI
"I got a little upset this week when a small business owner told me that they were told at a presentation at a local chamber of commerce that, 'If you aren't out on Facebook and Twitter, you are going to be left behind.'"
Investors/Web 2.0
July 2011: Don't call it the next Tech Bubble - Yet
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/07/11/dont-call-it-the-next-tech-bubble-yet/ (Anonymous Link)
July 2011: Dude! Sell before it's too late! The rise of Google Plus, Zirta.net Comic
http://zirta.net/google-plus-vs-facebook/ (Anonymous Link)
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