Facebook Timeline

[John Bigboote]

So- Facebook went ahead and upgraded me to their new 'Timeline' format. I had heard people complaining about it, but figured- what the heck- all in the name of progress, right?

 

I DON'T think I like it. It is a HUGE violation of my privacy. For one thing, it invites people to have a look at my... TIMELINE- meaning- just about any FB related activity I have ever done from day 1 that I signed up with the entity Facebook. SO- if I, as an artist, like to look at pinup art, for example... and via facebook I discover some great comic/pinup artists... and from time to time view, comment or 'like' anything written or pictured on someone else's FB page... any of my OTHER friends, family, wife, MOTHER etc can come along and see what I've been up to. If I were, for example... a fierce raging democrat... and to be open minded, I read an article on a republican blog... my dem friends could come along and say 'what are you DOING???' If I have contacts that are homosexual, and others that are homo-phobic, and I am neither... everything is on your table. I'd HATE to think what it would of been like as a young man... who had a different girlfriend from time to time.

 

And... just TRY to disable it.

[robcat2075]

I think there are some settings where you can put your mother in a group that doesn't see everything but I've never investigated it.

[John Bigboote]

I think there are some settings where you can put your mother in a group that doesn't see everything but I've never investigated it.

 

 

SO--- keep in mind the possible 'dynamic conflicts' between your wide range of personas. Keep your Republican friends in one group, democrats in another... ethnicities might want to be properly segregated or run the risk of offending... this is NUTS!

[robcat2075]

It may be time to come out of the closet and admit to your mother that you've been reading comic books.

 

To avoid the embarrassment and shock that would befall her if she were to find that out on her own... while stalking you on the Internet.

[Wildsided]

They haven't forcibly changed my personal Facebook page, but they did change my show page without mentioning it to me. In doing so they lost every video I'd cross linked through Blip.tv and I had to redo them all. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the new layout either. But if we want a facebook presence we have to play by their rules.

 

Also I didn't know switching over to timeline made so much information available. Coz I'm a very private person to the point that other than my name and profile picture you don't get anything else without friending me. Which begs the question if those are your current security settings is there an equivalent for timeline

[John Bigboote]

If only the problem were as simple as 'owning up' and if only the problem was mine alone. There are plenty of other folks up in arms about this... I just wanted to warn folks of the possible dilemma(s) coming their way, courtesy Facebook. Rob, I see you have escaped their 'automatic upgrade' thus far. Keep on joking, funny man! I just spent the better half of a day removing stupid-mindless stuff I did as far as 4 years ago. I looked at some other peoples pages to see how exposed we are... it's TOO MUCH INFORMATION! I don't want to know that about you! I am considering closing the FB account... but fear them now. It finally IS the 2000's... big-brother HAS BEEN watching. Am I just paranoid?

[John Bigboote]

Uh-oh... I'm starting to sound like Vern! If only I could post as cool of animations as he did...

[robcat2075]

All you need now is a goat...

[KenH]

Big brother isn't just watching, he's getting you to do all the legwork!

[John Bigboote]

I (we) have been doing all the legwork for years, it is just now appearing.

[John Bigboote]

In my own case, it is a rather eventless timeline... embarrassing. I don't really travel, no kids, no major achievments to boast. I sit at a computer and eke a paycheck, year by year.

[Darkwing]

The funny thing about going back in time and seeing every single action someone made on Facebook is...you always could. All you had to do was keep scrolling. I like it. But then again, I'm a history major, so I kinda like going back in time.

[mouseman]

There was a mock article (The Onion?) about how there were no presidential election candidates for the 2040 election, because everyone's history was "out there" on social media sites for everyone else to see, making everyone unelectable.

 

As someone that has been doing some research into genealogy and having made some effort at trying to piece together peoples' lives from what little information is available, having more information about ancestors would be appreciated. There is perhaps some use to the information. But the question is who controls that information, and who has access to it.