New Media 2007

“This may have been Facebook’s year. But so far, it is still Google’s century”, Jeff Jarvis.

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thanks akyro.net

Facebook: now what?

Well, Facebook tends to be one of my favorite topics . It’s not my fault that every now and then I will come across with something worth commenting, pointing out or at least communicating it from here as well.
This time it’s a privacy issue which affects not only registered users but all those using third parties related to Facebook in favor of Facebook by obtaining unauthorized private information via its ad system, Beacon. It’s another thing to suspect about “Big Brother“-like issues and another thing to have them reported (Computer Associates has brought up the issue). Definitely Facebook is not the only one (I’m not daydreaming) but numbering 54 million users (let alone the related third parties) makes me more skeptic and reluctant on using it. Why joining when issues like the aforementioned are already known and served? Entertainment and communication (of such kind, if any…) versus ignorance (here you may choose a word that suits you).

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also related: this and this
(a bit long but worth reading posts as they explain in more detail).

Facebook? I’ll pass… (again)

In my past posts on facebook (here and here) I was only arguing on the big fuzz and was not claiming that facebook is the source of evil or anything like it. Being fair, I want to bring up this interesting post on a beneficial usage of facebook apart from entertainment? and communication (mmm?). The author is using facebook literally as a facebook to refresh his memories on past students of his, when asked for recommendation letters. He states that “…Each year we deal with hundreds of students, and unfortunately our human memories are not keeping up with Moore’s law. However, when the student is on Facebook then I can check easily the corresponding Facebook profile. By looking at the photo of the student, I can remember very easily the student, the performance in class, and the general impression that I had formed during the course…“. However, he can’t help concluding his thought by pointing out one of the unappealing properties of facebook as found in their privacy policy.