Facebook keeps control out of user's hands
Patrick Fancher
Issue date: 3/2/09 Section: Forum
And who does Facebook think it's fooling when they propose solutions like the statement of rights and responsibilities? Not to sound too paranoid, but I get the feeling that this appointed council will consist of Facebook employees or individuals who will debate and vote heavily on behalf of the company's rights and my responsibilities.
If Facebook really cared about what its members want, it wouldn't need an elaborate system that it can override. It would simply do what's right instead of exploiting the information its members provide.
It is a social network for connecting members with other people they want to be connected with, not for commercial purposes. We don't want to feel like we're being used to sell merchandise to our friends when all we want to do is remain in contact with them.
As a member of Facebook, I use the site for the purpose of socializing. It has helped me reconnect with old childhood friends and keep the lines of communication open with my family and new friends. I want Facebook to enable me to reach out for my own purposes on my own terms.
I can remember finding it a little odd that my date of birth was a requirement for starting an account, but my judgment was clouded by the euphoria of joining the site that all my friends and classmates had belonged to for years.
In retrospect, I wish I had read the fine print of the terms of service a little more closely before creating an account, or had opted not to join altogether.
It's hard to believe that any of the solutions proposed by Facebook will be anything more than a self-serving, failed public relations agenda with the purpose of repairing its tainted image while conducting business as usual.
If Facebook is going to be two-faced, the only way to fight back is to let them know we can't be fooled so easily, and that we refuse to buy into what it's trying to sell us.
A massive exodus of members could send a convincing message to the corporate big wigs at Facebook that we truly have the power.
Patrick Fancher is a junior in new media communication. The opinions expressed in his columns do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily Barometer staff. Fancher can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.
If Facebook really cared about what its members want, it wouldn't need an elaborate system that it can override. It would simply do what's right instead of exploiting the information its members provide.
It is a social network for connecting members with other people they want to be connected with, not for commercial purposes. We don't want to feel like we're being used to sell merchandise to our friends when all we want to do is remain in contact with them.
As a member of Facebook, I use the site for the purpose of socializing. It has helped me reconnect with old childhood friends and keep the lines of communication open with my family and new friends. I want Facebook to enable me to reach out for my own purposes on my own terms.
I can remember finding it a little odd that my date of birth was a requirement for starting an account, but my judgment was clouded by the euphoria of joining the site that all my friends and classmates had belonged to for years.
In retrospect, I wish I had read the fine print of the terms of service a little more closely before creating an account, or had opted not to join altogether.
It's hard to believe that any of the solutions proposed by Facebook will be anything more than a self-serving, failed public relations agenda with the purpose of repairing its tainted image while conducting business as usual.
If Facebook is going to be two-faced, the only way to fight back is to let them know we can't be fooled so easily, and that we refuse to buy into what it's trying to sell us.
A massive exodus of members could send a convincing message to the corporate big wigs at Facebook that we truly have the power.
Patrick Fancher is a junior in new media communication. The opinions expressed in his columns do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily Barometer staff. Fancher can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.
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