Is my socal network info private? Of course not.

It seems that Facebook is in the headlines again, and not in a positive way. They made the front of Slashdot again with an article from News.com about the “Next Facebook Privacy Scandal”.

When I put information about myself online I know it’s not private anymore. The reason WHY I put stuff online is because I don’t want it to be private. The article essentially states that when you install a Facebook application, you must agree to let that application have access to your account information. Well DUH!! C’mon people. This isn’t news. If you really want your information to be private, then it shouldn’t be on the Internet.

The belief of the author of the article is that the applications that I create don’t NEED access to a users “private” data; that I am “unnecessarily” given access to it. But as a developer, that “private” data (the user’s likes, tastes, preferences) could very well be a very valuable source of information that adds value to my application; and thus to the user. Of course not EVERY application needs all of that information. User taste in movies has nothing to do with how or how often they poke somebody. But perhaps my application does benefit from that information. If I am to expect a user to expressly grant permission to every type of information useful to every application they install it would quickly create a lousy user experience. I don’t want that and my users don’t want that.

An interesting point is raised when you bring an application user’s friends into the picture. They might not have allowed access to my program, but because they gave permission to their friend that friend can do what they want to with their data. Their friend chooses to use my application which uses all the data at its disposal. But many applications would be crippled without that knowledge.

But the biggest reason why this doesn’t matter is that . . . users . . . don’t . . . care. Even if they could be made to understand just how public their information really is . . . they don’t care. I’m not arguing that Facebook servers don’t have some holes in them. There isn’t a shortage of holes in ANY of the social networks. There won’t ever be. I’m just saying that private information should stay private. Banking transactions belongs in an encrypted session with your bank. And any information you put on the social net is going to stay . . . for the most part . . . public. If you want to keep the fact that you actually LIKED Good Luck Chuck private, well, don’t put it on the web.

-Jason Crist

P.S. Yes, I DID like Good Luck Chuck. Not a lot . . . not enough to add it to my movie collection or anything, but I definitely enjoy some good slap-stick and it had its moments.