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debbye on Dec 06, 2007

Thanks for posting this!

elnitido52 on Dec 08, 2007

CEO attempts to fix social-networking blunder... Not good enough...

elnitido52 on Dec 08, 2007

Kathryn Montgomery, professor of communication at American University, called the announcement a "stop gap" aimed at calming a widespread public outcry from consumer groups.

"The move to allow users to turn Beacon off entirely may restore a small measure of control to Facebook's members, but it is by no means an adequate safeguard for ensuring privacy protection on this and other social networking platforms," she said in a statement. "These companies are continuing full steam ahead with a new generation of intrusive marketing practices that are based on unprecedented levels of data collection and personal profiling."

JBVisions on Dec 08, 2007

Gosh, this awful Facebook thing that was broadcasting all my movements around the internet has this to say for itself....

No sites have tried sending stories to your profile. When they do, those sites will appear in a list on this page.

Nothing. Not a thing, and I've been all over the web like a rash the last few weeks getting ready for Christmas. I suspect, as with most of these stories, that this one has been blown up out of all proportion.

seanhussey on Dec 08, 2007

Same thing on my page. This has been blown out of proportion.

travisseitler on Dec 08, 2007

Here's the thing: even if you opt-out on that page, Beacon-enabled sites still send data about you to Facebook.

anti on Dec 08, 2007

Basic Facebook seems to work fine without JavaScript. Chances are it will need to be enabled for Packrat, but it can be enabled on a temporary basis. It is more trouble to control your experience, but it is an option.

seanhussey on Dec 09, 2007

@travisseitler - But are they keeping it? Using it? We need that question answered.

And part of that problem isn't Facebook, it's the affiliate sites. If people want Beacon to go away, hit the affiliates.

But, again, I think this is overblown. Yeah, there need to be controls, and I think FB has shown they now realize this, but is this any worse than what DoubleClick used to do? Or what Google may be doing? Hard to say.

Steax on Dec 10, 2007

I simply can't resist not point out this comic from XKCD. Not that's anything to do with the Beacon, just about Facebook. XKCD reads my mind sometimes. =P

ZsaZsa on Dec 10, 2007

@ Steax That's so funny!

WARNING: Cranky old lady message follows>>>>>>

I think younger folks are less sensitive about their private info.
They are more likely to spill their guts on facebook, reality television, to send sonograms to blanket email recipients, and so I guess I am in the hypersensitive minority. I don't like drug tests even though I don't do drugs - if you can't tell by my work it's none of your business, IMHO.

I am just sick of our privacy being invaded in general. Dressing room security, DOB and other unnecessary info collecting to get access to online sites, no warrant for wiretapping, adware, spyware and now Beacon. Most things you can work around if you know about it, but it is tiresome. I feel it is our right not to be hounded by spam, unsolicited phone calls, and spyware. To me, we should have to opt-IN and rather than opt-out. That is all.

>>>end cranky message

elnitido52 on Dec 10, 2007

Love ya ZsaZsa...arrr...

seanhussey on Dec 10, 2007

@ZsaZsa - Ok, now I'm with you!

But there's a difference between what the government is doing and what business is doing. Business can be stopped a lot easier, I think.

But when the current president is acting like a king, then, yeah, I have concerns as well.

FB using Beacon and you don't like it? Don't use FB or their partners.

Bush issuing wiretaps without consent? Um, move to another country?

Both valid, but very different issues.

ZsaZsa on Dec 10, 2007

I know I am using broad strokes, but what government and business have in common is that we don't always know when our privacy is being eroded. If a warrant is not required for a wiretap, then the wiretap is completely under the radar and is known to only one agency or branch of government. Beacon style tracking was also under the radar. You cannot judge the average person's grasp of online privacy issues by the sophisticated IB crowd.

seanhussey on Dec 10, 2007

I agree (especially with your last sentence), but while I think Beacon surprised some people because of the way it was introduced, I wouldn't say that it's under the radar. You can control it with the second link I posted. Try and tell the government that you want to know who has wiretapped you and that you want them to stop. I think you'll end up with a guaranteed wiretap. Not that you'd know. :)

ZsaZsa on Dec 10, 2007

SSSory. Hard tttttto typ wi;th handcffffffffffs