Facebook Feeds

Apparently the sky has fallen, and the end of the world is nigh, because [tag]Facebook[/tag] has implemented the so called [tag]mini feeds[/tag]. What are these horrible, evil things? They are very simple lists of your most recent activities that get displayed in your [tag]profile[/tag]. And apparently, this nifty feature is the destroyer of personal lives, and a tool for stalkers.

Anti feed facebook groups are popping all over the place and people are whining left and right.

All I have to say about this is WTF? I completely fail to see the problem here. ZOMG! Facebook has made the public information that I voluntarily post on a publicly accessible website much easier to find! Oh noes! Woe is me! Cry me a fucking river, why don’t you! There is nothing in the mini-feeds that was not already accessible to the general public.

I think that the so called [tag]Facebook Generation[/tag] has forgotten about one of the oldest and most prominent rules of the internet. Please read the following statement out loud, and take few seconds to reflect upon it:

Anything you post on teh interwebs can and definitely will be used against you.

Did that sink in yet? No? Read it again… Reflect… Then, and only then, continue reading.

If you don’t want people to know that you post hurtful, embarrassing things on your friend’s wall then don’t do it! If you don’t want your girlfriend to know what you do on facebook then either cancel your account or tell her to mind her own business. It’s as simple as that. You can’t have the cake and eat it too! Facebook is no exception to this rule.

Please don’t get me wrong – I’m all for [tag]privacy[/tag]. I think that AOL style security blunders are inexcusable, and unacceptable. But mini feeds are not a privacy concern. They are a [tag]data aggregation[/tag] tool. Blaming Facebook for compiling this information in accessible, and readily available form is like blaming google for indexing all the websites with your name.

You (and only you) are completely responsible, and accountable for all the content you publish on facebook and similar networks. I think mini feeds are a uncomfortable reminder of that fact. The existence of feeds may actually force some people to think twice before they post something hurtful, embarrassing or inapropriate. And in my personal opinion this is a good thing.

Judging from the public outcry however, people would rather remain [tag]blissfully ignorant[/tag] about the amount of private information they publish every day.