The problem is that users see Facebook in a different way than Facebook sees itself. Users see a fun website where they can post pictures of their dog. Facebook sees ways to get companies to pay for access to those users. That disconnect is at the heart of all the issues around Facebook.<p>Looks like it is time for my 2-monthly repost of The Seven Realities of Social Networking.<p><a href="https://sheep.horse/2013/10/the_seven_realities_of_social_networking.html" rel="nofollow">https://sheep.horse/2013/10/the_seven_realities_of_social_ne...</a>
I think the big takeaway here is not that Woz is saying this, but that USA Today is carrying a story about leaving Facebook. I'd almost guarantee that USA Today's readership has never been presented with the concepts regarding user data that we, here, are all very familiar with.
I realize this, but I still have a hard time not using Google services. I know they are analyzing my data for ads, but it in incredibly convenient for me to be on the exact same platform, from email with gmail and file storage with google drive and browser with chrome and android on my phone, they just seem to get me with one thing at a time in the name of standardization. What steps can be made to prevent this?
Is this the catalyst for change away from those companies, or just another passing bout of enlightenment that will be forgotten by the masses by the midterm elections?
So Apple products are the high road here? Products that lock me in and force me to shell out money every few years to upgrade, force my friends/family to use the same platform (iphoto), creates gardens with massive walls (doesn't let Siri talk to apps, has a totalitarian regime of an app store), and more, or use the completely free Facebook where "I am the product"? Most people don't care and even I am not convinced being the product is necessarily a bad thing.
The most troubling defense from FB I've heard is that product companies that charge for products and don't have ad supported models are inducing "Stockholm Syndrome" in those who defend that approach vs the free ad supported model. To me it seems that that analogy is stronger for those who don't pay for free products, as they are arguably more locked in than those who can 'vote with their wallets' and stop buying.
tl;dr - I explain in detail why you should use Facebook for your advantage instead of complaining about their lack of decency.<p>Anybody who denies Facebook doesn't recognize its true value for ones personal brand. It's not about your data - you shouldn't do anything remotely personal on this platform, ever. It's all about personal marketing. And for this purpose, it is the perfect tool. You can decide how people perceive you and gain social power and influence other people.
If you refuse to take this chance because they sell your data, you're wasting a big opportunity. It's known for years that they don't care about privacy, and neither should you when you use those platforms. Use encrypted and decentralized communication channels if you want to communicate without being spied on.<p>But Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat can be used to build powerful social influence. And this can be used to gain further power - I'm not a fan of Nietzsches "Will to power" bullshit, but I'm interested in power regardless to build my personal empire (maybe based on deep insecurity and narcissim, whatever rests under the consciousness).<p>For all those Facebook haters: Your distaste for this platform stems from the fact that they don't value privacy and that people in general don't really care. But don't miss this opportunity just for the matter of doing "the right thing". If you're an existential nihilist like me, you recognize that all those opinions don't really matter (including yours) and are often used to find value in oneself like many vegetarians, no-facebookers, minimalists, etc. use it (I'm a vegetarian - it can be used to feel good about oneself if you prefer to give your narcisstic side those impulses. I try to avoid doing it for those reasons to overcome myself).
Sigmund Freud called this the "Narcissim of small differences", don't get fooled by your unconscious side - even if you think that it's rational to avoid Facebook. Think in terms of power and how you gonna get it. I know, this certainly sounds like a sociopath, but you can do good things with this power. "Humans of New York" is a Facebook page that shows us how we can use this power for good.<p>Don't hate the game. It's man-made and without any purpose like our whole existence. Learn to play it if you want to master life in this society.
Otherwise you just support your ego - exactly like the people who are on Facebook. You're not smarter than them. Nobody here is including me.<p>I just hope that people learn to value the opportunity and do a rational risk-assessment instead of using emotions of rejection because a company is selling user information.
I don't support that Facebook does that, but we can still use their platform to our advantage while hiding our true personality (and therefore enforce our privacy).<p>edit: Maybe most people who are on Facebook see it like this - although I have the notion that most people don't reflect on this level about their Facebook and social media usage.