Monday, February 16, 2009

Another reason not to like facebook

I once read that facebook is like renting a space on the internet, as opposed to owning your own place, like a blog or webpage, which is kinda exactly like I see it. 

Facebook is always asking me to install new applications so I can kiss people or buy them beer. To figure out who my relatives are, or who my extra special friends are. I don't like those demands so I don't install the apps. Easy peasy.

But now they have changed their terms of service, so that effectively they can do whatever they want with my created content. You know, my images uploaded there, my blog posts which I have had reposting by themselves over there, just stuff I create. They have control over that stuff now, even if I delete it. Yes, even if I delete it, it may not be really gone.

And that's why I use this blog for my written content, and flickr for my image creations. I want power over what I create. I want to decide how and where and when it's used, and I don't want another body to have that decision making power, least of which to make money on it.

So I am planning to go into Facebook and turn off a few switches later on this afternoon. The kinds of switches that auto-upload my blog posts and things like that. I'm just glad I've not uploaded a lot of images there.

So, be warned if you are a content creator, where your stuff is located. It may not be up to you what happens to it in the future.

 

You can read more on it here.

13 comments:

  1. I guess if they find it useful to have my comments about what I am doing they can enjoy them. That is about all I've put on there - ever. But so many unsuspecting people have pictures and videos and all sorts of links. It sure does not seem fair to change the rules half way.

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  2. Good thing I deleted my blog network and automatic uploads a while back. Sheesh, a stalker appears to be the least of my worries, ya think?

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  3. Um...that's a little scary. Don't I have to agree to the new terms and conditions first?

    I'm off to delete that stuff right now...

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  4. Dang. You're right. According to that article they can archive my stuff. Not sure what they'd want with my blog posts, but I've been posting them there since I signed up for Facebook.

    Crap. What do they want with my content?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sorry for the multiple comments. Just tried to delete my Notes application and this popped up:

    "You cannot completely remove a Facebook application. This will remove Notes from your bookmarks, and remove any profile tabs or boxes; but it will remain in your Applications Page.

    Do you want to remove all integration points for Notes?"

    What does that mean?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like the way facebook reminds me of people birthdays and forces others to maintain contact. The rest of it is a large pile of detritus, really. As Dan pointed out to me today, because of the limitation on the number of characters in profile comments I have to make twitter-style posts.

    They can keep the content they've had from me so far, but I'm glad that I've not linked my blog content with the sie. Wonder when blogger will have similar T&Cs?

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  7. Catch 22. Before I uploaded all my photos to FB I got such little traffic. Now I get comments, critique etc. Many times I've tried to get people to look at my photography, on my site where the image quality remains intact unlike on FB, but the traffic was minimal.

    Traffic still isn't very good on my site, but at least I get some views on FB. Perhaps I should revive Flickr, but it never got me much feedback either. The ease of piracy on Flickr bothers me, my site is protected and FB degrades the image so much you wouldn't make a 4x6 out of those images so I'm unsure of where to go with it.

    Still, that archiving of everything is creepy.

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  8. I removed my blog from my FB account and turned off my blog import feature as well.

    Hope all is well.

    Jeremy

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  9. Mark Zuckerberg responds to the Facebook fallout:
    http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=54434097130

    You might want to read the official response.

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  10. And facebook backs down, reverts back to it's old TOS.

    Move along, nothing more to see here amy longer, except an Internet 2.0 company with 2 thirds of it's 2.0 now gone.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm just signing up for a phone with Virgin Mobile, and their terms of service have some similar sketchiness:

    About content provided by you

    Any text, pictures, graphics, audio or video clips, software and any other information transmitted through or to the Services by you or another Virgin Mobile customer ("Content") will be considered non–confidential and non-proprietary. Virgin Mobile and its Suppliers have no obligations with respect to Content. Virgin Mobile, its Suppliers and designees will be free to copy, disclose, distribute, incorporate and otherwise use the Content and all data, images, sounds, text, and other things embodied therein for any and all commercial or non–commercial purposes. You agree to grant to Virgin Mobile a non-exclusive, royalty–free, worldwide, perpetual license, with the right to sublicense, reproduce, distribute, transmit, create derivative works of, or publicly display any Content submitted, transmitted or posted through or on the Services. You agree that you shall have no recourse against Virgin Mobile for any alleged or actual infringement or misappropriation of any proprietary right in your Content. You may not upload, download, post, distribute, or otherwise transmit any Content that is unlawful, libellous, defamatory, slanderous, obscene, harassing, threatening, abusive, harmful, violates the privacy rights of others, or is otherwise objectionable, in our sole discretion. You may not upload, download, edit, modify or transmit any Content that may infringe on any patent, trade–mark, trade secret, copyright, or other intellectual property right of any person. Infringement may result from the unauthorized copying, posting, editing, modifying or distributing of any Content, including ringtones, graphics, pictures, photographs, logos, software, articles, music, games or videos. By posting any Content, you represent that you have legal right to use, distribute, and publish such Content.


    I'll still sign up for it, but that just doesn't seem right to me, either.

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    ReplyDelete
  13. However I am concerned about Homer I think he needs to go to the doctirs before his eyes fall out! ,

    ReplyDelete



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