I have never had a FB account. I dislike FB with a vengeance - I'll perhaps explain why in a few moments.
I have had several Twitter accounts - which I used to test the system, and I once or twice tried to use it to achieve some sort of "result". Decided it was/is a wast of time. I also read a book about how Twitter was developed, which was interesting.
I have had a linkedIn account - but I never use it.
What irritates me about some of these is that some try to take over one's whole online life. The assumption that everyone has a FB account, so one can log into other sites via FB - that struck me as very opportunistic. When Spotify tried to make log in "easier" by only allow access by FB, I complained - and it seems that others did too, as the policty was changed afterwards.
I have heard of Twitter being used for useful purposes, and I hear good reports of some useful FB sites. For me there are a few issues, particularly with FB, so I'll address the issues taking FB as the main target of my criticism.
1. Sites which form walled gardens, and which try to expand their user base by "ease of use" features such as log ins to other sites. Walled gardens are perhaps very good for very small local groups, but there is no need for the data to be handled either nationally or internationally. An example might be a small intranet for use within a school. Just because there are technical and resource issues with running such a system is no reason to outsource such activities to a possibly untrusted third party organisation.
2. Privacy. Data and information which is made available on the internet is now global. I don't necessarily want the whole world to know that I went to the toilet at 9.50am on 16th September, 20014 - either now, or for ever more. I don't trust any web sites to honour privacy now, or in the future, or even if they do, they can be hacked.
This is unfortunate - as I can see the use of a real closed user group for real friends and family, but but trusting a third party organisation (web site) with commercial interests to provide that and keep my data/privacy secure - NO!
3. Many of the sites are administered within the US. This means that data traffic goes across the Atlantic, and also that data security and privacy are dealt with under the US regime. In itself that needn't be an issue, as there wouldn't necessarily be a better situation if the companies were based in the UK or the EU. My view - see point - is that if I don't want people to know that I went to the toilet at 9.50am on September 16, 2014, I shouldn't post that anywhere. People who give information away carelessly are foolish.
4. There has been a history of some sites folding, or merging with others, or being relocated to other jurisdictions. Rules can change. These can - almost certainly will - have an impact on the issues mentioned in points 1-3.
5. Re time wasting - I've seen many people spend hours on FB, not always perhaps to good effect.
6. I have limited presence on the web - this board, and one other, and I also use a couple of photo sites. I do waste time with these, but for my purposes I don't think this is totally unreasonable.
I have had several Twitter accounts - which I used to test the system, and I once or twice tried to use it to achieve some sort of "result". Decided it was/is a wast of time. I also read a book about how Twitter was developed, which was interesting.
I have had a linkedIn account - but I never use it.
What irritates me about some of these is that some try to take over one's whole online life. The assumption that everyone has a FB account, so one can log into other sites via FB - that struck me as very opportunistic. When Spotify tried to make log in "easier" by only allow access by FB, I complained - and it seems that others did too, as the policty was changed afterwards.
I have heard of Twitter being used for useful purposes, and I hear good reports of some useful FB sites. For me there are a few issues, particularly with FB, so I'll address the issues taking FB as the main target of my criticism.
1. Sites which form walled gardens, and which try to expand their user base by "ease of use" features such as log ins to other sites. Walled gardens are perhaps very good for very small local groups, but there is no need for the data to be handled either nationally or internationally. An example might be a small intranet for use within a school. Just because there are technical and resource issues with running such a system is no reason to outsource such activities to a possibly untrusted third party organisation.
2. Privacy. Data and information which is made available on the internet is now global. I don't necessarily want the whole world to know that I went to the toilet at 9.50am on 16th September, 20014 - either now, or for ever more. I don't trust any web sites to honour privacy now, or in the future, or even if they do, they can be hacked.
This is unfortunate - as I can see the use of a real closed user group for real friends and family, but but trusting a third party organisation (web site) with commercial interests to provide that and keep my data/privacy secure - NO!
3. Many of the sites are administered within the US. This means that data traffic goes across the Atlantic, and also that data security and privacy are dealt with under the US regime. In itself that needn't be an issue, as there wouldn't necessarily be a better situation if the companies were based in the UK or the EU. My view - see point - is that if I don't want people to know that I went to the toilet at 9.50am on September 16, 2014, I shouldn't post that anywhere. People who give information away carelessly are foolish.
4. There has been a history of some sites folding, or merging with others, or being relocated to other jurisdictions. Rules can change. These can - almost certainly will - have an impact on the issues mentioned in points 1-3.
5. Re time wasting - I've seen many people spend hours on FB, not always perhaps to good effect.
6. I have limited presence on the web - this board, and one other, and I also use a couple of photo sites. I do waste time with these, but for my purposes I don't think this is totally unreasonable.
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