#Phishbook

"Retail stores want you to join in." - Cold War Kids, Against Privacy

Everyone and their mother has talked about Facebook and it's privacy/trust issues this week (and better than I could). See danah for that good stuff. See MoveOn, the NY Times, and others for the awesome infographics.

This is my problem -- I'm thisclose to quitting but the reason 400 million people are on Facebook is because it's useful. I am connected with my family via the service. I socialize with co-workers and college friends. It's one of the most effective ways to have people see what I write or find interesting (it remains the most likely way to get click-thru's to this space and to my tumblr). I also work in this online world. Facebook is as significant a part of what I do as a new browser, device, or coding language is. I shouldn't want an escape hatch. And yet...

I don't trust the site anymore. I don't feel in control of my experience or information. I spent two days this week refining my privacy controls and I have little confidence that it actually helped protect me. Pulling data out of the site limits the value of the place and my ability to connect with people I know or have known. How can we find each other if we're hiding from those who wish to profit from our unwillingly public information?

There's been collateral damage from Facebook's attack on my trust, too. I dumped Foursquare. Foursquare hasn't really done me wrong but I'm feeling too exposed online and, so, I exerted control where I could.

I feel tricked. I never made meaningful connections on other major social networking services like myspace and friendster so they were easy to quit. Facebook, however—I talk to my mom and cousins and sister on that site. I hear about friends who are going into the hospital or having babies or getting married. It's a life line.

Shame on Facebook for taking advantage in a duplicitous way our most basic desire to be connected to the people in our lives near and far.

Dumb f*cks.