[calabres]

My friends, please spend your free time here playing Bridge. Go rarely to your Facebook page. The last news say that Facebook turned on a serious drug called FAD – Facebook Addition Disease, lots of people are now on clinics curing the dependence, cause they suffer of high levels of stress if don’t visit their page for two or three hours.

[gwnn]

worse than alcohol since alcohol is at least social.

[Phil]

Yeah I get despondent when I don't hear about my friends finding eggs on their farm or that they broke up a union mob on a real-time basis.

[Jlall]

Yeah this is why I deleted facebook, but no doubt I'll come back heh. It's like the forums, even when you try to stay away you somehow go back.

[Siegmund]

Have no fear of Facebook interfering with your bridge. There is plenty of time to check it when you're dummy, if you've cultivated the fine art of dumping partner in tough contracts.

[JoAnneM]

This reminds me, I haven't checked Facebook yet today.......

[diana_eva]

not that bridge would ever become addictive

[jjbrr]

what is facebook

[calabres]

Jlall, on Apr 3 2010, 11:55 AM, said:

Yeah this is why I deleted facebook, but no doubt I'll come back heh. It's like the forums, even when you try to stay away you somehow go back.

Im still on Facebook. I dont consider it dangerous, if used and visited with moderation. Im only sad cause i see lots of people logged and dont appear on my club to play tournaments and socialize face by face with friends.

[barmar]

I think Facebook is one of the most idiotic sites that I've joined. On my birthday last week I got greetings from "friends" who I haven't had anything to do with in decades. I guess I could have unchecked the option to send me email when someone writes on my wall.

I only visit it rarely, when I get messages like these or friend requests. I glance at all the updates that friends have written, and I've hardly ever seen anything interesting among them.

[Rossoneri]

barmar, on Apr 4 2010, 11:51 PM, said:

I think Facebook is one of the most idiotic sites that I've joined. On my birthday last week I got greetings from "friends" who I haven't had anything to do with in decades. I guess I could have unchecked the option to send me email when someone writes on my wall.

I only visit it rarely, when I get messages like these or friend requests. I glance at all the updates that friends have written, and I've hardly ever seen anything interesting among them.

I turned off my birthday display shortly before my last birthday, just to avoid all the messages like you mentioned.

[jjbrr]

JoAnneM, can we be facebook friends?

[Aberlour10]

I am going to quit my membership after reading the results of the study made by the most important german consumer organisation. This study is concerned with the privacy policy and data security on Facebook and other social networks.

[

Quote

SPIEGEL ONLINE has obtained the full text of German Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner's open letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. You can read it here.

Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,


I was astonished to discover that, despite the concerns of users and severe criticism from consumer activists, "Facebook" would like to relax data protection regulations on the network even further. Your current privacy policy states that in future user data is to be automatically passed on to third parties. These parties are supposed to comprise previously vetted operators of websites and applications. Anyone who does not want this to happen must take action themselves and use the opt-out function.

I use the Internet every day, both professionally and privately, and am a member of several social networks, including Facebook. Social networks are an enrichment and it is difficult to imagine our lives without them. Networks such as Facebook link millions of people across national boundaries, and it is for this very reason that particular importance must be attached to protecting privacy. As you know, I, in my capacity as Federal Minister of Consumer Protection, am striving to ensure that personal data on the Internet is protected. Private information must remain private - I think that I speak for many Internet users in this respect. Unfortunately, Facebook does not respect this wish, a fact that was confirmed in the most recent study by the German consumer organisation "Stiftung Warentest". Facebook fares badly in this study. Facebook was graded as "poor" in respect of user-data policy and user rights. Facebook also refused to provide information on data security - it was awarded a "5" (= poor) in this category as well.

It is therefore all the more astounding that Facebook is not willing to eliminate the existing shortcomings regarding data protection, but is instead going even further. Decisions such as this will not engender trust in an enterprise in the long term.

I expect Facebook to revise its privacy policy without delay.


Facebook must ensure that the personal details of all members are subject to a high level of protection.


Planned amendments to its terms of use must be communicated to all users in a clear and straightforward manner prior to the amendments being made.


Personal data is not allowed to be automatically passed on to third parties for commercial purposes without consent. Private data may only be passed on and used for commercial purposes with the consent of the persons involved. Enterprises such as Facebook bear a particular responsibility due to the fact that users, in particular young users, are not aware that their personal profiles are to be used for commercial purposes.

Should Facebook not be willing to alter its business policy and eliminate the glaring shortcomings, I will feel obliged to terminate my membership.

Yours sincerely,

Ilse Aigner

Federal Minister of Consumer Protection

[rbforster]

Aberlour10, on Apr 5 2010, 08:44 AM, said:

I am going to quit my membership after reading the results of the study made by the most important german consumer organisation. This study is concerned with the privacy policy and data security on Facebook and other social networks.

Nice article, but what makes you think you're allowed to "quit your membership" under the new rules?