A Question for FaceBook Users

[Oak Kitten]

Although I continue to have serious reservations about joining FaceBook, for reasons I have stated previously in other threads, I am trying to educate myself about it, as it may have some utility for me. I found a good online website that has a tutorial that covers all the ins and outs, and is kept updated with the latest changes in privacy policies, etc.. I have not gone through all of it yet and it may be that this question will be answered there, but I thought I would ask here:

Is there a way that you can screen comments before someone posts them to your wall?

On You Tube, where I have posted several videos, I have the option to screen any comments that are sent and approve or reject them. The vast majority of comments I receive are positive, but every once in a while I will get a comment from some internet troll that is abusive that I simply reject with great pleasure in knowing I am denying them the satisfaction of stirring up trouble because they have nothing better to do with their lives. (It must suck to be them.)

The media is full of all kinds of horror stories about atrocities perpetrated on Facebook, and it makes me wonder that if the people being victimized knew how to configure their accounts properly, this vile crap would not happen?

Appreciate your insight on the subject.

Oak

[u.k. sue]

Hi Oak Kitten, No one can write on your wall unless they are you friend.They can leave a private message for you that can not be seen by anyone else,if you did not wish to have contact with them after the intial private message then you can block them.

[dreamchaser728]

Wall posts are also simple to delete.

[Dar]

Hi Oak!
I am on Facebook. I go days at a time without posting anything on it or sometimes even looking at it, but I do have lots of friends who use it. You can set up your settings so that only your friends can see your details, photos and stuff and determine who is allowed to post on your wall. I've reconnected with some old school chums, and most of my cousins are on, so I get to see pics of their kids and now their grandkids.
I don't play any of the games connected with it, which I think is how a lot of problems originate. I agree with your thought that it's folks who don't have their settings properly configured who are the ones most likely to have troubles.

[Roady]

It appears that Facebook and Yahoo share info because when I logged on to my Yahoo account the other day, it now says, "hello Barb Winters"! My sole purpose in having a yahoo account was so I could sign up for things like online newsletters anonymously. It appears that anonymity is now gone!

Also I've noticed that if I'm surfing the web while still logged into Facebook it is able to track me, at least on certain websites.

I have the next to the maximum privacy settings enabled. Maximum is where no one can see your facebook page. I think my Facebook days are numbered. Not because I'm so security conscious but because their sneaky ways piss me off!

[aabram]

Barb, I agree, but it seems that Facebook aren't quite as consciencous as you!!! Never click on emails you don't know but send them straight to spam. I set up a decoy email address so that I'm not cluttered up with pointless notifications..eg x commented on y's status, and I haven't logged into that one for ages!!! :p That just means I get left alone!! I would suggest you do likewise and change your settings accordingly. Randy, I'm fairly obvious, so I hope we'll all be able to look forward to your joining Facebook soon...

Love Annabel xx

[Oak Kitten]

Thanks for all your views on the subject. I am still mulling it over. . .

Oak

[KarenSews2]

It took me a while (no surprise there) to know that I could avoid all those annoying emails that tell who said what.

[Ginny]

Oak, I am thinking of taking down my Facebook page because I had befriended some of my neices and it turns out that I wish that I did not know quite so closely how they think. Although I enjoy visiting with them in person, apparently they think Facebook is a tell-all confessional. I may come back later and try to stay more in my own age group.

[Dee]

I know what you mean, Ginny. I just took a three month vacation from Facebook (until yesterday) for a lot of the same reasons. Some people can get a bit over the top on there.

[paularoid]

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/download-unofficial-facebook-privacy-guide/

Download: The (Very) Unofficial Privacy Guide (http://manuals.makeuseof.com.s3.amazonaws.com/FacebookPrivacy.pdf)

Or

Read online at Scribd (http://www.scribd.com/doc/39495302)

Enjoy!

[Ginny]

Well, goodbye Facebook. Im just not getting out enough into the real world, and there's no reason why I shouldn't. Several of you here on the Janis Ian message board were on my FB friends list, and you were very nice. Hope to meet you in person someday! ~ Ginny

[RedjackRyan]

Facebook is the devil. There i said it. I'm on it, I try hard not to use my real name but that doesn't prevent my friends from putting my name on photos and tagging me. I hate tagging, and wish people would stop doing it. I consider myself very security aware.. hell its what i do in real life.. and damn Facebook, no matter what security options i pick they find a way to share my information with the world. Its what the whole thing is designed to do and that is the crux of the matter.. If you truly want privacy, you do not want to be on Facebook. The site is not about privacy, it is about sharing information. If you can live with that, sign up. otherwise, run the other way.

[DaveM]

As a public service and a Halloween offering, someone created http://www.takethislollipop.com/, which is not only creepy but serves as a fine test of how secure your Facebook account is. Go to the site and let it access your Facebook account. If you see anything you don't like in the video which follows...get the information out of your Facebook account.

The producers of the site are asking people to film themselves reacting to the site and post the results on YouTube....sort of an interactive "Blair Witch Project". It's a lovely Halloween offering, and just might educate a few people as well.

[Sara]

Facebook is the devil. There i said it. I'm on it, I try hard not to use my real name but that doesn't prevent my friends from putting my name on photos and tagging me. I hate tagging, and wish people would stop doing it. I consider myself very security aware.. hell its what i do in real life.. and damn Facebook, no matter what security options i pick they find a way to share my information with the world. Its what the whole thing is designed to do and that is the crux of the matter.. If you truly want privacy, you do not want to be on Facebook. The site is not about privacy, it is about sharing information. If you can live with that, sign up. otherwise, run the other way.
Ben, you've summarized it beautifully. I've shied away from Facebook all this time. I'm a very private person and when I want to share with very specific individuals that I trust, I do so. I've managed to live without Facebook quite nicely.

[paularoid]

In -my- opinion (for whatever it is or isn't worth) things like MySpace, Facebook, the new(er) Google+, and Twitter are nothing more really than a way for an individual to engage in ego masturbation. :rolleyes: I know that a lot of news outlets and businesses are starting to make use of Facebook, Twitter, and possibly other similar things but it's still the same thing for the most part,.... ego stroking. I suppose there are other actually -useful- purposes for such though so I won't deride them any more than that.

[Marcia Drummergal]

You create your own experience on Facebook. I'm very grateful for it. I have reunited with MANY people I never thought I would connect with again, many from school days (grade school through high school). My band, Willow Morning, would not exist if Ty Chanson hadn't found me on F/B. I keep up with family members much more now via Facebook. I'm going to go to a band/color guard reunion in Fl to meet up with friends from high school..... I got that invitation on F/B. Like I said, it is what you make of it. I resisted for a long time. Glad I "gave in" to it!

Marcia :D

[angelclare.susan]

I recently set up a Facebook account, only because StumbleUpon has been destroyed by its owners. I really hate Facebook, but it is a way to stay in touch with some Stumbleupon friends. But it fills your email with crap. I was going to delete my Facebook account, but a friend advised me instead to go to my email account and simply indicate that Facebook is spam. Voila!
But Facebook really is nothing like Stumbleupon. I blog at Categorian now.
BTW my name has changed slightly, from angelclare to angelclare.susan. I lost my password, and lots more problems. Had to reregister.

[DaveM]

I got a Facebook account because a lot of commercial enterprises are using it as a means of getting promotions and the like. Then I started connecting with groups and "making friends" (after some effort, I was even able to find several Rudies!). My "wall", however, is now clogged with advertising, assorted political material, and other stuff I don't care to have under my name or spend any time on. I get requests to join a dozen "Causes" per day--have yet to see a sign that any of them are doing anything. And my e-mail Inbox is full of invitations, solicitations, and I know not what else. On top of everything else, somebody hacked me a few days ago and has been porn videos to people on my friends list (not all bad--my mother got an education).

The novelty has long since worn off. I am going to lock everything down, shut off e-mail notifications, and use the service only for the reason I originally created it. So....if anyone does want to find me on Facebook, do feel free....and perhaps I'll get back to you one of these months.

[richthelandlord]

I originally joined FB for one reason only - it was the only practical way to get access to pictures of my grandchild growing up, as my son can only get online by phone that's his chosen way of communicating.

Then, I started discovering Rudies, friends and neighbours started discovering me. Then it was folk from school and beyond, then a friend set up a group especially for photographers to guide each other's technique - like an online masterclass.

I'm wary what I share anywhere online - I'll only ever post what I don't mind being public, but as my life is in the public domain locally that's no different to life offline... if I don't want it repeating, I don't say it. :)

One thing I will not do in Facebook is respond to any game requests, or give consent for any application to access my profile - that's the prime way of losing control over who sees what.

If that means people occasionally get offended when I don't accept 'hearts' from an app or whatever the latest fad might be I'm afraid that's just the way it is... and that's why.

Is that ego-masturbation? I don't know, and much less do I care... I have an ego, and anybody who doesn't like that can suck it to save me the bother. :cool:

[Chet]

Hey Redjack

You can untag yourself from any photos you don't wish to be tagged in.


Facebook is the devil. There i said it. I'm on it, I try hard not to use my real name but that doesn't prevent my friends from putting my name on photos and tagging me. I hate tagging, and wish people would stop doing it. I consider myself very security aware.. hell its what i do in real life.. and damn Facebook, no matter what security options i pick they find a way to share my information with the world. Its what the whole thing is designed to do and that is the crux of the matter.. If you truly want privacy, you do not want to be on Facebook. The site is not about privacy, it is about sharing information. If you can live with that, sign up. otherwise, run the other way.

[paularoid]

http://lifehacker.com/5859989/how-to-easily-avoid-the-flood-of-unwanted-porn-and-gore-on-facebook


You've likely heard that Facebook was hit with a seemingly endless storm of pornographic and violent images, from Justin Bieber blow jobs to mangled dogs. What you may not have heard is how you can avoid it. Here's how you, your friends, and your grandparents can avoid the storm of Facebook filth by basically doing nothing.

http://lifehacker.com/5859989/how-to-easily-avoid-the-flood-of-unwanted-porn-and-gore-on-facebook

[RedjackRyan]

Thanks Sis, i'll have to explore that option.



Hey Redjack

You can untag yourself from any photos you don't wish to be tagged in.

[Amy in Vermont]

I love Facebook, although I get pissy when they make silly changes.

Via Facebook I have reconnected with a lot of folks I might never have gotten back to. They include people I went to camp with in 1960; a friend fromthe 70's I had been looking all over for; equestrian friends including the daughter of a dear departed friend whom I have know since she was 3 (she is now 40 and has kids of her own), a former next door neightbor; and enough of my boarding school pals that we were able to put together a reunion last summer with 250 attendees.

I find lots of interesting posts by friends, lots of humor and other stuff. Sure there is lots of crap, but you learn to ignore it.

It is, as Marcia said, what you allow it to be.

Enjoy!

[richthelandlord]

I love Facebook, although I get pissy when they make silly changes.



Amen, Sister!

This is where user-mode CSS in your browser come in handy... you see only what you call. That nasty little ticker on the right-hand side lasted about 30 seconds...

[dreamchaser728]

I need to remove that on my parent's pages. I need to remind myself to do that.... They HATE that thing.

[GodSistah]

Only one reason to have a Facebook page: It's fun!
(and so is masturbation for that matter...hee)

:cool:

[Sara]

(and so is masturbation for that matter...hee)

:cool:
Once again, the issue of privacy comes to mind . . . :o

[richthelandlord]

Once again, the issue of privacy comes to mind . . . :o

Nobody asked you to post the pictures on your wall... :eek:

[paularoid]

http://www.naughtybits.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/very-important-study.gif