Facebook is either not playing smart, or not playing nice. Possibly both.
I teach folks:
- that if used strategically, social networks are valuable tools to enhance offline networking;
- that genuine sharing of yourself online can expand and enhance your network;
- that a strong network is, of itself, valuable;
- that users of social networks should be aware of privacy issues and adjust privacy settings to meet their needs.
I teach folks how to adjust their Facebook privacy settings. But now Facebook has sincerely complicated the issue.
Facebook Terms of Service Faux Pas
Facebook revised their Terms of Service on February 4, 2009. The new Terms of Service give Facebook the right to users' content even if the content has been deleted from the site. Multiple replies came out of Facebook attempting to assuage concerns that Facebook would sell or use content without the user's permission. The Terms of Service clearly state Facebook has the right to do whatever they want with users' content. It appears to me that we are left trusting Facebook to do the right thing even when the Terms of Service gives them the right to do the wrong thing.
My quandary is in deciding A) Whether I trust Facebook and B) Deciding how to advise professionals regarding use of Facebook.
