Sunday 8 April 2018

Oh Facebook ...

Ah ... Facebook! Love it or hate it. Maybe a bit of both? 

It’s had a rough time recently, what with the Cambridge Analytica hoo-ha and then Mark Zuckerberg’s reluctance to talk to politicians. And then some plonker suggesting that it didn’t really matter if a Facebook post prompted someone to take a life (their own or someone else’s) as long as they continued to connect more people.

Does all this matter? I suppose it depends on your perspective. I can’t say I enjoy pottering about on Facebook, but I have books to sell and it’s part of being a public person (and that’s essential to the whole marketing process, were told). But it’s a great way to keep up with friends who are now far away - I can’t see us picking up the phone as often as we cross Facebook paths. And, when I’m away, it’s how I keep in touch with everyone back home.

So useful. So innocuous. Except while I’m there I might like a post or two, click on a link that takes me somewhere unexpected - and instantly I’ve given away information about myself, my interests, my political leanings, to someone who might, months down the line, tease me with propaganda or advertising. 

Harmless? If we are kept informed about what they are doing, possibly. So if I get message that reads something along the lines of ‘we noticed you like that, have you thought about this ...’ the origin of their information is clear and I can accept or reject it, depending on my whims at the time. But they don’t do that - rather they weasel ideas into my timeline and I’ve no idea where they’ve come from.

Does it matter - yes it does. Local elections loom, and the propaganda machine will be gearing up to bombard us with guff in the last few days. So much guff that some undecideds will lose the will to think for themselves and vote like automata. So yes, it matters. Whoever wins, it matters. It matters because we live in a democracy that is predicated on voters thinking for themselves and not being manipulated by social media.


And if Facebook is doing it, I’ll be astonished it Twitter isn’t. And all those other platforms that we love and hate. 

11 comments:

  1. I've almost given up on Twitter and Facebook. Overdosed I think. And TBH I am also put off by the revelations about Cambridge Analytica. Creepy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very creepy - there’s something Big Brotherish about it all that makes me deeply uncomfortable.

      Delete
  2. Some time ago, I lost my password for fb and never tried to figure it out again - and surprise, surprise, the sky never fell down on me and I don't miss it at all.

    It was great for a while keeping in touch with my travelling daughter and friends, exchanging news with family members on different continents etc. but most of them stopped using fb by now. We phone, skype, email etc. and strangely enough, we write real letters and weird and wonderful postcards again.

    Things got a bit out of hand on fb over the years, esp. with the sharing of cute baby pictures and stories, which I find a concern, regardless of "privacy" settings.
    One of my cousins posted a video where she told her 3 yrs old that another baby was on the way and 3 yrs old promptly started to scream and cry in anger, kicking the wall. We shall see how this works out in the family in about 10-12 yrs.
    Come to think of it, some clever algorith my have grabbed it already, preparing to reveal it at the right moment.

    We let ourselves be conned, with open eyes. We thought this was a free for all community thing, when in fact we were/are the free goods being sold to make a business and now fb talks about offering proper privacy for paying customers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’m glad I’m not the only one who twitches about baby pictures. After years in Chil Protection I know only too well what use some of those pictures will be put to.

      Delete
  3. I use Facebook for the same reasons as you, Jo, although for two pins I'd get off it and never miss it, but I would miss the interaction with some of the people I've made friends with that way. It wouldn't hurt me or them to lose touch, but I feel it would be a shame as I've met some really nice people through it, and on Twitter too (you being one of them!). However, I steer clear of anything political as I really don't want any algorithm picking up on any of my leanings. I also carefully filter what personal stuff I put on there and make it as vague as possible. Like you, I'm very concerned about what my data is used for and I have disabled any and all connected apps and also ads. It's the best I can do as I know that without it at all, my books would die and they are a significant part of my income these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Val -it’s so reassuring I’m not the only one who feels like this. We use it because we must, but seriously don’t trust it!

      Delete
  4. I just read this comment on the Guardian website below this opinion piece: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/12/mark-zuckerberg-log-off-facebook-congress

    Say a new coffee shop opens up on your local high street. The sign on the door says it offers a fun environment for you and your friends to chat and, get this, free coffee!

    You pop in immediately. You go over to the counter and the barista hands you a large Americano in a cup which has the cafe's term and conditions printed on it in a small, dense, font. You don't read the cup, but the coffee is delicious, and many of your friends are already there, drawn in by the free coffee.

    Over the weeks you discover that the cafe is recording all your conversations and selling the recordings on to advertisers. Amazingly well-informed salesmen roam the tables tapping people on the shoulder, trying to sell them stuff that seems incredibly interesting to them.

    Your cafe friends become incredibly annoying to you, telling you all about their holidays, cats and children, showing all there vacation snaps to you, and introducing you to their friends, some of whom you decide you really don't want to meet.

    Then, there's a general election, and the cafe is invaded by canvassers. They are well-briefed, using your details provided by the cafe. They pester you for your vote, when they can can get a word in edgeways over the prattle of the salesmen hawking their targeted goods.

    You'd stop going to a dive like this and start paying for your coffee, wouldn't you? So why are you still on Facebook?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You’re absolutely right, Sabine - and if I didn’t have books to sell, or use it to keep in touch with people while I’m travelling, I wouldn’t be there. I suppose many of us have similar justifications - or are they excuses? Trouble is, I can’t see an alternative at the moment. If I leave I resign myslf to selling nothing, and then try to keep in touch with everyone by phone or email when I’m away.
      I console myself that spend as little time there as possible. And I don’t have to like it.

      Delete
    2. Sabine, thanks for sharing that, it is brilliant.

      Delete
  5. I didn't like that Zuckerberg in testimony said very often that he didn't know the answer. I think that was disingenuous and that he probably did know. Also, I dislike that Facebook is censoring/causing posts not to be read only for conservative groups, including 12 Catholic groups and Diamond and Silk, etc. Just my opinion; I try not to give away too much private info when I am there, which is every day.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have enjoyed (maybe the wrong word, "enjoy") seeing Mark getting grilled (he did get off Scot free the first day, but not the second) this week. Good post. I agree with almost everything you wrote.

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete