Facebook.. Friends Redefined.

Hmm..
How can I put this lightly..
HOLY SHIT!
Watch out, if you haven't heard about it already, you will. Facebook. It's a massive friend network instabloggy database kinda thing. I finally succombed after recieving a bunch of friend requests over the last few weeks. I stayed up late last night exploring the site, and stand beside myself in disbelief as to the amount of information out there, and the information people put voluntarily on the internet. In it's basic form, this site puts the Kevin Bacon "six degrees of separation" theory to a rigorous test. It's a tangled web of relational connections. Do you want to know why John is friends with Larry? Or where Jim met Leanne? How about if Leanne ever met up with John or Larry with Jim? Facebook will tell you. And, it'll throw in a shit load of other information, so much as a matter of fact, you'll wonder what the hell happened to the night as you sift through it all. I didn't go to bed until 2:00am this morning, I was on Facebook the whole time. Welcome to the next addiction. Another anti-christ is born. (Don't all CRC'rs see any addiction as the anti-christ?) Being in IT Security I do cringe at a few things. Here are the things I would watch out for:

1. DO NOT give the system your email address and password. It's just a BAD idea to do this. NEVER NEVER NEVER give ANY system your email address and password. I don't care how many times they say "this information will never be given out" etc.. bad idea. You can manually look for friends rather than having it "look through your email" for your friends. Besides, what it will do is attempt to email everyone of your friends telling them you are on facebook and want to be their friends.

2. Everything you post will be visible to EVERYONE. Privacy is NOT enabled by default. This means any personal information you enter in here can be and will be used as marketing information to target you to things like junkmail, junk phone calls..etc.. Companies are literally FROTHING at the mouths for all the information they can gleam from facebook. Do not put your home phone / cell phone / address in here. Cities are OK, and only very general information.

3. Don't believe everything you see. For example: Facebook says, Dan V and I dated, had a relationship, broke up and got back together and it was SUPERB, Julie S and I used to date and now it's complicated, Darlene and I took a Jungle Survival course together, Jen and I met when she served me pie at a restaurant.. etc.. My point in doing this is, what business is it of others how you know someone? I'm breaking that chain, (and maybe starting a few juicy rumours in the process!! Also.. I can be anyone I want in Facebook. I can open up an account using someone else's information, and become that person. The rub? THEY CAN'T DO A THING ABOUT IT. There is no control. You can't say to anyone, hey.. that's not me, delete that account. It won't happen. There are millions of people using this, and the government is not stepping in to help poor little you who's identity was stolen. All you need is an email address. That's it. An email address. ANYONE can get one at gmail or hotmail. As a matter of fact, I'm going to do this. I'm gonna emulate someone.. Hmmm... who should it be..

4. Facebook is all about "friends" remember. And some people consider the amount of friends you have as a score of some sort. Unless you're an 80 year old woman living with hundreds of cats, there is no way someone can have hundreds of friends. A friend of a friend is NOT a friend, and just because you went to school with someone 22 years ago, doesn't make that a friend either. No, a friend is someone you can phone up and ask you to move, or set up a playground.. (say this saturday at 4:00pm?) Or have icecream with, guilt free.. or go all in at a poker game with them, and reraise them a smile. /damn.. that was cheezy, that smile thing. (note to self, edit that)

I would say go ahead and use this site, after all that it's still kinda cool hooking up with old buddies etc.. BUT, if you attempt to add me as a friend, be prepared to get a screwed up reason how I know you.

www.facebook.com

See you online.