Facebook | the qualified yes

05.13.10 | posted by btrandolph

the facebook dilemma - damned if you do

I realized why I was torn. making all my information available to anyone? so not good. making my information available to businesses that want to sell me stuff in order to save us both time? golden. don’t get me wrong. I still think facebook’s privacy shenanigans stink, and I worry about the potential for abuse with younger consumers. but I think the instant personalization concept is an enormous win for businesses and [read more...]

04.25.10 | posted by btrandolph

How to Restore Your Privacy on Facebook (via Gawker)

a good read if you’re concerned about the latest facebook shenanigans. short version – if you want all the old facebook functionality, it’s gonna cost you a little [read more...]

03.31.10 | posted by btrandolph

Facebook Killing 'Become A Fan,' Embracing 'Like' (via ClickZ)

According to a confidential e-mail sent to ad agencies today, the social media site will change the “Become A Fan” button to read “Like” within the next few weeks. why does this matter? It marks another step in facebook’s transformation from a purely social entity to one with more commercial [read more...]

03.14.10 | posted by btrandolph

customize your facebook start page

facebook used to allow users to change the opening screen from the default “all friends” to a subset created as a friend list. that ability got lost in one of the remodelings the service did recently, and the new navigation makes it a pain to access your friend lists. there is still a way to open facebook to a friend list you choose. here’s how to do it in the chrome browser; I will update later today when I figure out how to do it on [read more...]

03.07.10 | posted by btrandolph

facebook apps won't share (unless you tell them to)

some more good news for privacy-loving facebook users. facebook announced new privacy controls for content shared through applications. [read more...]

01.11.10 | posted by btrandolph

cleanup in aisle 5 - shopping comes to facebook

you know it had to happen. back in december, a national retailer introduced an offer exclusively to fans on its facebook page. how is this different from what foursquare is doing? it’s not about where you are [read more...]

12.20.09 | posted by btrandolph

facebook doth protest too much

facebook has its reasons for encouraging users to share personal information. in fact, it makes sense for many people. however, a new popup is just one of the tactics the company is using to persuade users that cross the line from disingenuous to [read more...]