Saturday, August 28, 2010

PSA: Facebook Places


Facecrook... beg your puddin', Facebook is getting cleverer each time with each new launch of a platform or an application. Just over a week ago, Facebook Places was just briefly talked about in the newspapers. I just found out today that I had to play with privacy settings YET once again.

What is Facebook Places? In a nutshell, it's a genius viral marketing tool. Your friend checks you in or you decidedly to "check-in" at your favourite location(s). Marketers understand the N-generation far too well: N-geners are far more technical savvy and more easily influenced by their peers. However, is this method ethical if privacy issues were taken into consideration? Facebook seems to have lengthy and complicated opt-out processes if you do not wish friends to "stalk" you. Facebook Places deserves this:

Now, to effectively opt-out of Facecrook Places, there are four steps.
  1. Privacy settings > Applications/games/websites > Information accessible through friends > Uncheck Places

  2. Privacy settings > customise settings > set "Places I check in" to "ONLY ME"

  3. Privacy settings > customise settings >Friends can check me in to places > select disable

  4. Account settings > Notifications >turn Notifications off for Facebook Places.

See, it's a lengthy opt-out process.

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