Annotation 1: Is privacy really a social norm? ─ No more excuse to protect our privacy

      In this article, the author first quoted from the Facebook founder, Zuckerberg, indicating that people nowadays tend to share themselves on the internet, and saying that privacy had to be evolved. Then the author argued that when Facebook decides to redefine the meaning of privacy, it changes the original statement of establishing a social network between the Ivy league.

Also, the author mentioned the launching of the “contentious advertising system”, which allowed advertisers to track Facebook users in order to search and collect potential buyers. Although this system made Facebook lose a large amount of money in its lawsuit, the business behind the system might bring more than what people can imagine.

   Emphasizing that Facebook has revealed more and more function for the public, it is not surprise to see some naïve users happened to do embarrassing things only because they think they launch information in private, which is actually reaching to public.

At last, this article claims that the attitude of privacy in young people can be misunderstood. The sharing of young people don’t mean that they don’t care about strangers invading their private. They tend to share themselves on internet because they think they can have their own space without disturbance. And Facebook offer this illusion. So when teenagers think that they create a private social circle and put everything on Facebook, they are actually exposing themselves to the craving advertising company.

The success of Facebook is established on users trust and reliance. When it starts to transform or even sold out user’s information to advertisement, but only explaining that they are following world trend and breaking social norms. It somehow cheats on the users and also betrays the original trust at first. Some online users even say that all we need is a new social network to embrace rather than exposing ourselves nakedly to others. 

Source:

Johnson, B. (2010). Privacy no longer a social norm, says Facebook founder. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jan/11/facebook-privacy

Issue paper: Is Facebook a tool of social communication or a platform for personal feeling?

Issue paper: Is Facebook a tool of social communication or a platform for personal feeling?

The online social networking service, Facebook, is so popular with people all over the world. According to statistics, the user of Facebook has now over one billion, which is relevant to the third largest country in the world. Every moment, we can easily track our friends by their updates or photos they are tagged in. And we can also send private messages within few seconds. But these instant information reveal the problem of privacy. Even if you don’t want to share about yourself, your friends can tagged you in his/hers updates to preserve as diary.

     I believe that many people have such experience when you have to contact with the strangers. You will search the name on Facebook and sometimes even check the photos to see what the stranger looks like. Such act like that may cause the inner pressure toward certain people and invading their privacy. Although you can hind some of the personal information, Facebook may possibly disclose them if you don’t pay attention to check the setup of your profile page.

     As you using Facebook to share yourself, you can’t guarantee other person’s thought, and whether they really care or just trying to exploit from you. Considering the fact that Facebook is now a listed company, it is inevitable for people to think if their personal likes and dislikes were sold to others for advertising data. Some applications are even found accessing the user’s data when users are off-line. Sharing yourself is not as simple as before. This act might make you like an open book, which is easy to predict and control.

     Yes, Facebook do offer a lot of convenience for people to contact each other. But we shouldn't regard it as a platform to share personal feelings. Once we have the possibility getting harm by our unconscious disclosure, it would be better if we don’t use Facebook too often and share too many information.