Facebook Places - Dangerous or not

[clifford_cooley]

Quote from this link - http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=1080

Places is a Facebook feature that allows you to see where your friends are and share your location in the real world. When you use Places, you'll be able to see if any of your friends are currently checked in nearby and connect with them easily. You can check into nearby Places to tell your friends where you are, tag your friends in the Places you visit, and view comments your friends have made about the Places you visit. Use Places to experience connecting with people on Facebook in a completely new way.

This is a dangerous online utility if there is anyone of your facebook friends that you do not trust fully. And this is not to mention all of those that your kids have selected to be a facebook friend. I don't know about you but I don't want the world knowing where my kids are simply because they make use of facebook mobile.

 

[catilley1092]

I agree. Someone that I never knew, or even heard of, "invited" me to be their friend on Facebook, through my Windows Live account. I do remember that the person was female, and young. Her group of "friends" included my stepson.

I don't know if it may had possibly been a setup or not, but a stranger sending me an invitation like that seemed a little weird. And out of the tens of millions of others who could have her friends, my stepson being one of them seemed to be more than a coincidence. I was having marital issues at the time.

Needless to say, I didn't even bother to acknowledge her "invitation". I'm not into the internet socializing scene, and don't care to be, either.

C_C, you're right, Facebook can be a dangerous place to be on. I don't blame you the first bit.

Cat

 

[Nibiru2012]

I would not at all surprised if the NSA didn't have their grimy little hands in this one.

 

[Cypress]

You really don't have any privacy anyway online. All these bits can be easily processed and stored regardless of any privacy statements.

 

[Nibiru2012]

You really don't have any privacy anyway online. All these bits can be easily processed and stored regardless of any privacy statements.

Now that is a MOST startling revelation! My God what is the world coming to? :dontknow:

 

[catilley1092]

You really don't have any privacy anyway online. All these bits can be easily processed and stored regardless of any privacy statements.

I'm not going to argue that point with you, but whatever OS you use has nothing to do with it. I've used the link in your signature bar myself, as well as the latest version of Mint. While it's good to play with and kill time, it's not a real life solution. Only 1% of users totally depend on Linux OS's for their needs.

If a version of Linux could work with everything (plug n play) and was more easier to use as an everyday solution, then perhaps it would be worth more consideration. Like I said, I've used it, still do, but I won't get on this forum and suggest it to the world that it will cure your privacy issues. While I agree that it may be more secure, no OS is perfect.

Especially in social networking sites, they are among the most dangerous of all. That is the OP's point of his thread.

And as the regulars here knows, I wouldn't dare to post a link to any version of Linux on this forum, and suggest to try it instead of properly configuring Windows 7. This does happen to be a Windows 7 forum. If you prefer to use it, that's your choice. But we don't provide links to other OS's around here.

That's spamming.

Cat

 

[clifford_cooley]

Storing information and broadcasting information is different. And in this example, broadcasting personal locations.

This feature should not even be a feature unless the person decides they want it.

 

[Cypress]

I'm not going to argue that point with you, but whatever OS you use has nothing to do with it. I've used the link in your signature bar myself, as well as the latest version of Mint. While it's good to play with and kill time, it's not a real life solution. Only 1% of users totally depend on Linux OS's for their needs.

If a version of Linux could work with everything (plug n play) and was more easier to use as an everyday solution, then perhaps it would be worth more consideration. Like I said, I've used it, still do, but I won't get on this forum and suggest it to the world that it will cure your privacy issues. While I agree that it may be more secure, no OS is perfect.

Especially in social networking sites, they are among the most dangerous of all. That is the OP's point of his thread.

And as the regulars here knows, I wouldn't dare to post a link to any version of Linux on this forum, and suggest to try it instead of properly configuring Windows 7. This does happen to be a Windows 7 forum. If you prefer to use it, that's your choice. But we don't provide links to other OS's around here.

That's spamming.

Cat

You would call an alternative choice as spam? A choice which is free in all senses from DRM down to price and proprietary software? The sig has nothing to do with any post and is only there as a choice. Linux is valid for anything 7 does, bar gaming and some apps, whether you use Gentoo or Ubuntu.

 

[Ian]

I've not heard of Facebook Places before, so thanks for the heads up. It looks like it's a US only feature for now and it needs to be manually activated.

As long as it's an optional feature, I don't really mind .

 

[Mychael]

True, though, how once your on the net you leave traces of yourself everywhere. When I've googled my name for instance I still find bits of postings and photos I submiittted in other forums that I have not visited for years.Ones I'm not even a member of anymore.

 

[catilley1092]

You would call an alternative choice as spam? A choice which is free in all senses from DRM down to price and proprietary software? The sig has nothing to do with any post and is only there as a choice. Linux is valid for anything 7 does, bar gaming and some apps, whether you use Gentoo or Ubuntu.

You stand correct that Linux (most versions) is totally free. But there's a price to be paid for free software, no professional support. To depend on it as my main OS, I want that option. And I also want it to work with my favorite software choices, not some code branded inferior copycats. For the longest time, Firefox wasn't even called by it's name in Linux, it was called by it's code name only.

So until a version can really compete, as in ease of use, applying our favorite programs with no trouble, and have real plug n play, as Windows 7 does, it's an option, but an inferior one to what we have.

Cat

 

[Kalario]

I would not at all surprised if the NSA didn't have their grimy little hands in this one.

Who's got the tin foil hat on now?

 

[Mychael]

You stand correct that Linux (most versions) is totally free. But there's a price to be paid for free software, no professional support. To depend on it as my main OS, I want that option. And I also want it to work with my favorite software choices, not some code branded inferior copycats.
So until a version can really compete, as in ease of use, applying our favorite programs with no trouble, and have real plug n play, as Windows 7 does, it's an option, but an inferior one to what we have.
Cat

Well in a way you can get proffessional support for Linux, you can hop onto their vast forums and sometimes get a response from the person that actually contributed to creating the distro. When did Bill Gates or any programmer from microsoft last answer you personaly.?
Many (and there are many) Linux programs could hardly be called inferior, I myself have barely scraped the surface of them, some are fair, some are good, how is that different to the selcetion of software you get for Windows? In all the versions of Linux I've used, never had crashes or BSOD's, Windows should hope to achieve that record for me.

You want it to play all your favourite software choices, software designed for Windows! Well that's what you have Windows (or Macs for) Linux runs it's own selection of software (all free), your not thinking outside the square.

Plug and play could still be improved but it's getting much closer with USB and SATA it handles fine now, it found drivers for my Canon printer. Remember though Linux is not resource hungrey it will run on older smaller hardware, you have to accept some tradeoffs along the line.

It is still more an enthuiasts software you do need to know a few more bash commands to get the most out of it but you can get by with web browesing and email and playing music knowing only the basics of running an O/S.

I'm still more likely to use my M/S machine over my MAC or Linux Pc's but I don't bag them either, What were you saying Cat in another posting? How you did not like the Mac salesman as all he did was bag Windows instead of pushing the Mac benefits, are you not doing exactly the same thing about Linux?? ;-)

 

[TrainableMan]

Cell phones all have GPS in them so unless you turn your phone off between calls the NSA can track your butt anyway; another reason I use a prepaid disposable.

I avoid Facebook completely, too much in the news how hard it is to opt out of all the places they share your info to make money.

 

[catilley1092]

Well in a way you can get proffessional support for Linux, you can hop onto their vast forums and sometimes get a response from the person that actually contributed to creating the distro. When did Bill Gates or any programmer from microsoft last answer you personaly.?
Many (and there are many) Linux programs could hardly be called inferior, I myself have barely scraped the surface of them, some are fair, some are good, how is that different to the selcetion of software you get for Windows? In all the versions of Linux I've used, never had crashes or BSOD's, Windows should hope to achieve that record for me.

You want it to play all your favourite software choices, software designed for Windows! Well that's what you have Windows (or Macs for) Linux runs it's own selection of software (all free), your not thinking outside the square.

Plug and play could still be improved but it's getting much closer with USB and SATA it handles fine now, it found drivers for my Canon printer. Remember though Linux is not resource hungrey it will run on older smaller hardware, you have to accept some tradeoffs along the line.

It is still more an enthuiasts software you do need to know a few more bash commands to get the most out of it but you can get by with web browesing and email and playing music knowing only the basics of running an O/S.

I'm still more likely to use my M/S machine over my MAC or Linux Pc's but I don't bag them either, What were you saying Cat in another posting? How you did not like the Mac salesman as all he did was bag Windows instead of pushing the Mac benefits, are you not doing exactly the same thing about Linux?? ;-)

No, I'm not doing that at all. I use Mint myself. But it is not a drop in replacement for Windows. If it were, what would be the need for MS Windows?

My honest opinion of Linux is this, there's some good OS's and bad ones in their family. Ubuntu is the most popular, followed by Mint. They are fairly secure, but not totally so. Contrary to popular belief, the Linux OS can be hit by remote code execution, just as Windows & Mac can.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using the OS's of YOUR choice. After all, that's part of what Linux is about, is choice. I run it myself. But my issue was the posting of a link to a download of the OS on a Windows 7 forum. This is not an all purpose, all OS's, wide open forum, like Tom's Hardware is. If one wants to run Linux, all the user has to do is a quick Bing or Google search, all of the links to every Linux distro is right there. We don't need them here.

This is a Windows 7 support forum. If a user is experiencing a problem, switching brands of OS's won't solve their issues, it will only create more problems, as well as a very steep learning curve that most aren't willing to take. It also isn't the answer to privacy issues, which is what this thread began on.

And BTW, I can get all of the professional support that I want with Windows. I pay for it on a yearly basis through my TechNet membership. I get as much support as I need there, as well as here on this forum. If I could have gotten that level of support with Linux, I would have never seen Windows 7.

Cat

 

[techreg07]

when you are using face book, nothing is private to u

 

[Mychael]

And BTW, I can get all of the professional support that I want with Windows. I pay for it on a yearly basis through my TechNet membership. I get as much support as I need there, as well as here on this forum. If I could have gotten that level of support with Linux, I would have never seen Windows 7.

Cat

Key word being "I pay for it on a yearly basis". Linux support is free. In it's own way as good as all the great people we have here. I''ve had replies to queries I've posted from the programmers (is that the right word in this case?) themselves. Not every time of course.

Linux takes patience, more then I have to devote to it to become an adept but like I said before, being positve in replies is better then focusing on the negatives of something. BTW I hear Mint 10 is released now.

Edit :Seems I was misinformed on Mint 10 just checked it out myself. November seems to be the planned release date.

 

[catilley1092]

There was a report of a "daily build" of Mint, but when I checked, it wasn't there. Mint 9 is a long term support (LTS) version, it'll be supported with security updates until 2013.

Yes, it does take patience, as well as a lot of time to learn. I'm still learning it, just as I'm still learning 7. No one (that I know of) knows it all.

And yes, there is support, but the quality of support you receive depends on your distro, and the knowledge of the membership. In the summer of 2009, about six months before I bought my desktop with 7 installed, I actually poured my heart into learning to use Mint for everything. Had I succeeded, I would've left Windows, bought a computer with no OS installed (Dell, HP & Lenovo offers such models), install Mint, and never look back.

But due to hardware incompatibilities, such as my wireless modem (Verizon) and printer not working, and no one could give me a straight up answer, except to switch carriers (I tried that too, to no avail). I dealt with these and other issues for sometimes 16 hours a day, 7 days per week. Hundreds of answers were pouring in, but none worked.

Finally, after being totally exhausted during the five month stretch that I tried my best, I became sick and tired of the whole deal, and ordered the desktop that I have now with 7 on it. Wow, after that long effort, what a relief! Everything worked, a welcome change for me. For a while, I didn't use Linux anymore, then I finally went back to using Mint, but only when I want to, I use it.

I suppose that Linux isn't all bad, you can take the latest version, install it on a eight year old computer, and it'll make it look like a new one again. And if you can learn to work "inside of the box", using the 30,000+ apps that's built in, you can web browse, check and send emails, shop, bank, a lot of things. But more hardware needs to work with it to be the total package. As Nibiru stated, his printer worked, but not all of the features did. This is the problem, and it's not all of the Linux OS's fault. Many hardware manufacturers simply don't include Linux (or Unix) drivers with their devices. The incentive is just not there.

Perhaps in the future, things will change, but for a free OS, I doubt that widespread hardware support will ever exist. It takes funding to produce these drivers, and many of Linux users don't care to pay for their OS, let alone the drivers. Many don't even donate a cent to the OS, but I can honestly say that I have. I've made a few small donations to Mint, it wasn't a lot, but probably more than most of their users do. True, it's free, but the bills must be paid, and users are encouraged to donate.

Hopefully, this better explains my position and attitude towards Linux, I have nothing personally against it, but Windows 7 will continue to be my main OS of choice. It was just the link that drew my response from the beginning. If we're going to be allowed to post links to Linux OS's on this forum, we may as well be unbiased towards it and post them all, instead of just one.

Cat

 

[draceena]

From what I can tell, the "Places" was enabled on my Facebook profile so if you do have Facebook, please check your Security and if you do not like the "Places" option then it can be switched off.

I personally have Facebook to keep in touch with my family. My husband and I moved away from our home city 10 years ago and have never regretted it but unless we take the time to book time off and drive down we'd never hear from them without Facebook. I have all my settings for sharing restricted to the max and have no "games" or whatever installed but it still annoys me to no end when Facebook decides that some new addition is a good thing that everyone should have and opts me into it.

Honestly, if it wernt for my family I'd have quit Facebook a long time ago but that not being the best option at this time I have to keep on top of crappy additions like this.