Facebook: The 800-Pound Gorilla of Social Networking

Facebook's popularity has grown tremendously since 2004. The ability to add photo albums, label people in photos, play games, and create and comment on fan pages has fueled its popularity. But with so many ways to share personal information on Facebook, it's important to understand how that information may be used.

Once immersed in Facebook's many features, it's easy to see the advantages of the site. You can easily stay in contact with the people you choose, learning more about them in the process. Collaborations can be started. News and academic ideas can be shared with friends. Public and private events can be organized. You can locate and interact with fans of chocolate chip cookies, Brad Pitt, or skiing.

Yet, there are also disadvantages to all of that information sharing. You may socially spread yourself too thin with the addition of more friends and acquaintances. An embarrassing or incriminating photo a friend took of you at a party may get posted with your name attached. Former work colleagues or classmates may search for and find you, whether or not you want them to. Current and potential employers may mine your profile. Even the police may try to use Facebook information against you in a court of law.

With these advantages and disadvantages come questions about safety, security, and privacy in the world of Facebook and other social networking sites. Since Facebook often changes its policy about how third-party content providers can interact with your information, it's best to review its most recent position.

Aside from setting your privacy settings as detailed earlier, it's a good idea to only accept friend invitations from people you know and trust. By adding someone as a friend to your Facebook account, you are allowing them access to potentially see more information about you. While it's against Facebook's terms of use, some people may use a fake name. Thankfully that doesn't happen frequently, but be sure you know who you add to your friends list.

Another source of concern is Facebook's third-party applications. Facebook, like many websites, makes money in a number of ways. One source of revenue for Facebook comes from outside developers who create new content for use on the site. Common third-party content includes quizzes, games, and advertisements.

In many cases this sort of content may access your profile information to provide more relevant content. However, you typically must give permission and will receive a message asking for your consent. Realize that if you choose to take the quiz or play the game, you will give up some of your personal data to that application. Make your decision with that in mind.

Finally, it's worth considering the content that is added not only by you, but also by other Facebook members. In the explosive world of social networking, there may be unforeseen consequences to adding photos, stories, and other material.

Your friend - or even a stranger - may post a picture of you with an alcoholic beverage or something worse. Unless the photo violates the terms of use, there is little that can be done to have it removed. A story of unflattering or even illicit activities about you may get detailed in a friend's note, leading to an uncomfortable situation. You have to consider these things when dealing with social networking.

Facebook is a public site, despite any privacy settings you may apply to your account. While your privacy settings may go a long way towards protecting your personal information from unwanted scrutiny, there is potential for that information to go outside of your control. By educating yourself, you will be better prepared to avoid embarrassment and have a great experience on the site.

Last update: Mar 22, 2010