In deciphering the noise about Facebook's latest measures on privacy and sharing, Buzzmachine's Jeff Jarvis admits he's been a little baffled. Why have so many people suddenly gotten hostile to the social network?
Jarvis thinks it may have to do with Facebook confusing sharing with publishing. In other words, Facebook is assuming that what you put on your page is effectively there for the world, when he thinks it ought to simply be there for the public you've chosen (that is, your Friends and perhaps their Friends).
Facebook wants to be the creator and enabler of identities, but cannot because users do not want it to be so, he asserts.
The problem with the recent Facebook changes is that they have made contracts with companies like newspapers, magazines, advertisers, goods and services, without first asking users if it would be ok with them to have their info plastered publicly and not giving them ample notice and information about this latest move into the marketplace so as to fully protect themselves. Many users still have no idea what LIKE-ing something really means and how far reaching it is. Personally, I don't need social networking integrated with media. Journalism is diluted enough these days.
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