Mathew's comments - Latest Comments in Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

Re: Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

mathewi — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:18:01 -0000

Well, not any *more* evil :-)

Re: Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

leigh — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:48:33 -0000

What's your point M...that Microsoft ISNT evil??? Lol. You're killing me today....

Re: Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

mathewi — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:17:02 -0000

Thanks for the comment, Brian -- but lots of other companies track
what you're doing, including Microsoft (if you use Internet Explorer).
They just don't make it obvious that they do, and they don't make it
obvious how to opt out either -- in other words, they do exactly the
same thing people are criticizing Facebook for doing.

Re: Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

mathewi — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:15:02 -0000

Ouch -- that lunch comment was harsh. Point taken :-)

Re: Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

Leigh — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:48:48 -0000

I guess too many of my friends are social justice lawyers who work with people all the time who get screwed by this type of transient information. Seriously the stories I have heard would blog (ha, Freudian slip) your mind. And it goes on all the time.

But sure, for most of us tech writers, rich guys in NYC, doctors, digital executives, etc. - chances are we'll probably be just fine. Can't imagine my shopping habits will have anyone thinking very much other than I have great taste. ;-)

p.s if you keep disagreeing with me I'll make you buy lunch

Re: Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

Brian K — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:48:19 -0000

The deal is, they are tracking my information without my permission to do so. Of course, all sites do this--and you tacitly agree to it by using a web site--but no other site (to my limited knowledge) tracks across the web.
Nevermind the information is useless--it's the premise. Why not just track my bank accounts, so i can purchase their stupid gifts faster, or report to everyone when I'm broke. Or track when I'm looking at porn, or my heart rate, or whatever.
It's true, no one would really care about my doing any of those things, nevertheless, it's an irritating transformation of human society to this obsession on the individual and their inane activities, as well as a corporate invasion of privacy.

Re: Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

mathewi — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:08:01 -0000

Always, Howard. Always.

Re: Facebook bows to the Beacon haters

howardlindzon — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:34:57 -0000

so you are saying you are not breathessly awiting my updates ?