So you thought the Facebook apps were bad.
Now Facebook has this nifty little feature where non-members and search engines can access your Facebook too! In technical terms, your public search listing is indexed by external search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.).
Now alongside your high school cross-country race times, curious minds can also see that lovely profile picture and your list of friends. Then, a click will allow them to message you. It’s only weird when grandma starts messaging you on Facebook.
Or you can just go to your privacy settings and turn the feature off.
13 Comments
@laaame come on CIA, you already own facebook, why make it search engine accessable? the whole point of the spanish inquisition is that no one expects it.
@Foucault enjoy your self-surveillance state, suckazz
@Steph Courseworks down for anyone else?
@question a) why are you using courseworks @ 8:41 on the first Thursday night? (checking and posting on bwog is allowable…)
b) you can’t just ask a neighbor or friend or something?
@don't be mean whenever i stay in to do anything on an “out” night i feel like people like 10 are asking me the same question. banish guilt! homebodies unite!
@actually i’m an ass. i stand corrected.
@bwog as of late have consisted entirely of non-news.
@karl marx Dammit! Now I’m deleting my profile.
@well your grandma can’t message or poke you unless she goes through the sign-up process. and if she’s going to sign up, she would be able to do it anyway, with or without this new search feature.
this is such non-news.
@guys c’mon. do a little research… they can’t see a list of your friends unless they share a network with you.
this is just plain incorrect.
@Lucy If you have all the options checked, they can see your picture, poke you, send a message, add as a friend, view friends list regardless of network.
@nope oh come on! it may look like you can view friends, but please… try it before you make claims like that.
look up john smith from the homepage. try any of the action buttons. log in, and try to view a friends list. you can’t.
jebus! strike two!
@i mean since virtually anyone can join facebook now it’s not really making it all that much easier for people to find you on the site. still, i changed my already super private privacy settings to exclude my profile from google.