According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, "privacy has become less of a social norm on the Internet as users have become more comfortable sharing information." He made this bold statement at an awards banquet in San Francisco earlier this month, a mere three weeks after consumer and privacy advocacy groups filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the site's protection of user information.
Social media has changed the way we interact with others. We no longer take pictures of the grandkids, have them developed and mail them off to Aunt Martha or Uncle Jim. With one click, we can post them online where our loved ones can all ooh and aah over little Debbie's latest achievement. They can also be viewed by anyone else searching the Web unless we've made the appropriate privacy settings to our online account, an option that a large number of folks don't even know exists.
Nielson NetView reports that Facebook users spent 13.9 billion minutes on the site in April 2009, a 700 percent increase from the previous year. This is a clear indicator that people do not hesitate to share information online. It's also a sign that they don't take privacy issues very seriously. If you're among those that think "What's the harm?," take a look at our issue of April 7, 2009 (www.gcfbank.com/gcf0407.asp).
Facebook's CEO had good reason to make those comments. Of the 350 million plus registered users, hundreds of millions never thought about the consequences of their information sharing. They never bothered to configure their privacy settings.
When a new privacy policy was enacted in early December 2009, users were greeted with a notice when they logged in that included a tutorial to educate them about their privacy controls. Yet the message still fell on deaf ears.
When your friends run certain applications, Facebook can pull your shared information in the process. You can designate what information is made available in your Privacy Settings. You'll find a list of options in the section titled "Applications and Websites" and choosing "What your friends can share about you."
Don't want stray visitors to know who you're friends with? Uncheck "Show my friends on my profile" by clicking the little pencil to the right of your Friends list on your profile page.
You can choose who can view any piece of content that you post on your profile. You'll get a message on how to use it the first time you post with this control.
Your Privacy Settings can dictate who contacts you. Scroll through the "Contact Information" section to make whatever changes you like. Use the "search" option under Privacy Settings to make sure your personal pictures or messages don't pop up during a Google search.
The FTC complaint filed by consumer groups is directed towards Facebook's recommended settings as suggested in their transition tutorial. Using them reduces your privacy to the lowest possible level, granting access to everyone, everywhere. You can easily fix this by choosing the level that's right for you. But first you have to know what options exist and where to find them.
Take a few minutes to review all of the Settings presented. You can access them through the link on the top menu bar. You may be surprised at how much control you have with a mere click of a mouse.
It can be pretty hard to get excited about much when the calendar reads January. The holiday flurry has left us exhausted and broke while snow and ice keep us snuggled up indoors. It's no wonder manufacturers designate this down time to draw your attention to the latest and greatest products on the drawing board. It's show time!
The season kicks off with the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. And it's watched closely by more than just the techies. Items introduced in previous years have included CD players, DVDs and Blu-ray. It's the largest show of its kind in the world.
Entering the market this year will be the first 3-D TVs. Sony, Samsung, LG, and Toshiba will all roll out models sometime in 2010, with Panasonic the only to include the necessary viewing glasses. But Chinese company TCL Corporation, parent of RCA, takes the new technology one step further with a set that doesn't require the expensive glasses. A layer of rippled lenses is attached to the front of the TV screen to produce the effect. "Basically, we put the glasses that you'd be wearing on the TV," a TCL spokeswoman said.
Toshiba unveiled a prototype of a television that doesn't require a remote control. No, you don't need to get up and turn knobs like earlier models. Viewers simply wave their hands in the air to control the menu, fast-forward movies and turn the volume up or down. The TV uses infrared technology to sense a viewer's movements in a particular spot in the room. They expect to offer this in 2011 or 2012.
Samsung will roll out a television remote with its own television screen later this year. It also plays its own audio and can be tuned to different TV channels than the TV it controls. No need for two TVs if you want to watch something different than your spouse. Plug in headphones to hear the audio.
All eyes in the motor world were on Detroit as the North American International Auto Show debuted what's hot on the road this year. Ford took top honors in both the car and truck category with their Fusion Hybrid named Car of the Year and Transit Connect van Truck of the Year. The Transit Connect is a small commercial van that Ford has sold in Europe for some time. It's only just entering the U.S. market.
As one might expect, this year's emphasis is on fuel efficiency. Sedans are in, SUVs are out. Automakers believe the worst is behind them and ready to return their focus to building cars rather than emerging from bankruptcy.
Manufacturers competed to combine green with the sleek look consumers want in hopes of boosting sales. They want to get away from the slow, dull image that economy cars have portrayed. Most automakers displayed updated versions of hybrid and electric vehicles, there wasn't much new technology revealed.
Cadillac continues to offer luxury models that pack horsepower. They unveiled a coupe version of the CTS-V with a 6.2 liter V-8 engine that pushes 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque. The body is sleek and smooth, even the door handles are flush with the sheet metal.
To assure those that crave performance that their needs are still being met, Ford's Mustang GT still delivers. The standard engine is a 3.7 liter, 305 horsepower V-6. Those that need to feel a bit more power can opt for the 412 horsepower in their 5.0 liter V-8.
Detroit automakers needed a boost to remain in competition. Let's hope they can do it in 2010.
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On The World Wide Web
Washington Twp. school district students have created a YouTube video promoting their annual hoagie sale to benefit local families in need. Check it out.
Charity Navigator was founded in 2001 to evaluate the financial health and operating efficiency of charities. They use a unique numbers-based rating system in their analysis. Learn more about any charity before you donate.
Are you stretched too thin socially? Are you finding it hard to keep up with all your Facebook friends, Tweets and others? Link them together with the social hub here.
Tip of the Week
Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti in the wake of last week's devestating earthquake. Americans are always generous in such times, a fact well-known by scam artists. If you choose to donate to Haitian victims, do so through a known resource. Many of the emails you receive and groups offering aid are nothing more than fraudsters. Give with both your heart and your head.
Quotable
"Pain is temporary. Quitting is forever." - Lance Armstrong
Today in History
1903 - A new bicycle race, "Tour de France", is announced.
Flash Fact
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
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