Facebook Too Big?

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,551
2,809
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
How about this one? http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/14/technology/firesheep_starbucks/index.htm

I thought I'd spread the word and help some laymen out after work. There's a large Starbucks near my apartment. I dropped in, bought some unhealthy food, opened my laptop and turned on Firesheep.
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Logging on to https://www.facebook.com just redirects to an unsecured connection. And while a VPN would create a secure tunnel through the unprotected connection, most users don't have access to one.

The best thing to do is to log out of Facebook and Twitter when using one of these connections.

Half an hour later, I'd collected somewhere between 20 and 40 identities. Since Facebook was by far the most prevalent (and contains more personal information than Twitter), I decided to send the users messages from their own accounts to warn them of their exposure. I drafted a friendly, generic message that stated the location of the Starbucks, what the vulnerability was, and how to avoid it. I sent messages to around 20 people.
_______________

One of them was even on Amazon.com, which I had warned about in my first message.

I targeted him first: I opened up his Amazon homepage, identified something he had recently looked at, and then sent him a "no, seriously" message on Facebook from his account -- including the fun fact about his music choices.
_________________

A compromised Facebook account doesn't just mean someone can view your photos, likes and wall posts. A compromised Facebook account gives someone access to an identity, from which they can perform social engineering attacks and potentially ruin relationships -- both out of boredom and for gain.
 

jburd641

Explorer
Jan 16, 2008
410
22
Port Charlotte, Fl.
I held out for quite a while before joining. I am not exactly addicted, but I do check every day. It's really really nice to be able to keep tabs on everyone without having to take the time to actually interact with them. That sounds kinda messed up. But I feel more in touch with my family than ever. It's nice.

I will say that I find the privacy issues a little disconcerting. Facebook is a gold mine of personal information.

Spot on Sue. I'm in contact with family members who I used to only see once a year. People say email them but seriously, how many people have family members who they enjoy seeing but you just don't take the time to email?

I don't regret joining facebook.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,251
4,365
Pines; Bamber area
Still mulling it over. After the uprisings in the middle east brought people together against a corrupt government, and disasters in Japan and New Zealand brought out the good value in family connections in social networking....I thought better about it. Then too, I am losing my voice if I cannot speak out on issues unless I'm a "booker". Then, I was reading this article about use of tablets by salespeople in stores who walk right up to you and make the sale and print out a receipt.

"The app not only processes payments, it also tracks stock, can generate reports on sales and profit margins, collects customer data and links to them through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter."

And, I thought, no....I'm still not there yet.
 

piker56

Explorer
Jan 13, 2006
641
53
67
Winslow
The thing to me about using or not using technology is where do I draw the line? I only recently started a facebook account, at the teasing of my wife and kids. I've since got in touch with many friends I have't seen since the 70's. I had dinner last week with someone I haven't seen since 1970. Here we are, posting things on the internet about the pines, and many of us have never met in person. On the other hand, I hike without a gps and fish without a depth finder (fresh water). How many hikers would be willing to give up their gps? :) So if you ever see 2 old guys hiking in circles out in the woods, good chance it's me and TomM lost. Just point us in the right direction and we'll be fine.
Greg.
 

GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,123
441
Little Egg Harbor
I started a Facebook account a few months ago for the same benefits Greg described, getting in touch with old friends. I was immediately besieged with e-mails notifying me of messages and friends requests from coworkers, family members in my own household, and other people I see or talk too on a daily or weekly basis. Sensing an impending quagmire of unnecessary activity on my part, I never logged back on to my account after starting it. I’m perfectly happy living in the last century, if not the one prior.
 

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
Privacy and anonymity are not the same thing, or even related. What is going on with Facebook and commenting right now is a broad backlash against the effects of anonymity on the perceived public discourse. I say "perceived" because, while it is debased and profane on its best days, I don't yet think that the whole metaverse of blog commenters really matters in a policy or national identity sense. Not yet at least. There have been other attempts to create some sort of identity scheme on the web, but they have all been imposed by large companies/consortiums and have failed to gain any traction. Along comes this organic phenomena Facebook, and it turns out to provide the perfect platform for requiring people to identify themselves in a truly identifying way before posting. I don't have a personal Facebook page, and I also very rarely comment on blogs, but in general I'm all for it.
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
The problem I have with Facebook, and any similar type service, is my having confidence in their ability to police what goes on within that service. It is far too easy for those with the intent to find holes in these systems. Facebook in particular has been shown on several occasions it cannot do it, although it does make the attempt. I find it intriguing how people now have such a need to find long lost souls because someone developed an internet method to help do it. The old fashioned way still works. :)

Some recent Facebook issues.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/10/18/facebook-apps-transmit-sell-personal-info/
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,251
4,365
Pines; Bamber area
Well, it's been about 10 months since I posted this for comment. Have any of you that said no, signed up? Have any that said yes, closed it?
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,251
4,365
Pines; Bamber area
Still not on Facebook. Still don't feel like I'm missing anything.

I told my sister I do not want myself parceled up in peices and scattered all over the damn country. A little over the top, yes.

I am not totally ruling it out, but I still don't see any gain.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,555
2,470
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
your not. I originally got on it looking for old friends,found very few but a few found me,then my wife discovered she could start another farm on mine and I quite quickly inherited over 100 friends many of whom i have never met and do not know.Now she no longer plays farmville because she ran out of room and refuses to pay for it but when i suggest getting rid of all these people i don't know she tells me thats rude.I don't even know them.Then again with all these friends anything you post on there is bound to offend some of them.My own best friend kicked me off off his facebook because I bad mouthed his favorite president (we have since kissed and made up) .I have since learned it is not good to post anything political,religious or morally inclined,jokes can and will offend also.It is not worth having,if I have to be politically correct on facebook then they can keep it .The only reason I'm on there now is friends and family seem to be able to find me there easier then using my email.If they ever make it a pay site it will be a great excuse for me just to get rid of it.
 

oji

Piney
Jan 25, 2008
2,101
489
63
Browns Mills
I've been on for a while. I don't post much except on a group I joined that discusses Browns Mills in the old days and I did see a bobpbx brother posting there.
 

DeepXplor

Explorer
Nov 5, 2008
341
19
Jersey Shore
I have been on FB for several years. It is a good tool to use to stay in touch with family and friends around the world. I don't post much but I do make comments when necessary. The problem with social networking is that it shouldn't be used as a method of communication where you never have to speak to the other person. Face to face is best and using the phone is still a personal way of staying in touch with others. I resisted Texting for that same reason, but there are times where I need to give an answer and I can't take the time to talk to that person, especially where you consider time differences around the world. Again, these are just other ways of communicating.
 
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