more Facebook arrogance

Not to turn this into a Facebook-bashing blog, but I just read another annoying quote by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, quoted ON THIS BLOG:

“Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity.”

He’s referring to the anger people are justifiably feeling at Facebook for putting our information in places where we didn’t ask to put it.

It’s a preposterous statement, implying as it does that everything we say or think should be indiscriminately available to the entire public, and that if we object to that we are lacking in integrity.

I suppose that some sort of bizarre double life would reveal a lack of integrity. But obviously, our statements and actions constantly adjust to the context in which they occur. This is so basic a fact about life as to not even be worth arguing about, and in fact Zuckerberg is just trying to change the subject.

If I make the conscious decision as a Facebook user that all members of my Friends list can see something, that’s my choice. But when they start transmitting those posts to places where they can be seen by others off the list, then the audience has been changed without my knowing it.

Imagine that you’re lecturing in class, and your lecture is being broadcast live on national radio without your knowing it. Wouldn’t that obviously be a violation of your rights? That’s what Facebook has started to do.

And then there are all the other problems I mentioned a few days ago.