Assume that anything you post on the net anywhere is public. That used to be ...

Julian Bond - 2011-09-29 07:29:39+0000 - Updated: 2011-09-29 07:29:39+0000

Assume that anything you post on the net anywhere is public. That used to be a good rule but various sites have lulled us into a false sense of security by providing function that gives you the illusion that you can post to a select group of people and nobody else will ever be able to see it. There are numerous problems with that. The interfaces are properly confusing, so it's really easy to post something to public that you thought was private and limited. It's often hard to go back and change permissions afterwards. Connected apps often ask for way more permission than they need. And the big one. You may find that the visibility is changed retrospectively by the platform provider.

This was brought home to me today by a couple of things on Facebook. I'm not going to rant about Facebook, and I'm not going to leave because I find it useful. But I am going to try and live by that rule again.

Assume that anything you post on the net anywhere is public.

25 Musley Ln, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 7

Ulrich Baer - 2011-09-29 07:51:57+0000

rule №1 if it is a secrect ⇒ don't talk about! technically you could prevent sharing with Cryptography but it will be always possible that someone with access make a screenshot and spread the info to others.

Jonathan Xavier - 2011-09-29 08:09:34+0000

True enough. Its both harder and easier to keep secrets in the digital age. Harder in the sense that more information about you is circulating than ever before, and easy in the sense that any secrets you do have that don't end up on the net are well hidden, because people assume that what they see is all there is.

Jonathan Smith - 2011-09-29 09:45:17+0000

As far as Facebook goes, your personal Facebook data can be requested of them to be sent to you on a CD. You've got to figure some things out, but here's the link to the form:
https://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=data_requests

Daniel Smith - 2011-09-29 12:25:01+0000

Just need to say - its a nice sunny day, so who gives a shit about this topic!!

Jonathan Smith - 2011-09-29 19:43:04+0000

+Saurabh Sarwate That's the part I'm still trying to find the info to provide. If anyone is able to supply it, please provide whatever info you can.

Gary Jenkins - 2011-10-01 10:28:12+0000

See this page for info. http://europe-v-facebook.org/EN/Get_your_Data_/get_your_data_.html

Julian Bond - 2011-10-05 06:47:05+0000 - Updated: 2011-10-05 06:48:26+0000

For me, getting the data out again is not the problem. It's posting something that I might not want some people to see. Or posting something about and to somebody else that they might not want a 3rd person to see. And it's not life threatening, just potentially embarrassing at some stage in the future.

The classic problem is the teenage-early adult one. Why shouldn't you post a photo of yourself getting seriously mashed up to the other people who were there. Just as long as potential employers, parents, people in authority never see it. Ever.

There are plenty of other similar scenarios in the same vein. It's about limiting access to some aspects of your life and being sure that they stay limited.