Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
« Back to the grid | Next story »

Privacy, Shmivacy: Facebook Is Doomed

Posted Nov 27, 07 10:05 AM CST in Business,  Arts & Living,  Technology 

(Newser) – Aggressive new advertising tactics make Facebook look more evil by the day, but don’t worry, InformationWeek columnist Cory Doctorow writes, because it’s doomed anyway. Sure social networks are “pure crack” for some, but sooner or later everyone gets friended by someone they’d rather avoid, and eventually that awkwardness is too much to bear.

"For every long-lost chum who reaches out to me on Facebook, there's a guy who beat me up on a weekly basis through the whole seventh grade but now wants to be my buddy," Doctorow writes. Sooner or later, the boss and co-worker requests will overwhelm users, and Facebook will join SixDegrees, Friendster, et al. in irrelevance.

Source InformationWeek

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • The Pitfalls of De-Friending

    Nov 25, 08 4:14 PM CST
    The Pitfalls of De-Friending De-friending is an unfortunate reality for social networks. It happens for many reasons, but is always awkward. Here are some de-friending stories from Mashable (names have been changed to protect the embarrassed):

    • Social opportunists: Andrew got a friend request from Jane, who he didn’t know but was friends with many of his friends. Turns out, she just wanted them all to join her business networking group.
    More »

  • Price Dispute Sinks TwitFace Merger Talks

    Nov 25, 08 2:18 AM CST
    Price Dispute Sinks TwitFace Merger Talks Merger talks between Facebook and popular newcomer Twitter have ended without a deal, reports All Things Digital. Twitter wasn't satisfied with Facebook's offer of $500 million in stock, apparently concerned that the stock's valuation was too high, say insiders. Twitter also had concerns about how the two would integrate, and wanted to try building its revenue—currently zero—before pursuing a merger.
    More »

  • Nigerian Scamsters Want to Be Your Friend

    Nov 12, 08 6:53 AM CST
    Nigerian Scamsters Want to Be Your Friend Nigeria's notorious cybercriminals are looking for some buddies, Ars Technica reports. The conmen have infiltrated social networking sites like Facebook by filching passwords and contacting users in the guise of a friend who suddenly, urgently needs funds. Internet security experts fear the new tactic could prove a lot more effective that the standard scamming emails, as it hijacks the identity of someone the target knows.
    More »

  • Obama Dials Up SMS Blitz

    Oct 29, 08 7:01 AM CDT
    Obama Dials Up SMS Blitz Over the next seven days the Obama campaign will ratchet up its ongoing text messaging blitz, which has kept supporters in the loop and likely helped to pump up numbers at the 100,000-strong rally in Denver last week. Those who have opted in will get info about polling places, local Obama appearances, and even names of voters who might need a nudge, the New York Daily News reports.
    More »

  • No, Blogging Isn't Dead

    Oct 23, 08 8:13 PM CDT
    No, Blogging Isn't Dead A recent Wired magazine article argued that blogging is out, that mainstream media have taken the practice over, and one-time bloggers have moved on to social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr. Not so, responds Allyson Kapin on Fast Company. Witness the 175,000 new blogs created daily and 570,000 posts a day. More »

Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press and advertising partners at a Facebook announcement in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. Author and columnist Cory Doctorow suggests that Facebook's...   (Associated Press)
Laura Handyside, clockwise from left, of Duluth, Peter Sparby, of North Oaks, Minn., and Kadian Hofstad, of Pine City, Minn., laugh while using a laptop to check Facebook web pages of their friends. An...   (KRT Photos)
Journalist and author Corey Doctorow believes Facebook can be felled by an inherent flaw rooted in the convenience of contact from unwanted parties.   (Wikimedia Commons)
  (Shutterstock.com)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 4)

Tags

Facebook • social networking • MySpace


Loading...

Today's Most Popular

Loading...
SPONSORED NEWS ARCHIVE

Salesforce.com and Facebook Create New Opportunities for Enterprise Applications... (Wireless News)

FACEBOOK PARTY MAYHEM; EXCLUSIVE.(News) (The People (London, England))

Facebook 1.1.(SOCIAL NETWORKING)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article) (Macworld)

Majesco Entertainment Offers 'Bananagrams' Game on Facebook. (Entertainment Close-up)

Marketers tap social Web sites: Seeking face time through Facebook.(NEWS) (Automotive News)

Facebook triples wireless subscriber base. (RCR Wireless News)

Businesses are moving to a new virtual reality; Issue of the week: Networking... (Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England))

16th party ends in riot after Facebook advert ; LOCAL LONDON (Evening Standard - London)

Riot at Facebook 16th birthday party ; NEWS IN BRIEF (Evening Standard - London)

Teel, Scarlet Knights happy to stay faceless (The Record (Bergen County, NJ))


Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »