Facebook / Myspace

[Flamingo]

Anyone who has a computer and logs into the internet can be traced. So, therefore, any website you go to view can trace you and the information held by your own computer. Why do you think when there is a crime committed, they go get the computer or the laptop - they can easily trace stuff you have even thought you deleted years ago. What the computer does is basically the same as to the little cards you used to fill out and send back when you purchased an item, did a store survey, etc., etc. before computers existed. You shared your information. Just now it is much quicker and easier. Whatever you post out there as to information about yourself is for all to see.

How do I know all this stuff and for certain? My husband was a former UNIX engineer and traveled the world working on and installing systems for multinational major clients and was sought out for his computer knowledge and expertise by company names you see every day. It's amazing the trail one leaves when they are online and what is captured by the sites you visit. Do I have a Facebook account? Yes I do but I hardly ever log in and every day I get requests from people I don't know or my family doesn't wanting to be my friend. So if I do not log in, why are they interested in me? Think about it...they are just contacting as many people as they can to try to make friends and glean information.

[tigergem]

It's not necessarily as insidious as that Flamingo. Actually most of the random friend requests are for fairly shallow minded reasons. Some of them want friends for their team for the games they play. And some of them who are all self absorbed and self promoting, just want to make themselves feel all important by having close to 5000 friends on their list. It's pretty shallow and stupid. It doesn't matter if you don't log in for those purposes. They are counting on the fact that at least maybe your friends do, and will notice their posts on your wall and also join them.

[flyinbroke]

If someone wants to find you really badly, they will. You can stay off of all the social network sites in the world and if someone wants to get to you, they will find a way to make it so.

Agree with Tiger; I don't think it is insidious...I think some people are attention wh*res who thrive on numbers; the more they have the better they are. I have 150 FB friends. Every last one is someone I know in real life. We have met, we have hung out, we are actual friends. We may not be Christmas card every year friends, but I know who you are. I don't add friends of friends, I don't add cyberfriends, I don't add random people just because they are hot. If I don't know who you are, you are not added. Period. I also avoid applications like the plague. If I want to play Farmville or some other Sim game, why on earth does its app need my information, my pictures, my friend list...you get the picture. I don't drink virtual drinks, I don't play sim games, I don't want to be part of their vampire clique, mob group or knight of the round table. Why? Because some random third party now has ALL your info and privacy settings won't do squat. You just gave it to them.

[tigergem]

I really liked what my son had to say about all that. "Friends are the currency of the socially networked world. You accumulate them as a way of building status but in doing so they lose their individual value."

[joyoflivin]

How Come You Cannot Delete Your Account!!!!

I need to be able to edit my account or delete something and I am unable?
I have emailed the powers to be on this web-site to no avail. What is up with that? This is the first website I have ever been on that you are not allowed to delete your account? I don't like that.

[frogger]

This is the first website I have ever been on that you are not allowed to delete your account? I don't like that.

You must not have been on the internet very much if this is the first site that you don't have admin powers on.

If you don't want to be here, just fade away into the sunset......

[joyoflivin]

most sites have an area that you can edit or delete something...
I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be but I just want a little control if I need to edit.

[frogger]

most sites have an area that you can edit or delete something...
I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be but I just want a little control if I need to edit.

You can edit, you can not delete. That's about all the "control" you're going to get 'less you pay the bills.

[AngelinaCat]

most sites have an area that you can edit or delete something...
I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be but I just want a little control if I need to edit.

You have a window of opportunity of about one hour in which you can edit your post after you post it. You will see an 'edit' button at the bottom right of the text window next to 'quote'. If, however, you let that time go by without editing, then you lose that opportunity. So think carefully about what you want to say before you post it.

[tigergem]

You have a window of opportunity of about one hour in which you can edit your post after you post it. You will see an 'edit' button at the bottom right of the text window next to 'quote'. If, however, you let that time go by without editing, then you lose that opportunity. So think carefully about what you want to say before you post it.

joyoflivin is talking about her account information, not her post.

[AngelinaCat]

joyoflivin is talking about her account information, not her post.

I addressed her question about her posts. Her questions about her account have been handled via PM.

[Flamingo]

It's not necessarily as insidious as that Flamingo. Actually most of the random friend requests are for fairly shallow minded reasons. Some of them want friends for their team for the games they play. And some of them who are all self absorbed and self promoting, just want to make themselves feel all important by having close to 5000 friends on their list. It's pretty shallow and stupid. It doesn't matter if you don't log in for those purposes. They are counting on the fact that at least maybe your friends do, and will notice their posts on your wall and also join them.

I'm aware of that and of the contests to glean as many friends as possible but to expand on the point, if one stupidly accepts all the requests, all your information and that of anyone associated with you gets out there more and you can bet there are those in there that can do a lot with that information...so any one of those friend's request which may seem innocent enough may not be so innocent as they can hide behind the practice.

[Flamingo]

most sites have an area that you can edit or delete something...
I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be but I just want a little control if I need to edit.

After you submit a post, there is an Edit button that appears on the bottom of your posting which stays active for a short period of time. The time does expire so if you want to change a post a few hours later or the next day, you cannot do so. Postings cannot be deleted by members, only moderators, and they are only deleted if they do not conform to forum rules, are duplicates, spam or advertising, or the mods will delete names or other identifying information in posts that is in appropriate or against the forum rules.

[Flamingo]

I need to be able to edit my account or delete something and I am unable?
I have emailed the powers to be on this web-site to no avail. What is up with that? This is the first website I have ever been on that you are not allowed to delete your account? I don't like that.

As to editing your "account," you can easily change or remove information in your profile and choices of how you want things to appear or not appear, email address, etc., etc. You cannot delete your account - if one no longer wishes to be a member, just do not post or log in. Most forums on the internet are the same way.

[flyinbroke]

Flamingo, at least one guy has gotten burned by adding a hot chick who turned out to be a skiptracer looking for him for a CA. It pays to know who your friends are before you actually add them.

http://consumerist.com/2009/05/debt-collectors-using-cute-chicks-on-facebook-as-bait.html