Facebook Unveils Location Service

[Sporkman]

Facebook Unveils Service That Lets Users Share Their Locations

August 19, 2010, 12:03 AM EDT
By Brian Womack

Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. introduced a service that makes it easier for users to share their whereabouts with other people, making a deeper push into a fast-growing market pioneered by Foursquare Labs Inc.

The feature, called Places, is aimed at helping users of the social network find friends and disclose their own location, Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said yesterday. Places works with existing location-aware tools offered by Foursquare, as well as Gowalla Inc., Zuckerberg said.

Services that help Web users share their whereabouts and find nearby friends could generate as much as $4.1 billion in annual ad sales by 2015, according to Borrell Associates. The features can help marketers more easily target customers -- say, by reaching shoppers when they’re close to making a purchase. In the future, Facebook may include an advertising component to Places, Zuckerberg said at an event in Palo Alto, California...

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-19/facebook-unveils-service-that-lets-users-share-their-locations.html

[NCLI]

I will never use this. I trust Google enough to make use of Latitude, but Facebook? Never.

[aeiah]

useful if you're off on a backpacking adventure, and meeting other backpackers as you go, so when you're next in the same place you can hook up. beyond that, it seems pointless, much like most of facebook.

[oldsoundguy]

"Hi, I'm at the mall and am going to go to a movie" just tells a burglar that nobody is home!

Twitter like and totally DUMB!!

Use the frinkin' PHONE to hook up!!!!

[fatality_uk]

useful if you're off on a backpacking adventure, and meeting other backpackers as you go, so when you're next in the same place you can hook up. beyond that, it seems pointless, much like most of facebook.

And very useful if you are a friend, of a friend, of a friend of someone with a big house and you are a burglar!!! See when they are there. See when they go away on holiday and just HAVE to check FaceBook and update their status!!

[fatality_uk]

Sheesh were a cynical bunch LMAO ;)

[TNT1]

Sheesh were a realistic bunch LMAO ;)

I fix....

[Calash]

"Hi, I'm at the mall and am going to go to a movie" just tells a burglar that nobody is home!

Twitter like and totally DUMB!!

Use the frinkin' PHONE to hook up!!!!

Well, you could just unfriend the burglar, then post that you are at the mall.

Or filter the burglar...

Or call the cops since you know he/she is a burglar....



I often wonder what type of friend list people keep where they have to worry about any of them robbing your house :)

[TNT1]

.



I often wonder what type of friend list people keep where they have to worry about any of them robbing your house :)

I often wonder what kind of moron uses youtwitface in the first damn place.

[Calash]

Me for one, but not sure how Youtube fits in with the others. Watching videos is all I do with that.

It is all a matter of preference really. I like Facebook for keeping intouch with old friends and family. I really only have Twitter to get updates...mostly for Android stuff.

If you have no use for that then more power to you. The phone still exists for just such communications. Though you have to wonder how a line is drawn where visiting the Ubuntu forum is good, yet posting about it on Facebook is bad. They are both digital...both go out to the masses.

[TNT1]

Me for one, but not sure how Youtube fits in with the others. Watching videos is all I do with that.

It is all a matter of preference really. I like Facebook for keeping intouch with old friends and family. I really only have Twitter to get updates...mostly for Android stuff.

If you have no use for that then more power to you. The phone still exists for just such communications. Though you have to wonder how a line is drawn where visiting the Ubuntu forum is good, yet posting about it on Facebook is bad. They are both digital...both go out to the masses.

Oh, I hear you, I just think there is a fundamental difference in the way this sitte will use my personal information, and the way a site such as facebook will (and does) use my information.
I think a very real problem with technology, and the way information is distributed, is that the vast majority of the users and consumers of the technology do not see it with the same critical eye that someone like you or I would.

(just this past year, in this country, murders were carried out by perpetrators that met their victims on both mxit and facebook... I think that speaks to a naievity and lack of understanding on the part of the users of the technology....)

[fatality_uk]

But can't friends, of friends etc see you profile? Not too sure on this weeks security systems for FB.

[Cavsfan]

I have seen that on there and thought it was pathetic. Especially after seeing on the news that someone posted
that they were going to the movie and 10 minutes after they left they were robbed. It WILL be someone you know that robs you every time.

There are things to pay attention to and there are things to ignore and this falls into the latter...

[Cavsfan]

But can't friends, of friends etc see you profile? Not too sure on this weeks security systems for FB.

Not if you have everything set to "Friends Only" through Privacy settings.
FaceBook's default setting is to allow everyone to see your wall, info and photos.

I have mine locked down so tight that all you see is my name, not even a picture or anything else.

[Cavsfan]

If you have a FaceBook account, go to this site and search for something.
It will search the millions of people who have left their walls set to "Everyone".

Pretty pathetic if you ask me. But, you will never see my stuff on there as I pay
close attention to what I do on there...

http://youropenbook.org/

But, I would not post anything about that site on FB as it has already been restricted.

That site was created by some programmers to bring attention to the lack of privacy on FaceBook.
Unless you know how to control your privacy yourself, you are exposed by their default settings.

[kaldor]

"Hi, I'm at the mall and am going to go to a movie" just tells a burglar that nobody is home!

Yep... and it happens.

[Cavsfan]

Yep... and it happens.

Everday!

[Calash]

Oh, I hear you, I just think there is a fundamental difference in the way this sitte will use my personal information, and the way a site such as facebook will (and does) use my information.
I think a very real problem with technology, and the way information is distributed, is that the vast majority of the users and consumers of the technology do not see it with the same critical eye that someone like you or I would.

(just this past year, in this country, murders were carried out by perpetrators that met their victims on both mxit and facebook... I think that speaks to a naievity and lack of understanding on the part of the users of the technology....)

It is a bit off topic, but fundamentally I agree with you. Personally I blame the average end-user who wants this level of connectivity then expects somebody else to protect them when something goes wrong.

If you ask for everybody on your "Friend" list to know where you are guess what...they will know where you are.

And I will conceded that there are some privacy issues having to do with Facebook and they should really focus on them before adding more openings.

However to counter your last point, how many victims were on forums, IRC, dating sights, school bus stops, playing in their yards, or going to a party with a "friend"?

Personally I will probably use the feature. I already locked it down to Friends only and just need an Android client so I can play with it. In the end I will likely get bored, like I did with Foursquare, and stop posting locations but find it mildly interesting to watch others do so.

[Cavsfan]

It is a bit off topic, but fundamentally I agree with you. Personally I blame the average end-user who wants this level of connectivity then expects somebody else to protect them when something goes wrong.

If you ask for everybody on your "Friend" list to know where you are guess what...they will know where you are.

And I will conceded that there are some privacy issues having to do with Facebook and they should really focus on them before adding more openings.

However to counter your last point, how many victims were on forums, IRC, dating sights, school bus stops, playing in their yards, or going to a party with a "friend"?

Personally I will probably use the feature. I already locked it down to Friends only and just need an Android client so I can play with it. In the end I will likely get bored, like I did with Foursquare, and stop posting locations but find it mildly interesting to watch others do so.

The only problem is that your "friends" are most likely to rob you. So, even if you have everything set to "friends only" and let all of them know where you are going, etc.
You are still vulnerable. It will be someone you know that robs you, rapes you (if you are a girl), etc. The possibility that a stranger robs you is infinitely less than someone you know, hence a facebook friend...

[whiskeylover]

I often wonder what kind of moron uses youtwitface in the first damn place.

The same kind of moron who hangs out with complete strangers on Linux forums.

[whiskeylover]

But can't friends, of friends etc see you profile? Not too sure on this weeks security systems for FB.

All that is configurable in Facebook. You can set levels of access for your photos, albums, wall, individual posts etc.

By the way, if you have friends you trust not to burgle your home, and are smart enough to set up privacy filters, I see no reason to be afraid of sharing your location, if you want. That is, unless you're one of those conspiracy theory types.

[Calash]

The only problem is that your "friends" are most likely to rob you. So, even if you have everything set to "friends only" and let all of them know where you are going, etc.
You are still vulnerable. It will be someone you know that robs you, rapes you (if you are a girl), etc. The possibility that a stranger robs you is infinitely less than someone you know, hence a facebook friend...

If I cannot trust my friends, then who can I trust?

There are far easier ways to tell if somebody is out...like the old fashioned "Is the car in the driveway".

[spoons]

I love the smell of data mining in the morning.

[Cavsfan]

If you are all blind to the well known fact that people you know are way more likely to steal or rob or pillage or rape you than someone you don't know, I won't waste another breath....

[Superkoop]

The only problem is that your "friends" are most likely to rob you. So, even if you have everything set to "friends only" and let all of them know where you are going, etc.
You are still vulnerable. It will be someone you know that robs you, rapes you (if you are a girl), etc. The possibility that a stranger robs you is infinitely less than someone you know, hence a facebook friend...

Maybe you shouldn't add friends that you don't trust on facebook then... And if these friends are the ones to burglarize you, they would have been able to find out when you are out either way.
so many people freak out because of FB, and it's almost all from ignorance. Sure people can abuse the system when others fail to protect themselves, but guess what, it's going to happen in any system.
The only preventative is protecting yourself, and you can protect yourself and use facebook at the same time. The End. This is pretty much a recurring thread...

Back to topic:
I won't use this feature as I don't have a device to use it with, anyways I don't want even my closest friends to know where I am all the time... sometimes I like getting away... ;)

[Cavsfan]

Maybe you shouldn't add friends that you don't trust on facebook then... And if these friends are the ones to burglarize you, they would have been able to find out when you are out either way.
so many people freak out because of FB, and it's almost all from ignorance. Sure people can abuse the system when others fail to protect themselves, but guess what, it's going to happen in any system.
The only preventative is protecting yourself, and you can protect yourself and use facebook at the same time. The End. This is pretty much a recurring thread...

Back to topic:
I won't use this feature as I don't have a device to use it with, anyways I don't want even my closest friends to know where I am all the time... sometimes I like getting away... ;)

I am not stupid enough to tell my FB friends my every move... I can resist the urge to put every thought that goes through my head on FB.

Crap, here I am wasting my time when I said I wouldn't DOH!

[Austin25]

I'm not even on facebook for these reasons. For the record, I'm slightly paranoid. If you want to tell people where you are, you don't need to tell everyone, and if you tell everyone, you don't have to tell them who you are.

[Sporkman]

It won't just be friends that will know where you are - it will be marketers as well.

[whiskeylover]

It won't just be friends that will know where you are - it will be marketers as well.

Not unless either you or facebook give them that info.

[Sporkman]

Not unless either you or facebook give them that info.

Zuckerberg said they would - see the last paragraph of the article quote.

[whiskeylover]

Zuckerberg said they would - see the last paragraph of the article quote.

You're right. I didn't read that.
But you always have the option to not share your location info in the first place.

[oldsoundguy]

For those that have NOT caught the general operational procedures of Facebook ... they will broadcast EVERYTHING to the world that you give to them UNLESS you opt OUT (not opt IN) Check your settings if you are a member and adjust accordingly.
(so you can opt OUT on the latest proposed feature when it gets implemented.)

[lisati]

"Hi, I'm at the mall and am going to go to a movie" just tells a burglar that nobody is home!

Twitter like and totally DUMB!!

A bit like the voicemail greeting which says, "I'm sorry. I'm not in right now. Please leave a message." Translation: "I don't mind if you're a burglar doing a random call to see who is home and who is out, so I can choose which house to burgle." (Sidenote: saying "burgle" is a lot easier than saying "burglarize." Where on earth did that word come from? *** rant from the grammar police ends ***)

The same kind of moron who hangs out with complete strangers on Linux forums.
:lolflag: