So you use Facebook...YOU LOSER!

Today's Tribune had an interesting article about the bookface, of which I am a user, discussing their recently updated terms of use. In it, they use language such as, "Facebook's changes have left its members vulnerable to having their content used without their permission, even if they delete information from their profiles." Which, at first glance, is somewhat troubling particularly if you are a photographer that posts your copyrighted work, or a writer who posts work you expect to be compensated for or intend to sell. It seems to imply that Facebook now owns whatever you post on your profile and has the right to use your stuff to sell...uh...Well, that's not very clear as to how they would/will profit from your material. Here is a relevant chunk of Facebook's response to, "Do you belong to Facebook, forever?" (and ever and ever...SLAVE!):

One of the questions about our new terms of use is whether Facebook can use this information forever. When a person shares something like a message with a friend, two copies of that information are created—one in the person's sent messages box and the other in their friend's inbox. Even if the person deactivates their account, their friend still has a copy of that message. We think this is the right way for Facebook to work, and it is consistent with how other services like email work. One of the reasons we updated our terms was to make this more clear.

In reality, we wouldn't share your information in a way you wouldn't want. The trust you place in us as a safe place to share information is the most important part of what makes Facebook work. Our goal is to build great products and to communicate clearly to help people share more information in this trusted environment.

I am fairly confident my precious pictures of myself are safe and I doubt very much there is some massive profit machine but all the same; no one wants their Facebook stuff sold, as it were, without your permission, consent, knowledge, or share of these "profits." This could be an issue if I had no clue...I do have a clue and while I post a lot of shit I do try and avoid anything compromising or potentially "job threatening." But I am not especially worried about Facebook running away with all the profits I could have gotten with pictures of my best friend's kids because...Well, that's kind of fucking dumb to care about, isn't it? Am I so special? Is "somebody" out there making the big bucks on my freely posted garbage? If so, power be to them! In reality, the ole rule of thumb applies to any Internet posting, "If you wouldn't put it on a public bulletin in the 'real world' then don't post it on the Internet."

What got my goat in this article more than anything (and as usual) was what I saw in the comments. Some people are fucking touchy about the Internet and really, really judge you (and me) quite harshly. Now, this is America where we all have the right to think and say what we generally want to (heh) but Christ if we don't just love judging others based solely upon our own cock-a-mamie values, don't we? Well, as an exercise to make myself feel better let us play with some of the more choice comments from the article!

"About 75% of the people on Facebook use it to brag and imbellish on the pathetic lives.
My sister's friend is a 40 year old, never married and hasn't had a date in years. She has a career but hates her job.
However, her profile pic has been obviously photo shopped and she can't post enough that she is a lawyer and so are her parents. It is absolutely nauseating---especially when you know the facts.
Another guy from college posts about 10 times a day--"I am in an important board meeting"----"I am at the executives dining room"...bunch of BS"

WOW! Somebody is disappointed in both their sister AND that college friend who clearly has Facebook Mobile! What a couple of douche-nozzles, eh? Actually using Facebook! Posting Pictures when they haven't dated in the, apparently, pre-approved time frame that is "normal." Clearly THAT person has no rights to express themselves in a way they feel comfortable. If only we all "knew the facts" of each other's lives (said facts shall be filtered through the cultural values of this one commenter). Then the college friend?!?! Holy shit, how dare they post stuff that I don't have to look at but do anyway because I am so damn busy feeling better than them that I only check Facebook for sources of condescension! Next!

"...almost all of my friends are on Facebook (or MySpace). I am not. I don't understand the appeal of either. I'm already in touch with everyone I want to be in touch with. The idea that I could list an infinite number of people - who I have either never truly met, or haven't had any face-to-face contact in years - as "friends" on a website holds no appeal to me. I don't understand how it can have any appeal to anyone, but clearly I am overestimating the intelligence and sophistication of the general public. "

This one has it right...People who use certain Internet sites are clearly not intelligent. This fine, bright light, only posts on Topix.com through the Chicago Tribune so clearly we, lowly, ignorant Facebook people can learn from their example. Some people are so awesome and organized that they have no need of communicating with people they know/knew online because it only matters when they see them in person. If not, maybe you don't have time due to kids, job, etc. or perhaps the people you like best live in a different country you should simply give up. Why try? You asshole. If you can't communicate effectively in "real life" then you cannot communicate. That is, apparently, if you wish to be as sophisticated and intelligent as the wee commenter above. Fucker. You are not adapting to the modern age, nor are you having fun by posting pictures of yourself and the people you like and interacting and so on...You are a narcissistic, "look at me" type and those people are "bad."

You should also note that...

"Please, if you are on Facebook, you clearly don't have a life. So who cares?"

Indeed. The only people who matter are active ones who work in active, outdoor jobs and clearly have defined for themselves and others what it means, "to have a life." I, for one, defined having a life by not being dead, but to each their own, I guess. I also don't own a Wii so maybe I will be alright?

"These are the people that have no social graces to have friends. Same people that own a Wii. "

DAMMIT...No social graces! I missed that memo...Or was it a book I should have been assigned in "Social Graces Class?"

"That's what Facebook, etc. are all about. Sheesh - what a narcissistic and vapid culture. Look at me, everybody! "

Stupid vapid assholes...I'll look at you when I am good and gawd damn ready to. Tell me to look at you? Who the fuck do you think you are? Assface! What's that a little confidence? A sense of humor? Hell no! You are a Narcissist and that is bad! Why exactly, I am not sure...Oh, I know because it bothers me! Yeah! I AM BOTHERED BY YOU! FUCK YOU AND YOUR SELF PICTURE WHORE FRIENDS!?!?! YOU SHOULD BE ANONYMOUS AND NOT ROCK THE BOAT WITH YOUR IMAGERY!!! ONLY PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE LOOKED UPON!!!!

"Most of this is dirty old men and fat women.OMG Freaks and Geeks."

Yup, I am dirty, old and jerkin' it to your fat tits...FAT CHICK! FREAKS AND/OR GEEKS DO NOT DESERVE TO POST STUFF ON THE INTERNET!!!! THEY SHOULD JUST GO LIVE UNDER A BRIDGE SOMEWHERE AND LEAVE US, OMG, BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT CREATURES BE!

This isn't the first time I have blogged about crap like this, a little over a year ago (in my "look at me, whore MySpace blog) I bitched about a similar social stigma that had arisen between a then dying (now dead) MySpace and still thriving Facebook:

Have you noticed this social stigma thing going on that tells me that MySpace is dead and that Facebook is the shit now? I believe that MySpace will soon be on the same level as Friendster which now lives in the same part of my brain as Fruity Yummy Mummy or, "Yes, I will take the category 'Things I remember that no one cares about' for $100, Alex!" It absolutely cracks my shit up as I still view the Internets as simply 1's and 0's that instruct my Internet watching machine to make them look like my MySpace page, the newspaper website, that picture of your tits I am currently coveting or what have you. Assigning social value of any kind to a website, service or so on just seems insane?!

I have also encountered the following line of thinking a few times in the last several months, "Anyone over the age of 30 who is on MySpace is a fucking loser." Coincidentally, almost everyone I know over the age of 30 happen to have a MySpace by now and if not they likely started a Facebook account in the last couple of months. So, dear readers, some people out there, who happen to be better than you, think you are a loser for being here and reading this AND I am a triple-double-dog-douche loser for continuing to post my vain, self-immersed bullshit so as to gain your attention and affection because I am a soul-less, needy whore.

The reason this stuff is such a sticking point is because of the wanton rush to judgement displayed by these asshats. Seriously, we are looking at programming code that instructs the computer to display it as such. How is one website, made of 1s and 0s, different from another which is also made from the very same 1s and 0s? Content! Thus a porn site IS different then a newspaper online...That I get! However, to be so petty that someone is some how less than you depending upon which websites you interact on/in/with is akin to judging someone based upon the way they breathe the same oxygen content as you do, or don't. What the fuck...MAN?! Where are these lines drawn? Who made the decision that being narcissistic is that horrible? Don't like it? Don't fucking do it...End of story. You need not sit and tell anyone who will listen why you think you are better because your values and cultural norms, arbitrarily deem it so inside your teeny head.

Can of worms there really because, I suppose, I am as guilty as anyone for making rash judgements based upon little, to no, information...Behold all the left-leaning, biased bitchings I have posted on here the last several months...However, this is my blog...My online 'journal' as it were and that is what it is for. Surely, unless you are a glutton of some kind, you don't like my ramblings you probably won't be back to read more. Simple as that! To paraphrase George Carlin when talking about Religious types crabbing about offensive content on the radio:
"Well Reverend, there are two knobs on the radio why don't you just change the fucking station if you don't like what you hear!"

Why ya'all gotta be pissin on everybody like that?