Posted on

YourOpenBook.org – Whats up with Facebook Privacy?

facebook1By: Billy BeerSlugger

So I stumbled onto YourOpenBook.org whilst reading a Wired.com magazine article about why not to be on Facebook. Lot of compelling arguments not to be on Facebook and I too share the authors feelings of perceived un-coolness when people I meet are bewildered that I’m not on Facebook.  Obviously I also share some of the authors views on the reasons not to be on Facebook as you may have read recently, mostly dealing with private companies like Facebook and Google containing so much data on people and how that data can be misused.

There has been general problems and criticisms with Facebook and privacy issues for some time but the most public issues came to light as recently as late 2009 and May 2010 when Facebook with revised privacy policies.  It forced “user profile photos and friends lists to be visible in users’ public listing, even for users who had explicitly chosen to hide this information previously, and making photos and personal information public unless users were proactive about limiting access” according to Gawker.com. So basically users who previously thought their data was safe behind a login wall and or only accessible to their firends now had to actively protect their data as Facebook’s default functionality was to share your data.

Besides all that mess the real thing I’d like to you visit is YourOpenBook.org. Go ahead and search a multitude of terms. As suggested by the author at Wired fun ones are “cheated on my wife” or “my new mobile number is” or “feeling horny“. Just a small taste of what can be grabbed off of your online Facebook profile. Just trying to raise some awareness for you Facebookers and social network addicts.

Posted on

BeerSlugger.com Getting Social

By: Billy BeerSlugger

We’d like to thank the many BeerSlugger’s out there that support our site and read our crappily written articles.

Being that this is the 22nd century I figured we’d bring BeerSlugger out of the dark ages and allow you guys to use all your little crazy social networks, social bookmarks and all that other bullshit.

So if you’ve got Facebook you can share an article you like by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the post. If you use Digg you can help BeerSlugger.com reach the masses by submitting an article you like by clicking on the dig icon at the bottom of the post. Same goes for Reddit and Yahoo Buzz.

If you are a Technorati user there is an icon on the right column that you can click to make BeerSlugger.com one of your favorite blogs.

We’re not really sure what any of this stuff does but we’ve looked at other blogs and they have the same shit. So in and attempt to be homogeneous and banal we have bowed to the peer pressure, emails and comments and added these features to BeerSlugger.com.

It’s Friday so I’m going to get drunk now. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for logging on.

Sincerely,

William J. BeerSlugger

Posted on

Social Networking / Dating Profile Pictures – That’s not you?

By: Billy BeerSlugger

While I had to retire from social networking a while back, one thing that I did notice is that people put the absolute best ever pictures on their profiles.  Like they went to Glamor Shots and then had them retouched.  Most people’s profile pictures will be from some vacation when they have a really good tan, the wind is blowing through their hair, the lighting is just right.  Possibly a night at a bar when they looked especially good, makeup, hair and outfit were all working in unison.   Neck crooked in such a way to stretch out their second chin.  Maybe just a headshot if they don’t want to reveal the shape of the rest of their body.  Possibly a head and chest shot if that’s what’s working. Maybe they had the photo taken in or converted to black and white, hiding even more imperfections.

You’ve went on some of your girl friend’s profiles and been like, “Damn she looks good”.  Well fellas it’s a little but of camera trickery.  They don’t really look that good, but for a split second in time, when the planets aligned correctly, they took some really good pictures.  And it’s not to say they’re not pretty, it’s just that they’re not as pretty as their best picture suggests.

I understand if you are using one of these social networks/dating sites to lure in men or women, I get that.  You’re trying to market yourself to someone else and putting your best stuff up there will maximize your hits or comments or messages or friends.  Makes sense, I guess when I used the social networks I kinda did the same things.

The weirder thing is when non-single women (and men but I really have never perused men’s profiles) continue to put their best pictures on the site for purposes of their own ego, even after they have found their “special someone”.  Crying out for attention, “Hey look at me, I’m pretty“.  Receiving comments, friend requests and messages from random deushe bags telling her so, “Hey girl you look fiyne!  Thanks for the add!“.  Letting her know she’s still got it.  All the while in the back of her head she reasons she can still go out and find another guy if need be and be confident enough to use that pseudo-fact in an arguement with the significant other.

I could be wrong, it could be for a photo competition with their friends.  Her best photo against all her friends best photos, leave each other messages like, “You’re so pretty” and then talk about the person behind their back.  Don’t think this kind of stuff doesn’t happen.

I’ll never get women.  I’m pretty sure if they didn’t have vagina’s I wouldn’t even talk to them.  Maybe to get their opinion on paint colors for a room but that’s about it.  Meanwhile I’m relegated to a life of dealing with them.

On that note I’m getting drunk tonight….