Facebook Owns Whatever You Post

The latest changes in the Facebook interface, filtering and real-time updating, some think are brilliant, however many of the less tech-savvy users feel it has become too complicated. First-time users may not intuitively understand how to configure privacy for photo albums and friend lists. The default sharing option is set to "everyone" so photos will be shared publicly.

Another privacy concern is the default setting to share personal information with everyone on a user's network (which could include an entire region or state). Some have indicated that Facebook should offer clear safety settings for those new to social networks and those not aware of the threat of scams and phishing and who do not understand they can and should change their privacy settings.

My biggest concern is the change in Terms of Service announced in February which indicates Facebook owns all content uploaded onto the site and reserves the right to sublicense the content as it sees fit.

WO! The implications there are really scary. Think about all of those who upload inappropriate photos -- they could end up on a porn site (legally if Facebook sells the photos)... or someone posting a scandalous image (which could now legally be sold to a tabloid) not that anyone would upload any inappropriate images...

But what about the professional photographer who legally owns the copyright to his / her own images or videos. If they share those images within their own network (family and friends), now they have given Facebook rights to that content -- which legally Facebook could sell to Getty Images, or other sites.

I'm not sure why there has not been more repercussions about the change in Terms of Service, and how Facebook could legally claim ownership to whatever is posted.

Any thoughts?

FriendFeed Beta

Friendfeed launched their beta version of their site yesterday with a new look - supposed to make the site easier and faster. New features include real-time communication, chat capabilities, ability to pause data stream, posting messages to Twitter, better search filters, and friend suggestions.

I'm not sure if Friendfeed is positioning themselves to compete with Facebook, but considering that one of the FriendFeed founders, Paul Bucheit, is also an R&D developer for Facebook, it could be soon in a place to either support Facebook users, or compete.

Twitter and Facebook Integration

Tweetdeck, a desktop client reportedly used by about 13% of Twitter users, launched an update that features Facebook integration, reports AllFacebook.

Tweetdeck aggregates data streams from Twitter, Twitscoop, 12seconds, and Stocktwits. It allows users to split feeds, organize those they follow into groups (work, personal, etc.) and conduct searches across the twittersphere to monitor topics of choice.

The Facebook integration incorporates status updates from the social network into the mix. (The new version is still in beta, but available to the public (download).

To use the new feature, users sign into Facebook and give Tweetdeck authorization. Then, from within Tweetdeck, they click on the Facebook icon at the top, which will add a new column that shows their Facebook friends' most recent status updates, which can be tweeted or emailed out to anyone. The stream updates once a minute.

Tweetdeck also supports real-time chat with Facebook friends, Mashable points out. If the person's name is green (signaling that they are online), users can initiate a Facebook chat session from within Tweetdeck.

Blogging and Facebook

I've been too busy to blog lately but good things are happening at i.TV and that's keeping me busy. I've also found some slight relief to my back and neck pain through injections, but it's only temporary and I'm enjoying the fact that I can sit and stand for a little longer.

I have had some great experiences with Facebook in the past few months - having people track me down that I knew 15-20 years ago. It's so fun to get caught up and make those connections again. Facebook is awesome!

Facebook to Launch IM Service

"Facebook is poised to launch its own instant messaging service as early as next week. The service will be built into Facebook profile pages.

Facebook's plans may be bad news for third parties like Social.IM and FriendVox, which built IM apps on Facebook.

The announcement comes a week after Bebo, the third biggest social network, was purchased by AOL. AOL says the merger's success hinges upon the successful integration of AIM into Bebo.

MySpace also offers a rather sporadic IM service, which debuted in 2004.

Early this month, Facebook announced a music partnership with iTunes, right on the heels of MySpace, which itself is developing a music service with the four major record companies."

http://www.marketingvox.com/facebook-to-launch-im-service-037361/?camp=newsletter&src=mv&type=textlink