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Making Control Simple

blog.facebook.com

21–30 of 69 posts

Re: Making Control Simple

#21
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I understand, if you log back in to your account within 14 days* then the delete request is cancelled and everything goes back to normal. It makes me wonder if Facebook had a bad couple of days of people deleting their accounts and Mark Zuckerberg thought "Right, we've got 7 days to fix this and get them logging in again, let's get to it!" * I could have the precise timeframe wrong

This is unfortunately a common misperception. If you deactivate your account you can bring it back. If you delete it the data is deleted.

This is unfortunately a common misperception.

Wrong. If you deactivate your account, you can bring it back. If you request it to be deleted, you have 14 days to cancel that request (by simply logging in) before it's deleted. Once it's deleted, that's the end -- you can't bring it back.

(edited to make clear which part of your comment is wrong)

Re: Making Control Simple

#23
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I sure hope not - decentralised social networking (whoever makes it) is the only logical way forward. Imagine email was controlled by one company.

To most non-technical people, email is tied to one company; their ISP or one of the free Hotmail/Gmail/Yahoo-style providers. Changing a personal email address can be a huge hassle. Now, I can see ISPs setting up social network nodes for their users, I just wonder if there won't be some similar pain if/when one changes provider.

Even if it's a pain, it's possible and they cannot actively take steps to prevent you from backing up your email.

Not true for all the contacts in your fb profile.

Re: Making Control Simple

#24

This should deter Diaspora and other open social networking alternatives exactly as much as a monthly decrease in the price of crude oil should deter alternative energy research.

Researching alternative energy and actually getting someone to pay for a product that uses alternative energy are quite different. I'm sure those people who are currently using crude oil products will continue to do so once they see the price difference in the alternative energy products.

The same thing goes for Diaspora. It's going to take a miracle to make the majority of Facebook users jump over to a social network that cannot be used for free.

Re: Making Control Simple

#25
I'm confused did they really change anything? Or just make the controls "simpler"? Are there still "only me" settings? (I got bored after reading the first few paragraphs of the history of Facebook)

Re: Making Control Simple

#26
post #17
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What were their intentions... to trick people with their security settings? Perhaps they just didn't take enough time to plan out the settings the first time around.

You really think a huge company full of lawyers and an entire office in DC dedicated to privacy & policy messed up because they were in a hurry? Trust me, there's not a single setting in the old design that wasn't vetted by a pile of lawyers and policy wonks.

I will give them the benefit of the doubt until someone proves that wrong. Right now, all you have is assumptions to rely on.

Re: Making Control Simple

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To most non-technical people, email is tied to one company; their ISP or one of the free Hotmail/Gmail/Yahoo-style providers. Changing a personal email address can be a huge hassle. Now, I can see ISPs setting up social network nodes for their users, I just wonder if there won't be some similar pain if/when one changes provider.

Even if it's a pain, it's possible and they cannot actively take steps to prevent you from backing up your email. Not true for all the contacts in your fb profile.

Creating an app to extract Facebook contacts would be a piece of cake.

Re: Making Control Simple

#28

This should deter Diaspora and other open social networking alternatives exactly as much as a monthly decrease in the price of crude oil should deter alternative energy research.

Since when did Diaspora become an alternative to social network or even Facebook? No one knows what the hell it is, other than a few kids drawing some diagrams on a black board.

Re: Making Control Simple

#29
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is unfortunately a common misperception. If you deactivate your account you can bring it back. If you delete it the data is deleted.

This is unfortunately a common misperception. Wrong. If you deactivate your account, you can bring it back. If you request it to be deleted, you have 14 days to cancel that request (by simply logging in) before it's deleted. Once it's deleted, that's the end -- you can't bring it back. (edited to make clear which part of your comment is wrong)

Ah, you are correct. I just tried it (with a dummy account). Apologies. I work at FB but don't delete my account often. :)

It looks like you will be asked to confirm deletion if you log in during the waiting period. Simply logging back in will not cancel the deletion request.

"Your account has been deactivated from the site and will be permanently deleted within 14 days. If you log into your account within the next 14 days, your account will be reactivated and you will have the option to cancel your request."

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