Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

oculus.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

491–500 of 1001 posts

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#491

Post by Maha-pudma »

latenightcoding wrote: post #479
xg15 wrote: post #386

This is something that still completely baffles me about the "IoT"/"smart devices"/"connected devices"/"whatever you want to call it" space. If someone advertised a device as capable of doing X without it in fact being able to do X, they'd be liable for false advertising. If someone sold you a device, then took it back or destroyed it, they'd be liable for theft or destruction of property. Nevertheless, if someone se…

It baffles me too. My Samsung smart tv started showing me ads in the control panel/home screen. I paid full price for it, why am I seeing ads. I wish I could return it, but the snakes waited until the return period was over.

This happened to me to. It now is not connected to the internet and never will be again. It's also the crappest TV I've ever owned. My old dumb TV is better.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#492

Post by cruano »

aryik wrote: post #391
_trampeltier wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me it's the reason, why I never started gaming again. I just wanna buy a game and play. I don't wanna have any spyware on my PC.

This is why I love the Switch compared to all the other modern consoles. When I try to use a PS4 or an Xbox it feels like I'm fighting to be able to play - 10's of GB's of updates that take hours to "copy" after download, slow system updates, games that need to install for an hour after you put in the disc, etc. etc. The Switch is the first console I've used in years where it seems like the maker of the console actua…

Except when you go into the eshop and have to scroll down pages of shovelware to find anything decent

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#494

Post by danShumway »

gibolt wrote: post #372
danShumway wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suppose. But at the same time, for any new users who value their own privacy the device is now pretty useless, and for any existing users who value their privacy but also want to be up-to-date and get new features, they're also probably going to be locked out in future updates. So you kind of have to excuse them for focusing on the negatives, because they don't get to enjoy the positives. It's kind of a moot point…

The vast majority of those users likely also have a Facebook, Instagram, and/or Whatsapp account. Without Facebook's funding, none of the recent advancements are likely to exist in the first place. Valve hasn't done it, HTC hasn't done it, Sony hasn't done it. Because it is hard, expensive, and a money losing endeavor (for the forseeable future). To be clear, I am strongly against the requirement, but am glad the pro…

I'm not saying there aren't positives, I'm saying that it's understandable why users who now need to choose between a peripheral and their privacy are having a hard time focusing on those positives.

I'm also not too cynical about the market, because thankfully there are multiple companies in this space who are making progress. So Facebook will trash Oculus and things will stink for a while.

Eventually somebody else will come along and offer the same functionality without feeling the need to create a user-hostile platform out of a peripheral. Eventually the Linux support will improve. Eventually some community group will take over WebVR and we'll get a general platform instead of a bunch of separate stores designed to increase user lock-in. Eventually the games will be disassociated from the peripherals. Eventually, we'll get what we want and the space will improve. And Facebook's early efforts to improve the raw tech will be a part of that story.

But in the meantime, for the people who were predicting what Facebook was going to do from the moment Oculus was acquired -- I think it's reasonable to step back and let them say, "we told you so."

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#496

Post by woeirua »

TedShiller wrote: post #194
atarian wrote: post #13

Palmer Luckey, the original creator had this to say over on /r/oculus: I am already getting heat from users and media outlets who say this policy change proves I was lying when I consistently said this wouldn't happen, or at least that it was a guarantee I wasn't in a position to make. I want to make clear that those promises were approved by Facebook in that moment and on an ongoing basis, and I really believed it w…

Just make a fake FB account exclusively for this purpose. If you're forced to use a FB account at least don't link it to your actual profile. I have a separate fake FB account for every service that requires FB.

Until they make you download the FB app to use it, and then they get access to everything you do on your phone and follow you around the internet. So sacrifice your privacy, or sacrifice the Oculus. I know which one I'm going to choose.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#497

Post by yalogin »

Ha this is inevitable. Facebook would not leave the device alone obviously. Oculus opens ups brand new data set and user base to sell ads. Not just that facebook has done something that google couldn't do, they created another successful product beyond their cash cow.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#498

Post by acdha »

wlesieutre wrote: post #67
eugeniub wrote: post #22

Well this is horrifying. I bought a Quest for a relative. He loves it, but he doesn't have a Facebook account, and has no interest in signing up. I have a Facebook account, but I don't use it, and I certainly don't want to connect my Oculus account. I guess we'll both have to sell our Quests. That means we'll lose all of our game purchases. I came to Oculus with eyes wide open knowing it was a Facebook company, but t…

If you make a Facebook account and never touch the Facebook aspect of it, is there any material difference between that and an Oculus account?

Can you do so without accepting their terms of service? They use every data source they can to build profiles for people so accepting the ToS is going to approve use of your information for as much as they can get away with.

Re: Facebook account now required to login to Oculus devices

#499

Post by novok »

zimpenfish wrote: post #326
sneak wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, this is really a condemnation of any data privacy practices whatsoever claimed by any company, as they may at any point in the future sell the entire company and databases with it. The only privacy claims one may wish to take seriously are those that occur simultaneously with promises never to sell the company. I used to use a location tracking app called Moves, which was a neat 24/7 location tracking lifelog…

> I used to use a location tracking app called Moves Same. Nothing since has managed the same usefulness (although I suspect this is because iOS has somewhat neutered tracking apps - e.g. both OwnTracks and Gyroscope have significant issues tracking my phone.)

Have you tried arc?
Post reply on HN