Why I don't use these websites
This sort of thing was inevitable, which is why I simply don't use these social networking sites. At all. I have a perfectly functional email address and conventional forums provide all the social networking I need, without the personal details like real name, birthdate, contacts list etc.
Forums consist of a netnick, email address, and a series of posts about your thoughts, opinions and ideas - and that's all you need reveal. Most forums also include a private messaging facility that allows members to contact you personally if you don't want to give out an email address. Through forums, I have shared information with hundreds of people and even worked on collaborative projects. Why the hell do we need sites that go about collecting every possible piece of personally identifying information? After all, on the Internet, it's what you can do, not who you are, that counts.
I've always maintained these sites existed solely for the purpose of obtaining and exploiting personal information and a large percentage of the online world seems to have fallen for it. This article proves my thesis. Now I have no objection to website-targeted advertising (eg ads for cameras on a photography site), but I take strong exception to ad companies building comprehensive psych profiles on me for the purpose of exploiting my feelings and desires for profit. Any advertising (printed or electronic) that tries to get personal with me gets a curt refusal and an assurance that I will have no further dealings with that company.
I've received countless invites from Facebook, MySpace, Orkut and a raft of others - all of which go straight in the spam bin. I've even set the spam filters on my domain and ISP emails to reject all such invites with a politely worded message:
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"Thank you for inviting me to your social networking site. However, I cannot accept your invitation, as these websites exist primarily for the purpose of collecting personal information for exploitation and targeted advertising. These websites are also a honeypot for identity thieves and fraudsters. For this reason, I do not participate in social networking sites, and I request that you kindly remove any of my personal information you may have provided to send me this invitiation from that website."
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Since this new initiative seems to encourage people to provide third-party information, violating OTHERS' privacy as well as their own, I will now be adding a warning to my invite-rejection email:
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"Further, it has come to my attention that some social networking sites are now exploring initiatives to further induce members into providing detailed personal information about third parties in order to acquire benefits. Please be aware that should evidence arise that you have provided my personal information to any of these initiatives, I will commence legal proceedings against you for Privacy Act violations."
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The advertising industry, being what it is, will not stop short of outright mind control, should it become available, to achieve its aims. And I will not be one of its victims.