Just because you tell your friend a secret doesn’t mean you’re happy when he tells others. Same with your employer, your bank or any company you do business with.
But as the Facebook example illustrates, privacy is much more complex. It’s about who you choose to disclose information to, how, and for what purpose. And the key word there is “choose.” People are willing to share all sorts of information, as long as they are in control.
When Facebook unilaterally changed the rules about how personal information was revealed, it reminded people that they weren’t in control. —Bruce Schneier —Lessons From the Facebook Riots (Wired)
A great analysis of recent events. Thanks for the suggestion, Karissa.
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You're right, Will, his response is nothing new, but I blogged it precisely because it came with enough background information and explanation that someone coming to the issue from the outside would get a good idea of what was really at stake.
I think this guy said what I said, but only in a more polite, roundabout way. People's posts were already available to anyone who wanted to look. But people got really upset when they were forcibly reminded that "Yes, your posts are available to anyone who wants to look!"
It's kind of funny, really.