Once again, Facebook’s privacy options are in the news, with recent changes and ancient text messages fueling renewed concern. Provocative discussions of our changing expectations and norms are everywhere.
One abstract, and rather surprising, way of looking at your online footprint can be reached here. Aaron Zinman built the Personas engine for the MIT Media Lab, and it calls up one answer to the question “How does the Internet see you?” The colorful display changes each time you run it.
Even optimists and technophiles, and I count myself among them, would do well to admit that our networking is unprecedented, and consequences for law enforcement, politics, finance, friendship, and our workplaces are truly unknown.
I have not quit Facebook, like some are loudly recommending. I was, however, curious enough to spend a full half-hour examining and adjusting every single privacy setting on my account (top right hand side, Account > Privacy Settings). I recommend you do, too. I found very few of the settings where I wanted them.
This Joyful Noise 