Facebook and A Thing Called Privacy

[surrealle]

First of all I would like to introduce myself, my name's Nico and I've been following this site for the past three years. I think it's about time I registered myself.

The main reason why I only post now is that, I'm in an ongoing blog debate, discussing whether reproducing any comments made on Facebook without censoring names/pictures on another blog/website is considered a breach of privacy.

Here's how it goes, a blog posts a conversation between a girl and her friends on Facebook as below:

Girl: Finally back to [public uni], feel so sien, so happy
Friend A: Haha, it's tat jungle?
Girl: No, my uni near [somewhere]. hehe, haiz, its ghost place
Friend A: wow, [somewhere] siok. why ghost place?
Girl: cz too many [certain people], i dislike
Friend A: haha, all [institution] uni like that la, all [certain people] pig

Now this was posted as a Printscreen image on the blog to point out racism and I guess all of you could figure out the comments that was posted on the blogs.

And the comments were full of racist sentiments and all, the usual stuff.

My comments were (they were surprisingly in BM):


The author shouldn't have published the pictures while blatantly exposing the identity of the said student.
I argued that it was a breach of privacy
Instead the author should have approached the said student and told her to erase the comment and all.
I also said that the tone of the people who comment is racist too, because to undermine the race of another while accusing them racist is racism too.
I said fire shouldn't be fought with fire but I'm digressing here.

The rebuttal was:
Yo Nico (yo! yo! kamu rappers yo!),


Kalau ye pun kau nak berbunyi liberal, jangan lah sampai jadi bangang. Hak peribadi? Privacy? Oi tongong, kau tau ke maksud "personal", "private" dan "privacy" tu atau itu hanya retorik kosong dan bodoh kau saja? Private bermaksud persendirian, bukan di khalayak ramai. Tapi si mangkuk ayun babi tonyok rasis tu terang-terangan menggunakan Facebook (iaitu satu media umum Internet yang dilawati BERJUTA pelawat setiap hari) untuk menyatakan pandangan perkaumannya. Dan perlakuan dia yang membenarkan komen kawan dia yang bodoh macam dia jugak, wajar dikutuk. Dia tak tau ke ada function "delete comment" di FB? Kenapa dia publish juga komen tu? Sbb itu dia harus dipertanggungjawabkan! Bodoh!

Api jangan dilawan api? Habis tu dengan apa? Dengan kertas? Kapas? Pantun, puisi dan dakwah? Kepala hotak kau. Sebab perangai mcm tu lah kepala kau dipijak, bangang! Teguran dan debat intelektual dengan makhluk bangang bahasa Melayu mcm depa tu tak ada gunanya, sebab ianya bukan berada pada "wavelength" yang sama! Tiada resonans! Tiada hasil! Mereka tak faham itu semua. Cakap melayu dan Inggeris pun tunggang-langgang, kau nak ajak berdiskusi pulak? The only ubat mujarab terhadap kekurang-ajaran makhluk2 laknat macam depa is pelempang kiri kanan! Pasal apalah kau ni bengap sangat.

More can be found in my blog at

http://surrealled.blogspot.com/2009/12/inconsiderate-beings.html
http://surrealled.blogspot.com/2009/12/fools-gold.html

Right, I'm digressing again.

There are websites that reproduce the comments on Facebook such as this http://myparentsjoinedfacebook.com/ but they took the effort to censor out the names and profile pictures.

I've made a few research (if you call Googling research that is) and it seems, people have come up to the conclusion that there is no such thing as privacy on Facebook or any social networking site but most of them were inadequate to fulfill my needs for opinions and all.

So what better place to get input than Recom right? So here goes.

Did the author have the right to publish those images?

Does anyone have the right to your comments on Facebook?

What are your thoughts regarding the whole thing?

[Koschei]

Anything posted in a public manner (and comments on facebook are pretty public) on the Internet no longer belongs to you. Technically, the person shouldn't have posted the pictures with the names plainly visible, but doing so is more out of courtesy rather than being obligated to do so. People should realise that they need to think very carefully before they post anything on the Internet, especially if their comments are controversial.

Oh, and in my opinion, calling racists racist doesn't mean that you're racist yourself. Calling a spade what it is doesn't make you a spade, does it?

[Johnivan]

I guess the author was trying to be very helpful, but instead some other not so emotionally-excellent people replied in a very unintelligent way... I agree with you all that everything put on Facebook is very public. It is not a good idea to post where you are going at what time as your status, not to mention words that are harmful or not constructive. Facebook is meant for friendship, sharing your thoughts on something good, relationships and connecting with people, not for you to criticize someone here. I'm fed up with many people who actually used Facebook as a place where they release their anger towards some teacher, even friends they don't like. Facebook is very powerful. I once posted a photo, which was meant to give a good laugh for a few friends, but instead ended up making a teacher cry. I removed the photo and apologized to the teacher immediately after the event. There is no privacy on Facebook, so be very careful. I think there is no need for the author of the blog to continue the debate with that guy. 秀才遇到兵，有理说不清。

[CelineD]

Facebook is meant for friendship, sharing your thoughts on something good, relationships and connecting with people, not for you to criticize someone here. I'm fed up with many people who actually used Facebook as a place where they release their anger towards some teacher, even friends they don't like. Facebook is very powerful.

Agreed. :amuse

And, once something is posted online, it's there to be read by the whole world. Even if a comment is deleted, people who read it can still remember what was said, and the web page can be archived before it is deleted, as proof. So if we really need to rant or complain about someone or some issue, use some more private way like MSN or email...

Not to say that always complaining is a good thing. And, referring to the original post, if people only know how to respond in an emotional way (I tend to do this too so I'm guilty) to comments/current issues and not in a more factual way, keeping their cool and also keeping sentiments out of the way, they're...immature.

[LaLaLaKenz]

Agreed. :amuse

And, once something is posted online, it's there to be read by the whole world. Even if a comment is deleted, people who read it can still remember what was said, and the web page can be archived before it is deleted, as proof. So if we really need to rant or complain about someone or some issue, use some more private way like MSN or email...

Not to say that always complaining is a good thing. And, referring to the original post, if people only know how to respond in an emotional way (I tend to do this too so I'm guilty) to comments/current issues and not in a more factual way, keeping their cool and also keeping sentiments out of the way, they're...immature.

Never ever disclose anything through msn !! my friend betrayed me by exposing the msn chat history to others .. despicable act !!:mad
IMO , never believe anyone , never post anything online .. keep your FB , blogs clean .. then u r safe

[youngyew]

It's not so much about the medium than your own vigilance about what information you offer to people around you. It doesn't matter whether it's Facebook, blog or MSN. You could find a chamber of secrets in Hogwarts and tell a secret with the softest whisper, and if the person does not keep a secret, then your secret is not going to be kept anyway.

[vseehua]

Never ever disclose anything through msn !! my friend betrayed me by exposing the msn chat history to others .. despicable act !!:mad
IMO , never believe anyone , never post anything online .. keep your FB , blogs clean .. then u r safe
IMO you should dump that 'friend.'

[CelineD]

Never ever disclose anything through msn !! my friend betrayed me by exposing the msn chat history to others .. despicable act !!:mad
IMO , never believe anyone , never post anything online .. keep your FB , blogs clean .. then u r safe

Sorry to hear about what your friend did...when I said that MSN, email etc was an option, it was because (so far) I can chat personal stuff with friends and (so far) nothing was let out of the box...this is my case, makes me grateful for trustworthy friends:) but for you it was the opposite I guess...

I agree with keeping our FB and blogs clean...that's for the good of all reading it, but then to say "never believe anyone, never post anything online" is...well you were angry at your friend, but there are still people out there who can be trusted...and we can post opinions online, just like what you, I and others on this forum are doing...just avoid the personal stuff and the "isu (terlalu)sensitif". Should be able to stay out of (most)risk that way.

Peace~

[vseehua]

What would you define by isu-isu sensitif? There are times when we will need to speak up against rules that are set up without a good basis. In the west, issues like black vs white has been very very sensitive, so that it caused major clashes between two groups of people.

But guess what, without people like Martin Luther King Jr. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King), the world would have not wake up against discrimination against the black in the United States. The situation has improved to such a state that, even a black minority can become the President of United States, and it has become a better melting pot of cultures from all over the world.

[Taffenie]

Agreed. :amuse

Not to say that always complaining is a good thing. And, referring to the original post, if people only know how to respond in an emotional way (I tend to do this too so I'm guilty) to comments/current issues and not in a more factual way, keeping their cool and also keeping sentiments out of the way, they're...immature.

I agree with you. I quarrel with my friend and he is very angry with me. But I didn't aspect that he will asperse me using facebook by posting those hurting words. I remember one of the sentense vividly: "Fucking people wasting my time in this fucking place now.Why don't you just fuck off please?" I'm so mad when I knowing he posted this. Why he doesn't think before what is the consequences?? His action is so immature. He can come and scold me but please don't releasing his anger in such a way when he know I can see his post. Or maybe he purposely let me see that...:(

[LaLaLaKenz]

IMO you should dump that 'friend.'
That's what i did :mad

[manglish_lysia]

Never ever disclose anything through msn !! my friend betrayed me by exposing the msn chat history to others .. despicable act !!:mad
IMO , never believe anyone , never post anything online .. keep your FB , blogs clean .. then u r safe

I agree with you. Especially FB. My teacher actually told me that these days, employers will actually search their future employees' FB before hiring them!

Lol, I know your username is manglish_lysia but it won't hurt to check what you wrote. Edited it. ~ Capablanca

[CelineD]

What would you define by isu-isu sensitif? There are times when we will need to speak up against rules that are set up without a good basis.

You make a very good point...I didn't give it much thought earlier:)

Guess that I forgot to elaborate on the "isu sensitif". I don't agree with posting issues in a way that spark a strong and (mostly)emotional response almost immediately, like racial and religious issues. For example(example only ok?), if I post something that is directly or indirectly saying "My race/religion is better than yours, you all very (insert demeaning quality here)" publicly then I'll be starting an immediate flame war and people will tend to respond in a similar manner to defend themselves and attack me back, and the whole thing becomes some war zone where little constructive feedback is voiced and we're all busy insulting each other.

But, voicing out opinions to highlight social injustice, current issues, and personal and corporate rights, like you said, is something that we ought to do. It gives a voice to the people and gets things done. People become more aware of their rights and what is happening around them, and action is (ideally) taken to resolve issues. But we don't live in a perfect world so certain issues may be left hanging...I won't elaborate too much on that...

I agree with you. I quarrel with my friend and he is very angry with me. But I didn't aspect that he will asperse me using facebook by posting those hurting words. I remember one of the sentense vividly: "Fucking people wasting my time in this fucking place now.Why don't you just fuck off please?" I'm so mad when I knowing he posted this. Why he doesn't think before what is the consequences?? His action is so immature. He can come and scold me but please don't releasing his anger in such a way when he know I can see his post. Or maybe he purposely let me see that...:(

A lot of people do that...some people even purposely do it to make others angry. I'm not sure about your friend because I don't know his motives, but I know a lot of people who literally post what they are thinking about someone else, like for example this two people break up, then the girl post something like "you were the worst thing that ever happened in my life so get lost" or some other mean comment that the boy, and anyone else who knows this couple, knows that this comment is directed to the boy.

IMO, keep your cool and forgive that friend...and don't do the same thing to other people, knowing that it's immature to do so. Find some more mature way to express any anger/disagreement...like thinking through of how to respond to someone that makes us angry, before actually responding, instead of lashing out with four letter words like what your friend did... :)

[manglish_lysia]

I agree with you. Especially FB. My teacher actually told me that these days, employers will actually search their future employees' FB before hiring them!

Lol, I know your username is manglish_lysia but it won't hurt to check what you wrote. Edited it. ~ Capablanca

thank you capablanca! XD

[cycycy]

I agree with you. Especially FB. My teacher actually told me that these days, employers will actually search their future employees' FB before hiring them!


Haha. Looking into FB is really a good way to look into a person's character. :P

[sleevelesssky]

Before one blurts that Facebook is an invasion of privacy, it is necessary to keep in mind that Facebook is a public domain by all accounts. Customized privacy settings do help to a certain extent but that is it. The magic word is common sense.

[senksiang90]

Facebook is an awesome tool. Apparently no matter how hard you try to run away from it, you need facebook to get updates in club events nowadays.. Well, as for privacy, it is too obvious that blocking someone won't stop them from viewing ur pic. all they need to do is just find a used to be mutual friend with you and borrow his account to view you.

well, FB I admit is a very awesome social network. But after watching this South Park episode, I realised that it has taken over my life so much that I deactivated it for the time being. If you ahve time and is filled with boredom, take sometime and watch this episode of South Park regarding FB issue.

http://www.4shared.com/video/4xirTMrN/SouthParkS14E04YouHave0Friends.htm

Download it at ur own will. This is a censored version but it'll be too obvious that they are saying the F word.

*If you dislike watching foul language cartoons, dont watch it. seriously. LOL.

oh and do click download now instead of buffering it to get HD quality. may take 290 secs before u r able to download it since it is free.

[Glassylicious]

Haha. Looking into FB is really a good way to look into a person's character. :P

XD Yeah, but the big problem is usually a case of "I work hard and play hard. I am very professional in the office but I like to have my fun after work."

So what happens when hardcore partying pictures of an otherwise hardworking and capable employee are posted up on Facebook?

Sure, it's an excellent way of looking into a person's character, but if he or she is performing well in the office, looking into someone's Facebook isn't going to be much help. Remember that when you are an employer, your main goal is to seek performance. Yes, John might swear and cuss in his status updates, and might be photographed chugging down a month's supply of tequila shots in a club last weekend. But does it really matter if he is the highest performing employee in his department, gets along with the rest of the team, and produces results?

The problem with letting employers check an employee's Facebook is that all too often it dissolves the line between personal and professional life that employees wish to maintain. In my opinion, if I were an employer, checking someone's Facebook is not going to help at all. It accomplishes nothing.

[youngyew]

The same can be said about a good minister who's caught having an affair.