A lot of chatter about Facebook Chat
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 10 years, 3 months AGO
Dear PropellerHeads: All of a sudden Facebook is telling me that I need a separate mobile app to chat with my friends. I was going to install it, but heard it's a cross between the NSA and the Devil. Can you explain?
A: Ah yes, these days everyone's favorite thing to do on Facebook (facebook.com) is to complain about ... Facebook (thesameurlijustposted.com). There are always rumors flying around about Facebook potentially charging for access, buying up any mildly popular social networking competitor, and collecting every morsel of data on you it can just to sell ads. Well, for all you conspiracy fanatics out there, you're absolutely right (except for charging for access, which does not appear likely any time soon). The hullabaloo over the messenger app falls in line with the frequent privacy concerns that Facebook has brushed aside and laughed at whilst its millions of users complained but ultimately stayed with them.
The bottom line is that using a free site that supports as many users and features as Facebook does requires some form of income, and with "big data" (lmgtfy. com/?q=what+is+ big+data%3F) being all the rage, the easiest way to do that is to be really, really good at targeted advertising. As people are moving away from traditional laptop/PC use of Facebook and more toward mobile app use on phones, tablets, and phablets, Facebook has had to adapt. There's less real estate to effectively advertise and still hold all the functionality of the desktop site, and that's where messenger comes in. The goal with messenger is to provide something that will always be running on your mobile device, and replace your typical SMS/MMS needs.
The rights you grant this app have gotten a lot of attention. So much so that you'd think it was somehow much worse than any other apps out there, including the base Facebook app itself. This PropellerHead thinks those claims are wildly exaggerated. For instance, the ability to monitor your phone's call status is needed so the app will defer to an incoming call rather than keep running and send your call to voicemail. It asks for your contacts, like many other apps (including games), so it can interact with them. You can't play Words with Friends with your actual friends without sharing your contact list, right?
The app does extend Facebook's ability to research you, though. It can tell who you speak with most often, what links are sent back and forth between you (when you click on them in chat in order to open a browser), and where you are when you are chatting with people. All of these things allow them to have you both as a customer (user) and a commodity (marketing target). Facebook has actually become a little self-aware about concerns with the messenger, and has posted its own little FAQ to try and ease people's concerns. Read more at facebook.com/messengerfacts.
Is Facebook invading your privacy and selling some of it to the highest bidder? Absolutely. However, chances are if you are using any social network, mobile phone apps for gaming or email, or any of the big-name search engines, you're providing a lot of that information already. Rather than panic or rant, read up on exactly what information you're surrendering and make an informed decision on your usage.
If you've decided that being a commodity is for the birds, there is a new social network that's positioning itself as the anti-Facebook. Ello (ello.co) is currently in beta and by invite only, but is advertising itself as not selling member information. It's social networking for the actual user, and not for advertisers. We're waiting for our invitation, and hope to have a review coming your way soon.
In the meantime, find your most comfortable tinfoil hat and don't be surprised when your phone asks why you're shutting it down... (youtube.com/watch?v=HwBmPiOmEGQ)
When the PropellerHeads at Data Directions aren't busy with their IT projects, they love to answer questions on business or consumer technology. Email them to questions@askthepropellerheads.com or contact us at Data Directions Inc., 8510 Bell Creek Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23116. Visit our website at www.askthepropellerheads.com.