Facebook Caution!
We now have four of our members on “Facebook.” Facebook is just about the same as “My Space,” but frequented by older people. Facebook is a “Social Networking” site that is used to communicate with your friends. Sounds good at first; but it can be dangerous!

I joined Facebook with the intent of locating Sachem Alumni! Facebook is not private by default; whatever you say to one member of your group is sent to everyone. I believe that it is possible to direct a message to only one person, but one must first figure out how to perform this operation. I may have figured out how to direct messages, but I am not sure if this procedure is actually working! Even if you figure out how to direct messages, one slip of the mouse, and everyone knows what you have just said!

By default, anyone listed as a friend in your personal profile, can also see everyone else that is listed. There are ways to limit that but I can’t figure it out! What if your activist academic friend, found out that you were also friends with the chairman of the Republican Party? Ice and Fire do not mix! Facebook may have a facility for multiple groups of friends, but I have not figure out if that is possible!

The people at Facebook are constantly trying to find friends for you, by getting the Password to your Email Account! If you give them the password to your Email Account, they will rummage through your Address Book, looking for people that also are members of Facebook. If anyone in your address book has a Facebook account, they could receive an invitation to become one of your friends! I did not have the desire or courage to give Facebook the password to my email account. Does anyone know if I would be given the opportunity to say "No" before invitations are sent out to people in my address book?

OK! The following is a fictitious scenario, used only as an illustration. You have in your Address Book, the following email listings who coincidentally, also have a Facebook Account:
1. The IRS Tax Auditor
2. The lawn service that does not pay taxes.
3. Your Wife.
4. The local Brothel.
5. Your children.
6. Your Priest or Minister.
7. Your mistress!
8. Ha! Ha! LOL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

If you don’t know what you are doing, all of the above could inadvertently be registered as your friends. Oh well!

(3/22/2009 News Flash: Ive just learned that Facebook says that they will not store your email address or contact anyone, without your permission! Hum!!!! I would still feel a lot better if I spoke to someone who has actually gone through the process!)

I would bet that this problem would go away if Facebook added a line of text, below the "Find Friends" box that says:

By submitting your email password, we would only look through your address book for people that are eligible to join your group of friends. You will then be asked to select only those people that you want to receive an invitation to join your group. You have total control of who receives an invitation!

So everything that you type is seen by the entire group. Anything that any member of your group types, can be seen by the entire group! There are ways to limit visibility, but I feel that they are rather cryptic. I am not new to software, but I feel that it could take me a month to fully control Facebook!

I do not discourage anyone from joining Facebook; in fact, I believe that it can be fun! Please be mindful, as to who you invite, to join your group; that is, until you learn how to control FaceBook access.

I have heard of a person that was inadvertently exposed as a Bi-Sexual because of a mistake made using FaceBook.

OK! Please be careful! Facebook is a lot of fun, but it is also the same as the AT&T Party-lines, that we had in the 50s! Everyone knows all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PRIVATE MESSAGES! USE EMAIL.

Jerry Schmitt:
Just read your blog in the "Gazette". I'm glad you took me seriously and warning all to be cautious!

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