Facebook now makes me paranoid. No kidding. Yesterday my partner opened his computer to ads that were for products I’d been looking at on my computer– the exact same ads! Do I care that he sees what I’m looking at? Well, yes, I do. I value my sense of privacy just as I value my sense of self. It was horrible to know this was taken from me even in a seemingly small way.
So what to do? Should I stop using Facebook all together? I’ve noticed that a few long standing FB friends are no longer posting. Not only do I miss them, but their absence makes me wonder if I shouldn’t be doing the same – join the protest.
But here is the dilemma: I need Facebook to promote my books otherwise publishers won’t want to publish. So do I throw the baby out with the bathwater?
I think I found a solution. Today I attended a fundraiser for the homeless. It was organized by the Volunteer Ministry Center in Knoxville. (www.vmcinc.org) Facebook is the perfect place to notify the community, invite participation, and help raise awareness for these kinds of events.
My solution is to focus my use of Facebook on letting others know about events and about community issues. Make this huge networking site work for good. Keep any information posted and hacked focused on those things that can only help.