I like the concept behind Facebook--it's a great way to stay in contact with large groups of friends, and it's a handy way to find out what people are doing. However, I doubt I'll ever post very much to Facebook; instead, I'll continue to use my blog as my primary means of expression.
The main reason is this, found in Facebook's terms of service:
The following sections will survive any termination of your use of the Facebook Service: Prohibited Conduct, User Content, Your Privacy Practices, Gift Credits, Ownership; Proprietary Rights, Licenses, Submissions, User Disputes; Complaints, Indemnity, General Disclaimers, Limitation on Liability, Termination and Changes to the Facebook Service, Arbitration, Governing Law; Venue and Jurisdiction and Other.
So whatever you post to Facebook, they own forever, even if you decide to cancel your account there. Bear that in mind before you decide to share your next great creation with all your Facebook friends!
Facebook has now said we just didn't get what they were trying to say before, and has revised the language of their terms of service.
ReplyDeleteI feel a bit helpless before services like Facebook and Blogger. Originally I set up my own domain and Web page and added a blog and discussion board myself. I didn't want to pay $200 a year for a license, so I downloaded free ones that functioned just the same. Then within six months the spammers and malicious posters showed up, and I realized to keep my security up would take more time than the blogging and posting -- that is, if I could even figure out how to apply the patches, which were primitive and mostly ineffective.
So I moved over to Blogger, etc. Even stars like Bill Maher are keeping their blogs on Blogger. However, when the world discovers my genius (and it's taking some time), I just hope Mark Zuckerberg doesn't try to take a share.
I really wish somebody would take one of these TOS contracts to court so we can find out if they're actually enforceable. Shrink-wrap licenses have been held in some cases to be just empty verbage. Either way, it's another reason our whole body of intellectual property law needs an overhaul.
ReplyDelete-- Jack of Spades