A Coffee Cup Filled

I constantly see people fighting in the name of privacy on social networks like Facebook and whatnot. It depresses me, because these people don’t understand that the whole point of social networking, in my eyes, is about Radical Transparency (or at least some semblance of the idea). We let people know what’s going on in our lives, and we share ourselves with the people we care about. We show the drama in our lives, we show the turmoil, the hurt, the pain – we give it all up in the name of being interesting (though some might say dramatic and hopeless and fucking pathetic, but I digress…). But we want our privacy, all the same.

We gave up our personal information to Facebook (and if we didn’t, then we put fake information (which is really against the whole point of social networking) or we just didn’t subscribe to it, thinking that something else will come along and kill it in the near future), and now we’re upset because they want to make a little money with it. You know, the services they offer are free – and they don’t necessarily have to be.

The point is – we shouldn’t be afraid of our privacy. Unless we’re giving up things we don’t want people to know – just stop adding people on your list that you don’t know or trust. Simple as sin, amirite? I don’t get how some people get caught up in the race to get as many friends as possible. I usually wax & wane in between 100-200 friends, and usually prune it once every two or three months. It keeps my social circle clean and simple. There are some people who will stay, regardless of interaction (family, old friends that I don’t see no more but like to keep in touch with, etc), but for the most part – I don’t really get attached to my little circle.

I don’t see how anybody does, really. And I’m a very private person, to a point. I don’t let people know my passwords, I don’t let people see every single side of me (I used to, until one Englishman helped get me over that (<3 Silas)), and I don’t give up anything about myself that I wouldn’t want anyone else to know. That’s the right way to go about social networking – because now I’m not concerned about the privacy that Facebook may or may not offer / take away. I’ve accepted the fact that Facebook might want to make a little bit of scratch funds with my information, so I try to be as honest as possible – because I want advertisers to advertise the shit I want instead of the shit I don’t.

That’s just the way I see it, though. How about you? What do you think about privacy and social networking? Should it stay or should we care? Hit me up in the comments!

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-Brandon LaRocque