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Completely creeped out by social media!

Dee*Jay

Dee*Jay

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
15,468
I am the last person on the planet who did not have a Face Book account, but yesterday I had to create one to do some social media testing for my company. I first created a new email address using a variation on my first name and a variation on my husband's last name. Then I set up the F B account using name variations, and linked in also to the "variation email" address. I gave the absolute bare minimum info for the F B account and locked down every single privacy setting. When I logged on today to conduct more testing F B suggested a whole list of people to me that I might know -- and I DO know them. I was not seraching yesterday for anyone that I am friends with in real life becuase these are all work people, but yet somehow the connections were all correct. HOW did that happen?!? Ewww--I feel like I should take a shower now...
 
??

I have a faux account for checking up on my business page as an 'outsider'. I never got suggested people that I knew? Did you put in your employer? Your schools? Anything? That's usually how they suggest friends.
 
I put in NOTHING. My "variation name," female, birthday (I didn't think to change that!), and the required (variation) email.

Ick!!!!!
 
…did you merge your contacts into your email account? other people don't need to have it… but if you have others in your address book, FB can get to that I think.
 
Did you add you phone? That will link FB to contacts. That is why I access FB through Safari.
 
MC|1374610243|3488663 said:
Did you add you phone? That will link FB to contacts. That is why I access FB through Safari.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah that too. Sooooo annoying. Esp if you have friends on FB that you already have phone numbers to… and then you just have multiple contacts for the same person, except one only contains their FB information. :roll:
 
No contacts... no phone number... I'm totally stumped!
 
Maybe Farcebook can see your ISP address and they have ways to link it to other data about you.
 
Kenny, I did go on Linked In as my real self during that period, so maybe... ???


I'm starting to think dad and his McCarthy-era conspiracy theorism isn't so far off!
 
A couple weeks ago I created a fake hotmail (aka outlook) email account, giving 100% bogus info.
Then I used that account to create a Farcebook account, again with 100% bogus info.
Then it took forever to search around FB to set all the settings as private as possible - of course they were all defaulted to as public as possible. :angryfire:

I did not get the friend list you got, DeeJay.
Perhaps FB could not make connection because I use one browser for everything, but I downloaded another browser specifically for my FB experiment.
By browser I mean Explorer, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.
On the browser I use for FB I set every setting as private as possible.

I think you can also change your ISP address by turning off your wireless router (if you use one) for a few minutes before logging onto FB.
Then when you log off of FB turn the router off again for a few minutes.
 
That's odd, and I wish I could say I'm surprised. It's a bit creepy, I agree.
 
You nailed it with the LinkedIn visit, Dee*Jay. It was probably cached in your browser and Facebook pulled from it. Most of the people it suggested are probably your LinkedIn contacts as well.

Facebook has made online shopping really hard because any time I'm stalking something at Nordies and trying to decide if I want it, it will suddenly pop up in the ad bar on my facebook page! No fair!!! :nono: (It hasn't worked...I've convinced myself out of pretty much everything for one reason or another...but it's still not fair!)
 
Haha DeeJay, I totally know what you mean. I was one of those who joined facebook before it was Facebook. I had the account for many many years until recently. I felt there was really no privacy anymore. Anyone can just google my name and see some of my old profile pictures or some shared pictures by friends. I got tons emails daily from other people's activities and lots of political comments especially before the election. There were lots of people from college who I probably won't see Ever again were on my facebook ... sharing too much. That's when I decided to close the account. People I really talk to or see in real life are people who have my phone numbers... Do I really need to keep in touch with those who don't have my number/email address? hmm 8)

Dee*Jay|1374608952|3488646 said:
I am the last person on the planet who did not have a Face Book account, but yesterday I had to create one to do some social media testing for my company. I first created a new email address using a variation on my first name and a variation on my husband's last name. Then I set up the F B account using name variations, and linked in also to the "variation email" address. I gave the absolute bare minimum info for the F B account and locked down every single privacy setting. When I logged on today to conduct more testing F B suggested a whole list of people to me that I might know -- and I DO know them. I was not seraching yesterday for anyone that I am friends with in real life becuase these are all work people, but yet somehow the connections were all correct. HOW did that happen?!? Ewww--I feel like I should take a shower now...
Click to expand...
 
I had a FB account for all of 4 months 4-5 years ago. Deleted it, never missed it for a second. It's horrible. You're honestly better off without it.

And now Google is trying to get all Picasa users to join Google+ So frustrating! When you try to login to your Picasa account now, it forces you to join Google+ unless you get sneaky and use a no-direct picasa link (I'm sure they'll close that loophole soon). Another last-ditch effort to make Google+ popular. :angryfire:
 
Then I'm second to last- I am creeped out as well. I love Kenny's "experiment". I understand Yelp, Twitter, FB, Pinterest and Linked In are a family of web sites that share. True?
 
DeeJay:

Trust me - I do understand.

I do have a facebook account so people can find me. But, I almost never "friend" anyone new (it really has to be a Real Friend). I do use the message service to send messages to people who contact me who are legitimate. This has allowed people I served with in the US Navy, and a few others out there to actually find me.

I have all kinds of privacy restrictions set - and do not post general content.

I have never allowed Facebook to search for additional contacts.

I have to admit that I am reconsidering my use of Facebook as it relates to my side business. But, I am being cautious on considering that.

Maintaining Privacy in the internet age is interesting. I do want people who know me or want to know me to be able to find me; but, I also do not wish to provide too much information or link all of my friends data to others who I really do not know (and even if I know them I should not be providing friend links unless the friend specifically wants that).

Have a great day,

Perry
 
I sure agree with you that it's creepy. I never joined FB for the reasons stated above -- no interest in sharing everything about myself with anybody who wants to dig for it. Or not dig, just wait for it to fall into their laps. No thanks!

I'm sorry they nailed you -- can you close that account & start again, following Kenny's procedure?

--- Laurie
 
I consider Facebook smething for my son's generation {he's 27} and havebsolutely no interest in joining. My 64 year SIL is on it and she HOUNDS my son on the internet, which I don't think is appropriate.
 
Forgive me for not replying to everyone personally but I am trying to finish something up in my office.

Unfortunately I can't use Kenny's very good idea becuase I'm at the mercy of my company's technology and systems, otherwise I would be all over it!

The saving grace is I am only identified on FB by my variated (is that a word?) name -- and doubly variated at that, both first and last -- so I think I'm OK. How absolutely unsettling though, to open it up today and have all those "suggestions."

If I ever don't need this FB account any more (e.g., if I left this role and didn't do social media testing for my company any more) the first thing I will do is delete this account!
 
What did you mean about a variation of your husband's last name? Were you meaning your ex, or do you have some news? :naughty:

I do like FB, but I recently deleted my last name and put a made up last name. That way no one can find me. It puts me in control of who I want to add to my "friends" a little more than otherwise.
 
diamondseeker2006|1374625622|3488829 said:
What did you mean about a variation of your husband's last name? Were you meaning your ex, or do you have some news? :naughty:
.
Click to expand...

that is what I was wondering too!
 
HA!!! No new husband! I means my EX-husband's last name. Sorry!!!

I guess I just think of him at *The One and Only Husband I Intend to Have*, LOL.

(I'm sure if that changes at any point in the future one of you sharp memoried PSers will bring me back to this thread!)
 
vc10um|1374618144|3488739 said:
You nailed it with the LinkedIn visit, Dee*Jay. It was probably cached in your browser and Facebook pulled from it. Most of the people it suggested are probably your LinkedIn contacts as well.

Facebook has made online shopping really hard because any time I'm stalking something at Nordies and trying to decide if I want it, it will suddenly pop up in the ad bar on my facebook page! No fair!!! :nono: (It hasn't worked...I've convinced myself out of pretty much everything for one reason or another...but it's still not fair!)
Click to expand...

Yes, that happens to me constantly. Everything I look at on Nordstrom pops up on my FB browser even if I delete my history, which I always do bc my kid/dh use the same ipad, pc, etc. My husband must freak at some of the stuff I window shop! :D
 
Dee, you weren't the only one. I don't do Facebook or Twitter; I don't Pin or blog or any of that. I would totally do the fake thing if work made me sign up.
Kenny! I'm glad you did your experiment. Just reinforces what you (and I) always thought about FB.
They're evil. :evil:
 
Dee*Jay|1374631652|3488905 said:
HA!!! No new husband! I means my EX-husband's last name. Sorry!!!

I guess I just think of him at *The One and Only Husband I Intend to Have*, LOL.

(I'm sure if that changes at any point in the future one of you sharp memoried PSers will bring me back to this thread!)
Click to expand...

:lol:
 
It used to creep me out but doesn't any more - I guess I've gotten used to it. To me it's not much different than so much of my online activity being peppered with jewelry ads because of the time I spend here. In any event I figure it's just algorithms posting that stuff, not real people who are combing through my activity and saying "AHA! This will get her for sure!" But I have resisted the almost daily call to open a linkedin account, and most of my FB friends are people I know only through on-line connections... and never post "this is what I am doing now" type updates.
 
The freakiest thing that ever happened to me was that I was on the phone (a regular ole-fashioned land line) with a business colleague, and after I got off the phone, that person's (who is not linked to me as a friend in any way, shape or form) pic flashed before me as someone I may know. Seriously. Right after I got off the phone. I know that FB finds way so find people I know, but that one was over the top.
 
That person you were on the phone with must have linked his phone number with HIS account.. and then made it pubic
 
That is weird and yes I agree with you completely that social media scares me. I never did myspace or any of that but I do have facebook. I have noticed more and more that people don't do their full names but first name and then middle name. Or couples share accounts so DH's first name and then SO's first name.

It did freak me out a litle when several lurkers found me on FB from stuff I had posted on PS. Ella was kind enough to help me out, but it still gave me a real scare.
 
T-Gal, if that happened to me I'd run screaming from the building! That is WAY over the top!

I keep thinking about this, and maybe the link is the few people I asked to search for me on F B and their and my common connections on Linked In. That's the only thing that makes any sort of sense, short of Big Brother really being all up in my biz, LOL. The pic I posted of the helicoptor right outside my office window last night; the CB said that since my F B settings were fully locked down they had to find SOME way to keep tabs on me!
 
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