I really want to delete my facebook account.
I was enthusiastic about the idea after all the changes the Zuck made to “privacy” this year and then I read this polemic by Jason Calacanis about how facebook is evil and the Zuck has Zucked his way to the top.
I was kinda gratified because it meant that my suspicion and anxiety about facebook was felt tenfold over by an industry observer.
It meant that my doubts about the business model were in part justified because eroding privacy for commercial gain is clearly unethical.
And not being transparent about it is very unethical.
Privacy should NOT be opt-in.
A year ago I said facebook was (almost) doomed because of the difference between the sacred and the profane.
After facebook became the most visited US website for a week in March I thought I was completely wrong.
I wasn’t.
Running a massive website is expensive and advertising won’t generate enough of a return for the Zuck so he is monetising his biggest asset – you and me.
I don’t want my private data to be monetised and Zucked up. If I share publicly I use twitter. If it’s a private conversation between friends I might send an email, pick up the phone, send a text or just maybe use facebook.
The problem is that I need facebook. I need to understand if advertising and targeting is more cost effective for certain campaigns than Google.
I need to understand it, to use it for traffic generation, to observe it with a critical gaze.
So I guess I’ve been Zucked after all.
We all have.