Wrote this over 4 years ago... Just going to leave this here: medium.com/@simonhamp/a-w…
For context, the article was about trying to come up with an approach for single sign-on that doesn't carry the danger of making personal/private available to third parties - one of the key selling points for Facebook's 'Login with Facebook' service.
It's so clear now why Facebook was strategically pushing that service, because they were confident that when companies saw the data they could get on their users, they would value it enough to spend big $$$. Execs at Facebook rubbed their hands 🤑
It had nothing to do with 'what's right for the user' or 'consumer convenience' - those are all side-channels mostly used as spin to convince an (at the time) oblivious public to 'legally' (but unwittingly) grant a back door into their private lives.
And what has Facebook or these companies done with that massive Social Graph and intelligence? Nothing of any real value to us! Just milked it to serve 'more relevant' advertising. It has not enriched our lives in any meaningful way.
And now we've reached the point where our awareness of these things that they've schemed years ago are now alienating us, repulsing us! Which only serves to deter FBs customers. They put the rug under their own feet holding the edge all this time waiting to pull it out.
But we shouldn't just leave Facebook behind because it no longer serves us well ("Too bad. Too bad!") or even because we might be guilty by association... we should leave on principle: because they have clearly been playing us all.
Companies like Basecamp (of which I'm sure there will soon be hundreds/thousands) are taking a real stand: m.signalvnoise.com/become-a-faceb…. Can we get a badge like this for individuals? A real badge that I can put on my bag or my coat? A proper pin with a shiny back and an enamel button?
We are all to blame. Even you - yes you. Me too! We've all been tricked into believing that we were doing no harm. That it was just a bit of fun. But we were fuelling this beast! And look what it's doing now. It's insatiable!
It's thrashing around, wresting with the world to keep feeding it, regardless of its overfilled belly. More! MORE! MOOOARRRR!!! Despite bruises and bullet holes, it's belligerently fighting on. But now's the time to cut off its oxygen supply and let the beast die...
STOP USING FACEBOOK!
