Facebook Part 2: Who should control our stuff?
Kasey Brooks
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: Opinion
In a somewhat ingenuous recovery from the recent outcry about changing its Terms of Service, Facebook.com has managed to turn around what could have been a harsh blow to its user numbers as well as the Web site's reputation. Just days after reversing the change in its Terms of Service policy-a change that would have allowed Facebook to profit off of user content as well as to keep logged copies of it all-creator Mark Zuckerberg managed to deflect the negative publicity while at the same time fostering discussion and debate about the reality of online ownership and privacy rights. Now, users who are opposed to any profiting off of their content are being allowed to express their viewpoints and be heard by the people in control of the Web site.
"Today we announced new opportunities for users to play a meaningful role in determining the policies governing our site. We released the first proposals subject to these procedures - The Facebook Principles, a set of values that will guide the development of the service, and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities that governs Facebook's operations. Users will have the opportunity to review, comment and vote on these documents over the coming weeks and, if they are approved, other future policy changes," reads the post.
Dr. Kurt Reymers, a professor for the STS program at Morrisville with specific knowledge in the field of internet rights and legalities, praises Zuckerberg's move. "From a consumer perspective, I think they made the right decision. Users see Facebook as a "private place" - even though it isn't - and so in treating it as such, Facebook chose to respect the perception of consumers rather than the reality of internet society."
Ted Ullyot, a fellow creator of the Web site, started a group called Facebook Town Hall: Proposed Statement of Rights & Responsibilities, dedicated to giving users a voice in how Facebook is run. The group description reads, "Once finalized, the Statement [available in a separate group] will take the place of our existing Terms of Use, Developer Terms of Service, and the Facebook Advertising Terms and Conditions." The statement itself can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54964476066#/topic.php?uid=54964476066&topic=7960 for those of you bored or ambitious enough. In reality, reading the thread of discussion is generally interesting and gives me hope for humankind-for the most part, anyway.
"Today we announced new opportunities for users to play a meaningful role in determining the policies governing our site. We released the first proposals subject to these procedures - The Facebook Principles, a set of values that will guide the development of the service, and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities that governs Facebook's operations. Users will have the opportunity to review, comment and vote on these documents over the coming weeks and, if they are approved, other future policy changes," reads the post.
Dr. Kurt Reymers, a professor for the STS program at Morrisville with specific knowledge in the field of internet rights and legalities, praises Zuckerberg's move. "From a consumer perspective, I think they made the right decision. Users see Facebook as a "private place" - even though it isn't - and so in treating it as such, Facebook chose to respect the perception of consumers rather than the reality of internet society."
Ted Ullyot, a fellow creator of the Web site, started a group called Facebook Town Hall: Proposed Statement of Rights & Responsibilities, dedicated to giving users a voice in how Facebook is run. The group description reads, "Once finalized, the Statement [available in a separate group] will take the place of our existing Terms of Use, Developer Terms of Service, and the Facebook Advertising Terms and Conditions." The statement itself can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54964476066#/topic.php?uid=54964476066&topic=7960 for those of you bored or ambitious enough. In reality, reading the thread of discussion is generally interesting and gives me hope for humankind-for the most part, anyway.