Could This Be the End of Facebook?

Ah, Facebook. A vital piece of some 400 million users online lives, the social networking tool that many of us boast to be early-adopters of has taken a quick turn down Creeper Street recently. The past few years of corporate buy-outs and less-than-transparent privacy setting changes has shaken some sense into the world, forcing them to realize the potential harm of loading personal information and somewhat incriminating pictures onto the great interwebs. Well duh.

While not yet reaching the sketchtastic levels of its predecessor MySpace, Facebook is consistently pushing the trust of its users. Protecting your information and photos used to be as easy as just making your profile private, and I have rolled my eyes at many a fear mongering professor warning me of the potential perils of posting such sensitive information.

After the most recent changes of policy, making it nearly impossible to protect your information without a how-to guide, many are trying to call Facebook on its bullshit. May 31st, 2010 has been deemed “Quit Facebook Day” and its organizers Matthew Milan and Joseph Dee are urging others to join in their cause to boycott the site as punishment for its not “being aligned with any positive future for the web.” While it seems an impossible feat, “How do I delete my Facebook account” has become a top search suggestion on Google, and the number of “Committed Facebook Quitters” is growing daily.

All of this, as well as the recent public shunning of Facebook by Betty White, brings up some important questions in the minds of users. Hell, my mom joined and quit after a few months because she “just felt voyeuristic and gross.” Many employers and people in general seem to have chilled the fuck out about sleuthing around online trying to find dirt on everyone and their dog, and most seem to subscribe to the belief that there will never be privacy for anything you willingly post for any amount of the public to see.

So what is your stance? Are you fed up with feeling violated by Faceballs, or do you want everyone to just shut the hell up and deal? I personally think people should shit or get off the pot. If you feel weird about someone seeing your slipped nip pic from last spring break, then delete your account and go buy yourself an appletini. Otherwise, fly your awkward/shameful/freaky Facebook flag high, and stop whining about it. Discuss.

Photos from: burlingtonpol.com, thenextweb.com

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